The Battle of the Bulge Experience - A day tour from Brussels
Description
Come join me on a tour of the glorious history of the American army. The Ardennes offensive of Winter 1944, and the famous battle of the Bulge. This interactive tour tells the big stories of battle, tactics, and commanders and the small ones of the soldiers, their daily routine, their fear, freezing cold in the foxholes, and wet nights in the trenches. Travelers often customize these tour locations, adding battle sites of their past relatives who fought in the Ardennes offensive. If you have any questions or comments about this tour, do not hesitate to contact me, also on FB
Tour Options
Itinerary
we will start our tour in the Gestapo HQ and the Baron De Selys Longchamps statue in Brussels. who, as a RAF pilot, bombed the Gestapo HQ in January 1943, We will hear the story behind the man and the attack and why he was demoted in rank following his action
A short beautiful drive along the Meuse river we shell stop in Dinant, the beautiful city of Adulf Sax, we see the cathedral and the famous Saxophone bridge
A short drive from Dinant we start taking small sideways, and we stop at the Tank of Celles, the furthest advance point of the Wehrmacht in the Ardennes offensive, We will hear the sad story of this particular tank and its crew
We stop at Place McAuliffe in the Center of Bastogne, near the famous tank monument.
We stop at the Main Museum of the Battle of the Bulge, The museum explains the context, causes, events, and consequences in an interactive and exciting way * The Museum ticket cost 24E/PP, the same ticket let us enter other sites and attraction
E-Company monument, built with the donation of T. Hanks & S. Spielberg & HBO
We enter to the wood where E-company and other 506PIR companies stationed & fought We will see the foxholes and the tranches; we feel for a moment the agony and pain they suffered during the cold winter of 1944 and the fear from German shelling from Foy. During the visit we see some short films. * Admission is included in the Museum ticket
We stop at Foy, the village that Easy Company had to take at high cost; we will see the bullet hall wall from the famous "Band of Brothers" scene.
The famous cemeteries site, we pay respect for the fallen soldiers from both side
We will enter the Barracks where General McAullief the 101 commander in Bastogne during the encirclement, set his HQ, Here he wrote his famous answer to the German ultimatum to surrender with “NUTS” *Entrance included in the Museum ticket
Massacre site of 34 young Belgian man.
"Shift" bullet wall American temporary cemetery.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Pick up any address or hotel in Brussels Capital, any train station or BRU International Airport, your name visible on the tablet. ***If an airport pickup is require please provide your flight number.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- The remine hours between the sites, are travel time, lunch break, coffee break
Reviews(36)
Great day trip to see all things related to WWII. Highly recommend. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and accommodating.
Levi was the best! -Very knowledgeable -Accommodating to personal route preferences and break/food schedule -Super friendly and easy to talk to
I am validating what many of the other reviews state-if you're looking for an excellent tour while in Belgium and want a top notch guide, Levi and this tour will meet all expectations! We had a family holiday and booked Levi to guide us from Brussels to Bastogne and multiple sites along the way and we all were left impressed. All of us know the history pretty well but yet learned much more. We like many, had family members as part of the WW2 campaigns, so seeing first hand what they saw and experienced is always moving. Adding, Levi is a very personable and entertaining guide to keep you engaged as you learn the history. Highly recommend you book with Levi!
Levi was a great tour guide and really knew all the answers to our questions. It was such an interesting tour which gave us the opportunity to see things we otherwise wouldn’t have! Highly recommend if you are coming for a great guide and in depth knowledge.
Levi was well prepared with maps and diagrams that provided context and overview. Stops on the way to Bastogne anchored the day in the deeds and experiences of individuals. The three-campus museum in Bastogne is excellently curated and narrated. Hang close to Levi in the museum for additional commentary and focus. The German cemetery and memorial chapel was such an appropriate last stop. Yes, allied deeds and resolve and sacrifice warrant these memorializations, but then so to does the existential futility of all the unnamed German soldiers in this cemetery. Lives gone with no name ... No witness to tell their story. The 90 km drive back to Bruxelles at the end of the day was time for reflection and follow up questions and comments with Levi.
Thank you, Scott, for that review. Indeed, we spent good day traveling on the way and in Bastogne, the conversation were enriching, and that moment among the unknown soldiers' graves reflected back on a meaningful lives.
Do yourself a favor, stop scrolling and book this tour. This is the one you want. I have to laugh at the ONE review he has that says it’s not worth the money. Wrong wrong wrong. Totally worth it. Beyond his knowledge of the subject material, which is clearly extensive, his obvious passion and reverence for these sites is very touching. One example, we were in the woods of the Bois Jaques, I was walking around looking at things. Levi noticed someone had previously dropped a paper napkin on the ground. He went over picked it up, and I heard him whispering to himself “What is this? Why do people do this? this is sacred ground.” He carried it with him all the way to the car park to put in the waste bin. If that doesn’t say your guide cares, I don’t know what does. Originally, I was going to rent a car and try to see these sites myself. Very glad I didn’t, as I believe I saw in one day, what would have taken me at least 3, to see on my own. Not to mention the small hidden gems Levi knows about and points out at every stop. Great tour!
Wow, Dana what a wonderful review, just like the day we spent in Bastogne, take care yourself, mate, and keep on discovering around the world
I cannot say enough good things about our tour and amazing tour guide, Levi! Visiting Bastogne and the battlefield meant so much to me, as my dad served there as a medic. Levi found extra information that made my visit so very meaningful. He has tremendous knowledge, and his love of history is unmistakable. He made what would have been a good experience into an excellent and unforgettable one. We made a number of fascinating stops along the way to Bastogne, and I learned so much. If I could, I’d give the tour a hundred stars!
Wonderful. Levi is a warm and personable treasure trove of information and stories. We spent a full day and were engaged the entire time. He accommodated any special requests and knew many local shopkeepers who gave us special treatment. The tour is very in-depth into the battle of the bulge and Bastogne’s role but included a stop at a cathedral and the Adolph Sax’s (inventor of the saxophone) birthplace in Dinan. If you are anywhere near this region of Belgium and are interested in WWII and battle of the bulge, book Levi.
It was an amazing tour! Levee was an exceptional tour guide. He really explained very well the history and provided great insight about the stories. We stopped in several places that brought a complete picture of the battle. Using his tablet he also shared movies, documentaries, and/or pictures showing how things looked back then when the war happened. We also appreciated his stories about the towns as we were driving to the next stop. The lunch stop was also a good place to eat sandwiches.
Excellent tour! Can not say enough good things about Levi and the tour he prepared. The weather was snowy and cold but he took is out and showed us all the sites. He was also knowledgeable about WWI and the region.
Thank you for the great review; it was definitely the closest to December 1944 condition, I have ever experienced ;))
