Folks, I am hoping to visit the area of The Battle of The Bulge and am asking if you have any particular place you would recommend to visit. I am looking particularly for Foxholes/Trenches, Battle damaged buildings etc. I will be visiting the various Military Cemeteries and am aware that Patton in buried in the American Cemetery in Luxembourg. Are there any particular greves to look out for? Thank-you, Andy
The places I favour are the Elsenborn Ridge, Domäne Bütgenbach, the twin villages of Krinkelt-Rocherath and finally Losheimergaben and the "international Highway". All situated on the northern shoulder of the Ardennes Bulge, where the bulk of Sixth Pz Army was blocked off by the V. US Corps. For the British input in the battle: do visit the Museum at La Roche-en-Ardennes and the CWGC-cemetery at Hotton. See also on this forum: Ardennes 1945, 51st Highland Div
There are still visible signs of the shell scrapes in Malmedy woods if my mind recalls correctly and you may find the odd shell casing.
haven't been there for several years, but yes quite a few monuments (shot up Sherman in main square) and museum a short distance away, there is a American memorial with a museum just outside Bastogne (worth going to) check with tourist office in Bastogne, they will have lots of maps/material to look at regards Bob R.
Yes, I went to Bastogne with an American military tour 4 or 5 years ago. As well as the stuff mentioned above there is a bunker just outside the town which is the site where Patton's Third Army broke through to 101st. I'm sure you can find info online. Also, you can visit the woods near Foy where Easy Company of Band of Brothers fame were for a while. There is a monument and foxholes. The foxhloles are supposedly authentic, but I have a feeling most of them have been dug out by reenactors who like to go up there and play at being soldiers. In Foy there is a German cemetery. If you are a BOB fan, I saw the grave of Skip Muck in the Luxemburg cemetery. Some of the others might be buried there also.
Recogne cemetery. Very sombre. Each grave 3 deep, back and front of the headstones. Only the second German cemetery I've been to, very different aura to them. Very interesting stuff though. I find the little cemeteries dotted about to be the most interesting.
There is a lot to see in the Ardennes. Because much of the battlefield was, and still is, wooded many fox holes and weapons pits have survived. There is no one single guide book that covers the battlefield. Here are some places that I found evocative - The Easy company battlefield north of Bastogne overlooking Foy (Though I have some doubts about the authenticity of what bwe are now looking at: Are these foxholes or the diggings left by battlefield robbers after they have dug over the foxholes?) - The trenches of the doomed 106th Infantry Division in the Schnee Eiffel area - Trenches East of St Vith used by 51st (?) Engineer Regiment - Dragons teeth and foxholes in the woods at Lossheimgraben (sp.?) - There used to be an excellent museum close to where the famous Cav Ambush site. Sadly someone broke in and stole a lot of their exhibits and the musuem is now closed. - The bunker at Asseville is only the end point of a linear battlefield tour in the route of 4th US Armoured Division that is as good as the KG Peiper one. - The village of Bures captured after a heavy fight by 13th Battalion the Parachute Regiment.
I've just come back rom a highly informative Battlefield tour organised by the company I work for. We stayed the first night in Clervaux so that we could start the tour early on the Saturday. We went to Dasburg to see the Our river crossing point, then back up the surprisingly (to me, as I'd had other ideas about the territory) steep and winding road up onto Skyline Drive,through Marnach and the little villages before a longer stop in Clervaux castle. We then stopped off at various blocking points including the Antorrishoff crossroads, going to Longvilly then Neffe before heading into Bastogne via the Madrasson memorial on Saturday afternoon. We visited the 101st Airborn museum which was extremely interesting. Sunday, we visited Noville, Foy, Recogne, Champs and Savvy, before going to "Nuts" corner and the Pill box where the relief forces met up with the defenders. We did a lot of walking and listening to the guide but I would certainly recommend a trip there. there are memorials scattered throughout the area, which I wish I'd had more chance to read. The terrain certainly increased my admiration of the men fighting on both sides.
