Experiences of three types of visitors

family with young children

Hanne and Kevin stayed in the barrack at the end of October with Suzan and Phil, their two children aged 5 and 7.

What did you enjoy the most?

The central part in the barrack is the stove. Life revolves around that stove: in the morning we first lit the stove to heat up water for coffee, at noon we cooked on it and in the evening we could warm ourselves on the stove in the already cold October evenings. That way, the stove helps to slow down. We also awoke early in the morning thanks to the sunlight and on Sunday we took a pleasant morning walk in the Gasthuisbossen. When we returned, there was still plenty of time left to prepare lunch, on the stove of course.

Did the children have problems adjusting?

They were really looking forward to it, especially our son who is very interested in the history of WWI. Our daughter was sceptical at first, mostly out of ignorance, but as soon as we got there, she quickly found her way. Only that toilet… For the rest, they had a lot of fun in the garden, with the board games, with drawing, with going to the Crater Wood on his own along the very traffic-free, dead-end Bellewaerdestraat, the cake from the oven, the pancakes baked on the stove…

What did you miss the most?

A stay of only two nights is actually too short to miss much, but in the evening, we missed some light to be able to read when the children were already in bed. Some of us also missed a modern toilet, but that could easily be remedied during the day trips (to Bellewaerde Aquapark, the city of Ypres and the Hooge Crater Museum).

Which keywords best suit your stay?

wood stove - walking - swimming - washing dishes outside

Have your expectations been met?

Definitely. Adapting to the less luxurious life went even better than expected. The next time we would rather stay longer in Barak de Vinck to experience the culture shock between 1919 and now more intensively.

Would you recommend it to other families?

Oh yes, we would!

family with teenagers

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couple looking for a silence spot

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