laurensuite

I am amazed that Fodorites never seem to discuss Bastogne, a lovely town, destroyed in WWII, riff with history and the turning point of theland war with Germany. ???
Does everyone visiting Belgium stay with Bruxelles, Bruges, Antwerp? There are fantastical castles, lovely rivers, great restaurants and historic towns in the east people!!!

Robert2533

Yes, some of us have actually been to Belgium and on more then one occasion, but why discuss something or someplace that doesn't attract the average American tourist. Some things should be saved for those with a little better appreciation of history, not those going to Disney Paris, dining at McDonalds on the Champs Elysées, or sipping Starbucks near the Opera.

Tulips

Many Americans visited Bastogne on the recent anniversary of the Ardennen battle; I think you call this the Battle of the Bulge?

Intrepid1

Apparently the "average American tourist" doesn't feel the need to discuss or measure up to one person's obviously biased view of what the "average American tourist" is really like.

Rather than sitting there absolutely shocked into total disbelief about what you haven't seen on this board, Laurensuite, perhaps you should post a trip report to dispell our "non-appreciation" of Bastogne.

USNR

Bastogne itself isn't a beauty spot, true, but just outside of town is the star-shaped monument to The Battle of the Bulge listing all the states from which men came to fight in the surrounding woods and hills. You can climb up to the top of the circular rotunda and look far into the distance, weather permitting. You get a feel for the terrain that way.

Next door is a fine museum, showing dioramas, equipment, uniforms, weapons, etc. of the armies that fought the battle, including the German. In all, I suppose it took us more than half a day to see it all, then drove to St. Vith, Malmedy, and north, crossing eventually into Holland. Coming up from Luxembourg, it takes about two hours to reach Bastogne on the express road. It's much more interesting to take the back roads through the woods.

Just for those who are interested, it is not far to the edges of the dreadful Hurtgen Forest. I would not recommend that you stray from the roads there. Lots of dangerous stuff still there -- land mines, dud shells, fox holes you can't see until you trip and fall into them. The trees have grown back after 60 years, but you can still sense the darkness and death all around you.

ira

Hi lauren,

Other than the battlefield memorial, what does Bastogne have to offer a visitor?

ira

There is a very interesting article on the battle for Bastogne at http://www.militaryhistoryonline.com.../bastogne.aspx

nytraveler

Agree that eastern Belgium and Luxembourg have a lot to offer. On a recent road trip we spent a couple of days exploring this area on our way from Spa (stayed in an absolutely charming napoleonic era manor house with a fantastic restaurant - I actually believe food in Belgium is the best in europe) to Trier. There are several wonderful small towns - some almost fortified on hilltops and a whole series of local - and some quite eccentric - WWII museums.

Unfortunately most American don;t get to europe often enough to reach places like this - which are a fantastic experience - but after all - not really for those who haven;t done all of the basics yet (could not reco this vs Prague, Budapest, etc - never mind London, Paris, Rome) except for true WWII buffs.

Scarlett

That would be <i><b>rife</b></i> with history..<b>riff</b> is a jazz or musical solo.

I am sure that most Americans who travel, would love to visit Bastogne. But when one works or has an income that affords them only one or two trips a year, they usually go for the big cities or those with the most talked about activities or sights..
My daughter was in Belgium last year and Paris, this year she is renting and apartment in Ghent and traveling to see the castles.
So I am sure there must be millions of Americans who have seen Bastogne and places <i>you</i> might not have seen either..perhaps they just don't talk about it on Fodors~

Jed

Bastogne may be a lovely town, but it should be a moral obligation for Americans who are in the area to visit the monument to the many GI's who died there.

Tulips

I admit I've never been there, and I live in Belgium! Sometimes I learn things about the country where I live from this Forum.

StCirq

I've been to Bastogne twice, but not recently, and I tend not to post about places I visited 10 years ago because there's always people with far more recent experience. So there are a number of reasons why people might not post about Bastogne or any other location.

And I don't remember it being a &quot;lovely town,&quot; but maybe that's because it was too long ago for me to remember

I agree that Belgium has about the best food in all of Europe. I need to go back there sometime soon!

Robespierre

I never heard Bastogne referred to as a &quot;turning point&quot; of WWII. It was a strategically key road junction in the German offensive in the Ardennes, but the Allies would have won even if it had fallen. It would have taken longer, but the outcome was never in doubt, mostly because the <i>Wehrmacht</i> was almost completely out of fuel to power their war effort, with no hope of replenishment. In fact, the December, 1944 offensive stalled mostly because they were relying on capturing American fuel dumps and were denied those resources.

None of which is to minimize the heroic refusal of the 101st Airborne to surrender Bastogne even when surrounded and outnumbered, an event immortalized when its commander, Gen. Anthony McAuliffe, replied to a German demand for capitulation with the single word &quot;Nuts!.&quot;

thomthumb

Kudos, Robes!

KT

&quot;Does everyone visiting Belgium stay with Bruxelles, Bruges, Antwerp? &quot;

No, but I was unaware that I was supposed to post a listing Diest, Tournai, Huy, and some of the other places I've visited just to prove that fact. I didn't know you cared.

_jinx_

The entire Ardennes Forest area is very significant for WWII buffs. Bastogne received the most publicity for the determined hold-out when surrounded by German forces. The citizens of Bastogne have remembered the American GI's with a museum, a Sherman tank on the town square, and various other memorials.

Unfortunately, the other towns and villages don't offer much to see other than an occasional tank turret or an entire tank. Houffalize, St. Vith, Malmedy, Stavelot, and others figured greatly in the Battle of the Bulge.

The best museum in the area is in Diekirch, Luxemberg--about 25 miles SE of Bastogne. Filled with Allied and German military equipment and displays, it is the best WWII museum I have seen in Europe (including Normandy).

Regards,

Jinx Hoover

tatersalad

In November of 1998 my wife and I spent several days exploring the Ardennes in Belgium and Luxembourg, as well as the Verdun area of France.

We had a car and drove down many backloads and through many small villages.

We did a brief stop in Bastogne, the weather was very cold and windy that day so we did not give it justice.

Some of the other small cities in the area that I would recommend to visit are: Bouillon (nice castle), Clervaux, Lux (nice scenery) and Wiltz, Lux (a small city on the side of a hill). Plus, I'm sure that there are a hundred more that we missed.

This whole area around Luxembourg is rich in both WW I and WW II history, with WW I being more to the south.

The Ardennes is a nice place to explore at leisure and is very scenic.

martinewezel

Bastogne is worth a detour, but not the voyage. The memorial is very old fashioned, the museum no less. The town itself is quite cosy, but there are other, more popular places for tourists in the region, such as the historic town of La Roche. I am sure Americans prefer to visit a real Medieval castle than a dreary monument.
At this moment, and until November 30, there is a special exhibition in Bastogne, called “I was 20 in 45”. Very interesting, but not really recommended when you don’t know French. A few didactic boards have also info in English, Dutch and German, but most details are illustrated in French.Too bad, a missed chance for Bastogne.

Patrick

I've read all through this thread and to be honest I have no more desire to visit Bastogne than I did before. Doesn't excite me in the least, but then most battlefields, war tributes, and &quot;amory&quot; museums don't.

cmcfong

I went to Bastogne. I saw the place where my father fought and was wounded as a twenty year old in 1944. He died twenty years later to the day. He recieved the Purple Heart (one of four in that war) and the Bronze Star for his actions that day in 1944. I have no other way to talk to him but by following in his footsteps. It was a moving experience for me; but, I don't think the town itself would have great appeal. Perhaps that is best.

We stayed in a chateau about twenty five minutes outside of Bayeux. We had read about it in an old National Geographic Traveler magazine on great country hotels of Belgium. The food was great, the hotel was fascinating and that white Belgian beer was absolutely wonderful.