Head for the peak
To visit Cassel, the highest village in Flanders, let’s start with the Grand Place. I could see façades with Flemish overtones, shops, and the welcoming restaurant terraces. I could, of course, swing by the tourist information office! Here, you can get all the advice, tips and maps that you may need.
Then, I accessed the château’s terraces via the stairs known as the “rampe alpine”. This path imitating rocks and rockeries is a testimony to the history of Cassel, when in the 19th century, the middle-class society came to enjoy a breath of fresh air in Flanders.
Up above, there are panoramic views over Flanders as far as the eye can see. The toposcopes allowed me to see where I was compared to the surrounding and far-off towns. Like me, enjoy reading the names engraved in the stone, you’ll be surprised by some of the places mentioned!
Cassel Panorama
Cassel la rampe alpine
Cassel Tables d'orientation au sommet du mont
Moulin de CasselLet’s meet at the windmill...
A little further on, I continued my visit and stopped in front of the windmill. Did you know that in the past, Cassel had some twenty windmills? Next to this, the equestrian statue of Marshal Foch, an iconic figure of the First World War, watches over the plains of Ypres and l’Yser in memory of his settlement in Cassel between 1914 and 1915.
