09:OOam Meet your driver-guide at your hotel (or nearby location). From Brussels drive over the Meuse river in Namur. Arrive in Bastogne. .Snack lunch (not incl.) See the Sherman tank, the McAuliffe square, the Patton square and the Mardasson memorial. Walk to the foxholes at Bois Jacques before returning to Brussels (2h drive).
During this tour I shall introduce you to Belgium and the Ardennes region. We'll talk about history, education, economy, politics and more! As I'm not an expert in military history, the in-depth details about the Battle of the Bulge will be exposed to you at the exhibition via an original design interspersed with three “scénovisions”, authentic multi-sensorial and 3D dramatizations, which enable full immersion in History!
NOTE: this is a semi-private tour (max.4guests)
Inclusions & Exclusions
✔ Private transportation
✔ Personal licensed guide
✔ Entranfe fee to the exhibition & museum (for 2 pax)
✔ Bottled water
✖ Lunch
✖ For more than 2 passengers , entrance fees will apply (20€ pp)
✖ For 4 to 8 passengers or more please contact us
✖ This tour is semi-private - we welcome max. 4 passengers per tour - minimum is 1 passenger
Departure & Return
Return: End right where it started.
Itinerary
1
Bastogne War Museum
The Bastogne War Museum offers a fresh perception in a modern and interactive framework of the causes, events and consequences of World War II through the lens of the Ardennes Counteroffensive - the "Battle of the Bulge". The Bastogne War Museum covers the Second World War, from its origins up to autumn 1944, and then focuses on the Battle of the Bulge. Key events of the war and the combatants' ordeal are reproduced here with the aim of clarifying the broad sweep of its history. The centre provides a very clear picture of how the civilians lived during the occupation, during the battle itself, and afterwards. The many consequences of what was probably one of the most serious battles in world history are very clearly described. Housed in a brand-new building displaying an adventurous architectural concept, the Museum is located in the Ardennes, south-east of Belgium, one of nature's unspoilt areas, rich in fauna and flora and offers spectacular scenery.
Duration: 3 hours
2
Mardasson Memorial
The Mardasson memorial, known more simply as "Mardasson", is today is an imposing construction, in the form of a star, that serves as a reminder of the bitter resistance of American soldiers, surrounded in Bastogne at the time of the Ardennes Offensive (winter 1944-1945). Here, the American army paid a heavy price to war, as did German troops and civilians.
Duration: 15 minutes
3
Originally dug by American soldiers, helping them to hide from the Germans who were encircling the woodlands, the foxholes are stil visible in Bois St Jacques.
Duration: 30 minutes
4
McAuliffe Square
The McAuliffe Memorial in Bastogne is dedicated to the memory of General McAuliffe, defender of the city in 1944. He was the General who replied "Nuts!" when the Germans demanded for surrender. The words symbolize the resistance of the American encircled troops.
The monument was carved by Miss Silvercruys, sister of the Belgian Ambassador to the US at the time. The work was inaugurated by the General in person. In 1947, the square where the memorial is standing was renamed McAuliffe Square. The square also contains the last memorial milepost on the "Patton Liberty Road" route from Utah beach Normandy to Bastogne.
Duration: 10 minutes
Additional info
• Wheelchair accessible
• Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
• Service animals allowed
• Specialized infant seats are available
• Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
• All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels
