[Closed] Planning a visit to Belgium & France for WW2 places of interest

Did Verdun as part of a WW1 gcse field trip 30+ years back. The Douaumont ossuary and Fort are the best/most vivid memories of the visit to that sector.

Apparently you can go inside the fort. We didn't, just roamed around and did some history. The ossuary was... impactful. It's very different looking at bones rather than gravestones.

Can't remember if these are nearby but notable places from field trip at school: Ypres,. Menin Gate, woods with recreated trenches. Think there's one made out of concrete too somewhere.

The concrete one might be Vimy Ridge. All WW1 though, and op wants the sequel.

Yes that will have been it as we visited the Canadian memorial.

Yes been to Vimy & Menin gate. The service is very moving....

I kind of messed up the title...The main part of the trip is to see the Battle of the Bulge places of interest and thinking about seeing WW1 sites at Verdun on way back.

Thanks for suggestions so far.

There are some excellent MTB trails through the red zone above Verdun with fortifications in place, best stay on the trail. Le Vieil Armand (Hartmannswillerkopf) above Cernay has fortifications more or less intact complete with barbed wire.

Bastogne is a nice town but there's not much to see battle wise apart from memorials and the odd Sherman. The Liège Bastogne Liège route is a great ride.

I do wonder whether it's possible to walk between the ossuary and the fort. It's not far (1km?), and for 2-3 hours I reckon it'd be perfect timing to see both with a mooch through the woods, trench systems etc.

Quick Google didn't help much though, mais j'ai un peut de francais. Ma petite choux-fleur.

I am off to Ypres / Passchendale and Thiepval in May ( on motorbikes) to do a WW1 tour. It seems like a lot of people died in a small part of France and Belgium.

I am watching 1964 BBC Series The Great War.
Episodes are available on Youtube / Daily Motion.

Gives a thorough description of events, with original footage and interviews.
The devastation and loss of life is beyond belief.

It's a fair way West of where you're currently planning but I remember the museums and other things round Caen leaving a big impression on me. The reality of D Day and Normandy battles is brutal. Easy access to the ferry from Caen if you go home that way.

For WW2 history, La Coupole is worth  a look

https://lacoupole-france.com/

Eben Emael further north if you want some 1940 stuff - haven't been in the fort itself but the surroundings are impressive.

I do wonder whether it’s possible to walk between the ossuary and the fort. It’s not far (1km?), and for 2-3 hours I reckon it’d be perfect timing to see both with a mooch through the woods, trench systems etc.

Here's a trail I've done a can recommend:

https://www.utagawavtt.com/randonnee-vtt-gps/La-bataille-de-Verdun-4677

According to the FFC site some of the circuits are currently closed and banned.

mrmoofo
Full Member
I am off to Ypres / Passchendale and

A shame you're on bikes as the beer warehouse down the road from the Ploegsteert memorial is AWESOME..

Did Verdun as part of a WW1 gcse field trip 30+ years back. The Douaumont ossuary and Fort are the best/most vivid memories of the visit to that sector.

Apparently you can go inside the fort. We didn’t, just roamed around and did some history. The ossuary was… impactful. It’s very different looking at bones rather than gravestones.

Yes, you can go inside Fort Douamont. It's worth a visit, a pretty chilling place. The flamethrower "incident" was particularly grim.

Tyne Cott
Menin Gate

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUP4XFMrsJG5_AbG6ZYBVFA

This is a good youtube channel for WW2 stuff. American but covers all the places you might want to go see.

Thanks for that link uwe

We've been to Normandy 3 times and ther's still a lot more to see.
For this trip it's just to see WW1 things in Verdun on way home.

If you have family links to the conflict i would recommend seeing if you can get a battlefield tour as they can take you to the address where your family was likely involved.
Plus the tours are really interesting, we did one near Arras

Just finished reading Normandy'44 by James Holland, a very sobering read indeed

A few years ago we stopped of at a German war cemetery somewhere along the Somme. It was post ww2 and very elegant. It was interesting to note that the invasion of France in 1940 was about as costly as the defence against the Allied invasion after D-day. Something that I'd never really been aware of.
Admittedly it's ww1 mostly but the Ring of Remembrance at the national Necropolis of Notre-Dame-de-Lorette is really worth a visit. It's a very powerful and moving place.

Second Tyne Cot. An unbelievable place as is Thiepval. I have a few relatives commemorated there.

I spent 10 years going out every year with students. It's hard to imagine the shear scale of massacre until you see the cemeteries.

I'd also second going to a German cemetery. Complete contrast to the Common Wealth ones. Generally mass graves. I've visited Langermark and can recommend.

La Coupole is a good visit too. Decent museum inside.

There are so many places you can go out year after year and still be visiting new places.

Agree mrwhyte.

We have been doing our once yearly trips for 7 years now with a few day trips thrown in as well.

Right having looking at our itnerary and mileage in more deatail, Verdun is now looking like being off the agenda for this upcoming trip unfortunately..

Now thinking about stopping at Mons for a couple of hours instead so it's looking like a visit to the Memorial Museum.
Again, has anyone been to the Mons (Belgium) area and seen anything else of interest?

Cheers.

The German cemetery we visited is Bourdon about halfway between Amiens & Abbeville.

Bastogne does have some interesting stuff so sure you'll have a fascinating trip.

Metz is not the nicest of cities to base yourselves in though.

For more on the Bulge, head out to Luxembourg, around Clervaux, there was quite a lot of action there, and to be honest, a more attractive setting than Metz! It's about a 40 min drive from Bastogne. Petrol is cheaper too! But may not be on your route.

Can recommend this place if you're interested.

Hotel Koener - Clervaux

Ended up in one of the U-boot bunkers on the west coast a few years back. Impressive bit of concrete.

Also loads of bunkers being consumed by the sea and sand on the beaches south of Bordeaux.

Been to Mons - pleasant Market town not much in the way of museums (that I found). Did it on the bike and followed the 1914 retreat through Le Cateau and beyond - the market place at Mons is pretty unchanged, when compared to some of the photos of WWI squaddies resting as they marched to meet the Germans. Cycled all the way down to Nery - another sharp action in 1914. Some places of interest at Mons - first action of 1914 by the British army - walk along the cannal for one of the first postumous VCs. And poignantly also one of the last areas of fighting in 1918. Lots of scattered smaller cemeteries on the route of the retreat, graves of soldiers KIA in 1914 alongside those KIA in 1918 - very sad. Museum at Peronne was ok.

@andrewreay, cheers. Staying in Bastogne for 3 nights. Booked a guide for 1 day, we have a complete day free so will look at your suggestion cheers.
Was only thinking of staying in Metz if going to Verdun but as there won't be time for that we'll stay with the original hotel which is further west.

@olddonald, thanks too for info on Mons. It's only a slight detour on way home so might be worth a quick look.