Battle of the Bulge for Solo Travellers

Location: Houffalize

Local departure by coach, then to Houffalize for a four-night stay.

Accommodation Name: four-night stay

Location: La Gleize

We begin our tour at the massive Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery where the dead and missing of the Ardennes battlefield are buried. We learn the stories behind the many brothers who died together and are buried here, along with medal winners and those killed in some of the terrible battlefield massacres. We then move on to an area where the Battle of the Bulge started, seeing the front line positions close to the Siegfried Line at Hollerath. Here we see Dragon’s Teeth anti-tank defences, trenches and foxholes and memorials to both the German and American troops who were here in December 1944. We then follow the story of Kampfgruppe Peiper, seeing their start positions at the Losheim Gap, and looking at the sad story of the Malmedy Massacre. After lunch, we follow Peiper and his tanks into La Gleize where one of his mighty King Tigers still remains and is on display. We also visit the excellent museum here before looking at the defence of Parker’s Crossroads and ending at Grandmènil, where we look at a German Panther tank used by 2nd SS Panzer Division.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Location: Bastogne

We gain insight into the dreadful German losses in the Ardennes at the German cemetery in Recogne before following the ‘Band of Brothers’ in the fighting for the village of Foy. We see where they attacked Foy and go into the area where their foxholes have been preserved in Bois Jacques, also seeing the Easy Company Memorial nearby. In Bastogne, we visit the 101st Airborne Museum before having time for lunch. In the afternoon, we see where General Patton’s men and tanks linked up with the Airborne troops surrounded at Bastogne, before seeing one of the Sherman turrets that now mark the defence perimeter around the town. At Mardasson, we see the impressive American Memorial and take time to visit the Bastogne War Museum, full of equipment, tanks and memorabilia connected with the fighting here.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Location: La Roche-en-Ardenne

In December 1944, British troops were rushed to the Ardennes to help their much pressed American Allies. We start today at the Panther Tank in Houffalize used by 116th Panzer Division. From here we see the British Memorial, an M10 Achilles Tank where the 51st (Highland) Division fought, and visit the British graves at Hotton War Cemetery. In Hotton, we see where 116th Panzer Division was stopped on the bridge and visit a rare Sherman Firefly Turret, a memorial to the British troops who were here in 1944/45. After lunch in Hotton, we travel out to where the German advance was stopped at Celles, seeing a Panther tank knocked out by the Royal Tank Regiment, and visit the Battle of the Ardennes Museum in La Roche.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Location: Houffalize

Return home.

Meals: Breakfast