Battle of the Bulge Tour: Luxembourg, Siegfried Line Bunkers & WWII Battlefields

Battle of the Bulge trip....

 

✈️ Amsterdam Schiphol to Rotterdam – Gateway to the Battle of the Bulge Tour

Welcome back readers!!! This is a short post to tell you about my latest foray into Europe in search of history.

As I was back in the UK for a visit, I figured I would pop over to the continent for some more touring. It is surprisingly easy and cost-effective — just under 50 minutes from Gatwick to Amsterdam, and around £100 for flights and €135 for two nights in an Ibis.

An early start saw me catching a cab to Gatwick for a 10:50 flight. I arrived in Amsterdam at just about noon and, after a short walk to the train station, was on a train heading to Rotterdam by 1pm.

Travelers Note: Amsterdam Schiphol Airport is directly connected to the rail network. Once you clear passport control and collect baggage, head into the main concourse where tickets can be purchased to almost anywhere in the Netherlands. A return to Rotterdam costs around €25. Just remember to validate your ticket before heading to the platforms. 😀

Depending on whether you take a local or intercity train, there are around 3–5 stops before Rotterdam, taking roughly 45 minutes. The trains are, generally speaking, far more punctual than in the UK.

 

 

 

🏙 Rotterdam – WWII Destruction and Modern Reconstruction

Given I wasn’t due to tour until the next day, I used the afternoon to explore and relax.

The walk from Rotterdam Central Station to my hotel in the maritime district took around 45 minutes at an easy pace, giving me a chance to take in the city.

Rotterdam was heavily bombed by the Germans in May 1940, shortly after the Dutch surrender. The destruction was significant and much of the historic centre was lost. The city that exists today is therefore largely modern, rebuilt in the post-war period.

Walking through the centre and towards the maritime district highlights this contrast clearly — glass towers, modern architecture, and redeveloped canal areas dominate the skyline.

 

 

 

Travelers Note: Within walking distance of the station is the Cool District, including the pedestrianised Lijnbaan shopping area, which has numerous cafés and shops.

 

 

 

I stayed in the Stadsdriehoek area. I’m still not entirely sure of the literal translation, but the district has a strong maritime feel and sits close to the waterfront. This area survived more of the wartime destruction and retains some older architecture.

Rotterdam is a city that knows how to relax — cafés and bars line the canals and waterfront, making it an easy place to explore on foot. The following pictures give a taste of how pretty the area is.

 

 

🥨 Markthal – Modern Rotterdam and Dutch Food Culture

While wandering, I stumbled upon the Markthal — a modern architectural landmark shaped like a giant arch housing apartments and a covered food market.

Inside, there is a huge variety of food stalls, and it is easily one of the most impressive indoor markets I have visited.

 

 

Of course, I had to buy some Stroopwafel which is a Dutch specialty.

 

Travelers Note: There is also an outdoor market adjacent to the Markthal. It is more traditional and similar to UK street markets — worth a quick look, but not essential.

 

🍺 Rotterdam Waterfront – Evening in the City

After walking around for a while, I stopped to rest before meeting my friend and tour guide Joey for dinner.

A beer in the sunshine was the perfect way to wind down after the journey

 

 

I had a chance to meet up with Joey and Arianne for dinner later in the evening. It's always great to have friends that are local and know the area, they were able to recommend a great place to eat. I think we spent 2+ hours talking, not about history, which was great considering we had an early start the next day.

 

🚗 Rotterdam to Wallendorf – Crossing into the Siegfried Line

Up early at 0615, Joey picked me up and we headed out on the road trip.

 

 

Have to have my coffee...

 

🧱 Wallendorf – Siegfried Line Bunkers Along the Our River

Our first stop was a C-Werk bunker built in 1938 as part of the Siegfried Line defences. After the 1940 campaign, many of these bunkers were disarmed, with weapons removed for use elsewhere, though some were later reoccupied by German forces in 1944.

 

 

 

We then continued along the River Our towards Gentingen, where we examined a larger B-Werk bunker originally designed to house a 37mm anti-tank gun. The weapon was later removed and likely redeployed to coastal Atlantic Wall defences.

The bunker positions here were eventually overrun by the US 5th Armored Division, though fighting along the Hoesdorf ridge remained intense.

 

 

🪖 Wallendorf & Hoesdorf Ridge – US Advance and Defensive Lines

We also walked through surviving German trench positions overlooking the US advance on the Hoesdorf ridge line.

 

 

The nearby village church in Wallendorf provides a stark contrast to the military remnants scattered across the landscape.

 

 

 

From higher ground west of the village, I stood on top of another bunker locally referred to as the “Hitler Bunker,” where it is believed German leadership observed the post-1940 frontier

 

 

 

 

🌉 Luxembourg Border Route – Tracing the German Advance (16 December 1944)

Leaving Wallendorf, we crossed into Luxembourg and began tracing the German advance route of 16 December 1944 — the opening of the Battle of the Bulge.

The drive took us through small villages including Mullerthal, Berdorf, and toward Echternach.

Despite the scale of the German offensive, resistance was immediate in several locations. One key position was the former “Fortress Hotel” in Berdorf, associated with the 4th Infantry Division, which held out against early assaults before being overrun.

 🪖 Hill 313 – Key Defensive Position in the Battle of the Bulge

It is interesting to note that the Germans only advanced as far as Echternach before the US forces counterattacked just before Christmas. Heavy fighting took place on the Luxembourg side of the Sauer river. We stopped at Hill 313 where there is a memorial to the soldiers who fought and died fighting there in 1944. On the 24th of December 1944, the 10th Regiment advanced from Michelshof on the main road to Echternach. That night, 2nd BN took hill 313 where, previously, the 159th Engineers fighting with two companies. The 2nd BN of the 10th Regiment took the hill that day, with support from 4 tanks, they advanced along the main road with G company providing cover of the ridges. E company advanced on the left over the fields between Sheidgen and Michelshof.

 

 

 

🌉 Weilerbach – 5th Infantry Division River Crossing into Germany (1945)

We then continued east toward Weilerbach, where the 5th Infantry Division crossed into Germany in February 1945.

The crossing of the Sauer River was conducted under fire, with German defensive positions controlling the far bank and high water levels making the operation particularly difficult.

A memorial stands close to the crossing point, marking the division’s advance into Germany.

 

 

 

As time was getting short, and I wanted to take a look at the remnants of the Siegfried line, we only made a brief stop at Diekirch. The village is East of Wallendorf and saw heavy fighting in the counter attack following the German advance. The village has high ground on a number of sides which meant advancing, and taking, the German positions was always going to be a difficult, and costly task. Perhaps, on a future tour, I can spend some time investigating the area a bit more. They have a small museum in the village which warrants a look as well...if the displays outside are anything to go by.

 

 

⚔️ Siegfried Line – St Vith and Malmedy Sector

Moving southeast, we visited remaining sections of the Siegfried Line, including dragon’s teeth tank obstacles and bunker remnants.

Although less extensive than expected, these fortifications still demonstrate the defensive depth of the German border system.

A memorial in the area commemorates both American and German forces, including the 277th Volksgrenadier Division.

This region also lies along the axis of advance used by Kampfgruppe Peiper during the Ardennes offensive.

 

 

 

 

 

Leaving the Siegfried line we drove through an area that has significant importance when it comes to the battle and the losses suffered by both sides. The area around where the above photos were taken is where the tanks and men under Joachim Piper would have travelled when moving west towards Antwerp. There were a number of roads (Rollbahns) through the Siegfried lines where the tanks would have passed, the road next to the dragons teeth in the photo above is one of them. It's worth bearing in mind that it was some of those troops who committed the Malmedy massacre. The troops were part of the 6th Panzer army of which the 1st SS Division Leibstandarte was part. Under the 1st SS Division were four Kampfgruppes of which Piper commanded the most substantial. Long story short, due to a number of reasons his progress was delayed which resulted in him taking a more southerly route. Some argue that due to this deviation and the fact that his route then went south of Malmedy then it wasn't likely that it was troops he commanded. There are a number of books written on the subject, I'll let you do the research and make your own mid up.

 

I'd like to close the blog with something more personal. We came across some graffiti left by American soldiers almost 75 years ago. For me, such things bring home the human side of the battle.

 

The  link below takes you to a map that shows the main spots that we visited. Clicking on the stars should, if I haven't screwed it up, describe what they relate to in the blog.

Battlefield Map-Google

🧭 Reflections on the Battle of the Bulge Battlefield Tour

As the day progressed, the scale of the Ardennes offensive became increasingly clear — from river crossings and fortified bunkers to villages caught directly in the path of advancing armoured columns.

What stands out most is how geography shaped every aspect of the battle. Rivers, ridgelines, and narrow forest roads dictated movement, delay, and ultimately outcome.

Seeing these locations in person brings a very different understanding compared to maps and history books — the terrain itself becomes part of the story.

 

💬 Final Question

If you could visit just one battlefield from the Ardennes campaign — Siegfried Line, Luxembourg villages, or the Malmedy sector — which would you choose and why?

🤝 Acknowledgements

I’d like to extend my thanks to Joey Van Meesen for taking the time to guide me through the battlefield. Joey is a passionate and knowledgeable historian, and having someone with local insight made a significant difference to the experience.

These sites are far richer when you understand not just what happened, but how the landscape connects each phase of the campaign.

 

The Netherlands 2015-Operation Market Garden

Thanks to everyone who's taken the time to read my blog posts to date. Having read my previous posts, you'll know that I tend to focus on travel and the history of the 101st AB Division during WW2. Well, you will be happy to know that this post is no exception! If anything, this post will have a bit more detail and a few less photos than my previous posts.

Unlike most of my trips, this one was a solo adventure! Do you feel sorry for me...:-) It started at the ungodly hour of 0415 on Sunday the 22nd of February with a quick drive (30 minutes) from my flat in Surrey to London Gatwick airport for a flight with BA to Amsterdam. It is really convenient living in London when travelling to France, Belgium or the Netherlands. This is especially true if you fly to someplace like Amsterdam which takes 45 minutes!

Once I arrived at Amsterdam, I picked up my rental car. NB: If you choose Green Motion rentals then you have to catch a shuttle to the Ibis, all other agencies are in the arrivals section of Schipol airport.  I drove south along the A9 for approximately 10kms to the E35 then the E25 straight to Best, which is about 5 KMs from Eindhoven. The entire drive was easy and quick, taking only 70 minutes to travel the 100 or so kilometers.

Hint: It is worth pointing out that the country is the Netherlands and not Holland. The Netherlands are made up of over a dozen provinces of which only two are called 'Holland'.

When I arrived at Best, which BTW is a nice quiet little town of about 60,000, I meet with my Dutch friend, Tom Peeters. Tom is an expert on the history of Operation Market Garden and, along with a friend, runs a great website dedicated to the campaign.

Operation Market Garden

The reason that I mention the fact that Tom is an expert on the history of Market Garden is purely because I am not. This blog is about my travels and adventures and only provides high level details. If you want to learn more than I suggest visiting Tom's site and by ready 'Deliver us from Darkness' written by my friend Ian Gardner. The book is a very detailed history of 3/506 specifically during the operation.

Okay, on with the post eh. 

After meeting up with Tom, the first place we visited was a memorial to the IXth Troop Carrier Command. It was specifically poignant given that one of the first to die was Corporal Robert Ritter. The Corporal was the radio operator on a C-47 which had been hit by flak. The pilot ordered the crew to bail out once the 'stick' had jumped. Unfortunately, Corporal Ritter's parachute malfunctioned and he lost his life. The memorial is located close to the middle of the southern drop zones and not far from the landing zone for the gliders.

Okay, it is worth putting things into a bit of perspective before proceeding with the post. There are a number of drop zones that were used by the 101st. They extended from between Best in the west to Son in the south and up to the northwest of Veghel.  The southern DZ was used by the 506th, the 502nd was just to the northwest (south of the Dommel River) while the 501st had two drop zones, one of which was southwest of Veghel and one to the west. However, one group mis-dropped at Heeswijk. The area covered by the drop zones was huge, covering an area of approximately 10-12 kilometers north to south and 5-6 kilometers east to west. Additionally, the southern DZ's were split by the landing zone for the gliders.

The orientation of the DZ's was important as it directly related to the objectives of each unit over the coming days (17-21st September 1944).  Essentially, without going into too much detail, the main objectives were the bridges over the main natural barriers in the region which were the Wilhelminakanal to the south and the Dommel to the north. The 101st were to secure the route north for XXX corps north from Eindhoven to Veghel. The 82nd secured the route from Grave to Arnhem.

Our next stop was at Paulushoef which was just west of the memorial and almost smack dab in the middle of the southern drop zones. Despite it being referred to by many as the rallying point for the troopers, it was just one of the few houses in the area and it had a source of water. The house is still owned by the same family. Ironically, one of the sons of the owner during the war was wounded in an American air attack before the landings. One of the sons of the former owner created the own memorial to the 101st, his daughter now lives in the house there's also a plaque on the side wall.

We then made our way to Best. The town was the scene of substantial fighting as the 502nd attempted to secure the bridge crossing the Wilhelminakanal after the news that the Son bridge had been destroyed (more detail following). On the way to the site, we stopped at the memorial to Lt Col Cole. The Colonel was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for leading the bayonet charge at Carentan in Normandy. The memorial was erected only a short distance from where he was killed while trying to organise his troops to attack Best.

After visiting the memorial to Lt Col Cole, we drove west towards Best and the site of the bridge which was the focal point for fierce fighting. In particular, a band of 40+ troopers that ended up being cutoff on the north side of the canal when the Germans counterattacked in force. The area has changed significantly with a number of stores north of the bridge and a 20ft high berm. However, the area where the group dug in still remains as part of a park. A  nice memorial has been erected to Joe Mann, Joe was one of the stranded soldiers who, despite being wounded numerous times, threw himself on a grenade to save his comrades. For his sacrifice, Joe was awarded the CMOH. It is a touching site where you can still see the remnants of the fighting positions left by the soldiers.

To be honest, the battle for Best alone deserves significant coverage...Tom has researched and written about the battle.

The next stop was to the east at Son. The area was the scene of more intense fighting, although arguably less intense than at Best! The area around Son was also where 2/506 (and Easy Company) operated as they were responsible for the right flank of the operating area. Just to the north of Son was a two story sanatorium for TB patients. There was also a convent and girls school on the east side of the main road and a monastery and boys school on the west side. The convent is now a hotel but became Taylors HQ after the battle.

The photo above was erected near the spot where the American forces first entered Son.
                                             
The Germans had placed to 88 artillery pieces just north of the Son bridge to deter the advance of the 101st. The guns took a heavy toll before being knocked out, one by a bazooka team. After the war, one of the monks erected a wooden cross as a memorial to those that lost their lives there...it has now been replaced by a permanent memorial.

                                                     

We crossed the 'new' bridge over the canal. Originally, there was a metal bridge which swiveled on a central barrier to allow boats to pass. The delays in the American advance allowed the Germans to blow up the bridge. This resulted in further delays as the US commanders had to call in British engineers to build a type 40 Baileys bridge.

The photo above illustrates how wide the canal is at Son...

The canal and the location of the bridge became the focus of a counterattack by the Germans using the 107th Panzer Brigade. The Germans had wanted to move west to cutoff the road to Eindhoven but were thwarted by the lack of suitable bridges and roads to support the tanks. Instead, a group moved north then west along the south side of the canal. Fortunately, they only made it to within a few hundred meters of the bailey bridge.

Leaving the Son bridge, we followed the 'hells highway' south towards Eindhoven. The outskirts of Eindhoven saw more fighting as the Germans had placed another two 88's astride the road. We had a chance to see the location where Capt Killey was killed by a sniper, just on the northern outskirts of the city.

The pictures above are of the church just south of the spot where the Captain was killed. There has been some debate as to whether the fatal shot was fired from the belfry..but it is more likely that it was from the base of the church that the shot was fired.

We continued south into Eindhoven. The city has grown considerably and extended outwards to areas which had previously been farm land. I've included a few pictures of the city, including one for football (soccer) fans..PSV Eindhoven stadium!

The next stop was for the 2/506 fans who read my posts. We traveled the 5 kilometers or so to Nuenen famous for being the birthplace of Van Gogh. The village was the site of the HQ of Capt Winters for one night in the building pictured below.

There's also a memorial to 'Easy Company' located nearby. Unfortunately, the memorial is slightly misleading in that it includes a soldier not part of Easy company. I've also included the compulsory photo of a windmill...can't not have one in a post about the Netherlands can you? ;-)

I'd like to close this part of the post by reminding all my readers that this is very high level and there's loads of detail that I could have added given more time and space. I'd also like to repeat my thanks to Tom for his time and advice. I apologise in advance if I messed anything up. Last few pictures of the great Greek meal that we had in Best...

Thanks for reading my post...the next one will cover my trip to Arnhem!