Wherever I go, I personally always really enjoy visiting interior design shops. And I always interpret that very broadly: from thrift store to design store!

Ypres also has its hidden gems; I'll take you on my regular tour!

The first place I drive to in Ypres is the Kringwinkel in the Steverlyncklaan. The place is very neat, very tidy. Occasionally there is a hidden gem, but then you really have to be lucky. The funniest part is the corner with the crosses and statues of saints. Even those are always neatly sorted.

From there, I drive to St. Krispijn Street, to Antique Construction (https://www.antiekbouw.be/nl/home). It's a store specializing in old building materials. I love looking at the sinks and the old tiles. Long ago I bought all my interior doors and tile floors there myself. My car ride continues: first to Delva, along the Oostkaai.( https://www.delva.be/nl). A very neat store of all kinds of DIY materials but the bit of deco on the second floor always attracts me. Sometimes they suddenly have a very nice lamp or a beautiful pillow for very little money.

Next door to Shopping Delva is also a very special brocante store: Antiques from A to Z. Not always open (only on Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays) but when it is open you really should drop in. Signs in enamel, garden furniture, large statues, clocks. Your mouth falls open in amazement.

Then park the car downtown at Ciepers Lodge. I usually walk from the Slachthuisstraat to the city via the Surmont de Volsbergestraat, there you will find SixSense (http://sixsense.be) , a store full of sleek interiors but when I passed by it the other day they also had nice stuff for kids (the mice from Maileg). Then on to Diksmuidestraat. I always pop in to De Balans (https://de-balans-at-home.be/). Nice candles, vases, wallpaper. Everything nicely matched and a friendly owner and a cute dog!

Then continue this way towards the Grote Markt and then towards the Menin Gate. A short break to have a drink at Het depot (https://www.depotieper.be/nl/). Then return via Boterstraat to Tempelstraat and Stationstraat. A bit of a forgotten corner of Ypres but with some very nice stores: the store of interior designer Simon Debackere (http://www.simondebackere.be/nl/home) and nearby Interieur Seys (https://www.interieurseys.be/).

Eventually you return to Boterstraat to then take a break at the Binnenhuys (http://www.binnenhuys1772.be/) . One of the oldest mansions in Ypres, and miraculously not completely destroyed in WWI. You can have something to eat or drink but also just browse around.