Going to Bastogne next week-Pics added-Good quality.

[ShooterMcGavin]

So this may be the wrong forum,, but i thought id get the best answer here!

I am currently in Bremen, Germany for work. I am here until May and my gf is coming out next week. Next weekend we are driving down to Amsterdam friday night for the red light district (her idea) and then on Saturday we are going to Bastogne, Belguim, (my idea) I have rented an Audi A-4 for the driving, but may be givin a Merc,,, so I have been told,, we both like to drive.

Question is,, has anyone been to Bastogne? I only have 1 day there, where should i go? I was thinking the historical Centre, but does anyone know of any other place to hit?

thanks in advance,
gavin

 

[Mk VII]

Base yourself in Bastogne; the Hotel Melba is very nice, just off the town square. Bastogne has two militaria shops which are way overpriced for tourists. There are some nice bars and cafes in town but avoid the square as it's geared up for tourists.
You can buy anything from a baseball cap to a roll holder for the bathroom with the 101st Airborne badge on it!

Museums well worth visiting:
Baugnez 44 (Baugnez near Malmedy)
Museum of the Battle of the Bulge (La Roche)
National Museum of Military History (Diekirch Luxembourg)
Bastogne Historical Centre (just outside town, well signposted)
December 44 (La Gleize)

You can pick up info leaflets and maps of the battlefields from the Tourist Information Centre in Bastogne.

Relic German tanks can be seen in the following villages:
La Gleize (King Tiger)
Houffalize (Panther)
Celles (Panther)
Grandmenil (Panther)

There are several Shermans about but apart from the one in the square at Bastogne and another one in Beffe, none are actual Bulge veterans.

This is a general overview for a first visit; if you wish to tour unit specific sites that's a different matter. Hope this helps.

 

[TCBF]

If you have a little more time, I recommend Vimy Ridge. Well worth the visit. Dieppe as well, though the Canadian Cemetary there is often hard to find. I was posted to Lahr 87 - 92, and got to do another ten days in NW Europe in Spring 2009.

Any more time than that, and it's off to Normandy and the Falaise gap you go.

For short trips, the First Canadian Army liberated much of Holland, then into Germany. Google Hochwald Gap, then take a look at it. Op MARKET GARDEN areas can be interesting as well.

 

[sunray]

"...Vimy Ridge...Dieppe as well..." Both are a long way from Bastogne on the Belgium/Luxembourg border. Not that I disagree. They'd be my first choice over a foreign battlefield too.
"...Op MARKET GARDEN areas..." Eindhoven is on the way from Amsterdam. Still not a Canadian fight. Had a quick map look last night. I'd be heading towards Antwerp and the Scheldt though. Not our very high priced gas though.

 

[ShooterMcGavin]

Well I totally agree, and all those places are on my list of places to see. I am actually in Europe quite often. Sunray is right though, Vimy and Dieppe are a bit far from my base. I also want to go to Passondale eventually too.

This trip though im sticking to 4-5 hours of driving. I am do off work at the end of may and I am going to stick around for a couple of extra weeks and hit up the beaches in Normandy and do Vimy then. Good to know that the Canadian Cemetary is hard to find, i i will have to look into it more before i go.

Thanks for all the Advice, if anyone knows of any good places in Northern Germany please let me know. I have already seen the U-boat factory here in Vegasack, Pretty neat 7m thick concrete walls!

 

[chalkriver]

I took a tour from a WW 2 vet in ARNHEIM HOLLAND,,,biggest Airborne battle of WW2 happened there. Operation MarketGarden.There is an Airborne museum there as well...The movie A Bridge Too Far ...was about that battle.
Excellent tour and the people there really like Canadians

We stopped on the way to Amsterdam...Went to Amsterdam for some window shopping...lol

 

[ShooterMcGavin]

So here they are, I had an incredable weekend! Friday night in Amsterdam and Saturday night/Sunday in Bastogne,, then a 220-250 km/hr drive back to Germany,,

Knocked out Sherman in the Square in Bastogne, The engine/transmission/Fuel tank from this tank is in the meusem (see pic later one)

Patton Memorial

US Bulge Memorial, it was huge, shaped in the Allied/Army Star, you can climb to the top and look out across the country side. Each Point of the star shows you the lay out of units that you would have seen.

Bastogne Battle of the Bulge Meusem, This past Sunday (day i was there) was the last day it was open for a year, They are re doing the whole thing., There was signs everywhere that said no pictures but the guy at the desk said i can take pics of whatever i wanted

Tank Destroyer? On front of the meusem

Engine/tranny from tank in Square

I've never seen a helmit like this before, anyone know what it was used for?

German Mortor

Weapons room, Panarama

This Mural is painted behind the german stuff in the vehicle room, it was well done, and i enjoyed that as much as the displays

This was the origional town sign for Bastogne, It was donated to the meusem by the GI's that had taken itb ack to the states.

American Half track

Signed wall of visiting Vets

506th Easy Company Memorial, Just out Side of Foy

Foxholes Just our side of Foy

Looking towards Foy at the treeline of Foxholes, I dont know if this is a famous position, but it is all we could find for fox holes, nothing was marked on maps and we were running out of time and needed to get on the road. I could have spent all day wondering in those woods.

All in all a great day! I could have spent alot more time there, but we were kind of pressed for time. The meusem was good and the Audio tour was fantastic! The items looked all origional, and they had Patten represented with his ivory handled revolvers. That being said,, everything needed to be taken care of. There was surface rust on some firearms and alot of hte magizines in displays. I understand all the stuff is 65+ years old but some oil and a bronze brush could cure most of that.

If you are ever in the Area, go, you will not regret it,

shooter

 

[tristanium]

very,very,very nice!!!!!!!!!!!
thanks for sharing,i wish i'd be there!!

 

[Deltasilver]

Great set of pics Shooter, thanks for posting.

 

[tristanium]

sorry...wrong command...

 

[southwest maddog]

It is great to see that we are not the only ones who remember. Good on them.

 

[canuck98k]

The helmet with the ear flaps was so a set of headphones could be worn underneath. It looks to be displayed with some aircraft wreckage, so it may have belonged to a C-47 crew member that participated in the supply drops.

 

[RMXC51]

Thanks for sharing, nice pics! There was a Band of Brothers Marathon on just a couple days ago, cool to see the real place.

 

[TheTooner]

...

Tank Destroyer? On front of the meusem

...

Yes. It's the M10.

 

[Steppenwolf]

Please send me the Kettenkraftrad, Kübelwagen and the dispatch riders bike please. Great pics thanks for taking the time and effort.

 

[ShooterMcGavin]

Your Welcome guys, i figured I have seen lots of other guys on here take the time and i have enjoyed their threads. Might as wel return in kind! And it takes up some of my work day

I am still looking for more good ww2 battle sites in Germany, Belguim and the Netherlands if any one has any suggestions?? Basically anything that is a 5-6 hour drive from Bremen. i am going to check out the local U-boat penn in the coming weeks.

 

[ghostntheshell]

cool stuff. thanks for posting!

 

[joe n]

Thank you for taking the time to post these pictures and the details of your adventure!!

 

[Alonzo]

Thanks for sharing...awesome pics!!!
Wish I would have been there.

 

[Keller]

Thanks for sharing with us!