P&O Ferries recommends a trip to Ypres cat festival

Cat lovers should book a Dover to Calais ferry crossing and pay a visit to the Kattenstoet festival in Ypres, Belgium on May 10th, according to P&O Ferries.

This celebration of all things feline dates all the way back to the Middle Ages when Ypres hosted a rather macabre event that saw jesters tossing cats off a belfry tower, followed by a witch-burning ceremony.

These days, velvet toys are thrown down to members of the crowd below, who attempt to catch the items for good luck.

The contemporary Kattenstoet festival also includes a giant fancy dress parade through the streets of Ypres.

P&O Ferries offers a choice of 32 Dover to Calais ferry crossings every day, after which travellers can make the 60-mile drive across the border to Ypres in north-west Belgium.

The operator also provides ferries from Hull to Zeebrugge in Belgium, while TransEuropa Ferries offers a Ramsgate to Ostend ferry service.

Written by Andrew Smith