5 Best Sights in Bastogne, The Meuse and the Ardennes

One of Belgium's best and most moving museums, this huge exhibition space looks at the causes and events of World War II in general, but has a particular focus on the events that happened in and around Bastogne in late 1944, when German troops reoccupied the town for a month. Visits include an audio tour guided by four very different but very real people who lived through the ordeal: a local Belgian boy, a school teacher, an American GI, and a German foot soldier all recount their own experiences of some very dark days.

Also known informally as "Le Mess," this museum in the former Belgian army's officers' mess contains dioramas based on actual photos that depict the lives of U.S. 101st Airborne Division troops as they defended the town in 1944. Make sure you take time to check out the "bomb shelter" in the basement: a very loud and very immersive surround-sound reenactment of an air raid—a definite eye-opener, even though there is no actual danger involved.

This former Belgian army barracks dating from 1936 is where, on December 22nd, 1944, Brigadier General Anthony McAuliffe, Commander of the 101st Airborne Division in Bastogne, uttered the immortal word "Nuts!" in response to a German call for his surrender. Today, the barracks mostly houses an extensive collection of military vehicles from the period.

Standing solemnly beside the Bastogne War Museum, this huge star-shape memorial honors the Americans lost in the Battle of the Bulge. The names of all U.S. Army units and the history of the battle are inscribed on the wall, along with a simple phrase in Latin: “The Belgian people remember their American liberators.” Mosaics by Fernand Léger decorate the crypt’s Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish chapels. From the top of the memorial you have a magnificent view of the former battlegrounds. The memorial is open all year.

Originally constructed in the 14th century, Trier Gate is the last remaining evidence of the medieval city wall that once encircled Bastogne. The ramparts kept the city safe until 1688, when they were demolished on the orders of French king Louis XIV, and the gate was converted into a prison—a role it performed until 1914. The German offensive in 1944--45 almost destroyed the building, but it has since been restored. Today it occasionally hosts temporary exhibitions—you'll need an appointment to look inside at other times.