Holland & Bastogne 1944–45
Bastogne & Battle of the Bulge sites to visit
On 16 December 1944 the German army launched its surprise offensive in the Ardennes. The 101st Airborne was rushed by truck to Bastogne and was soon surrounded. Easy Company dug in in the Bois Jacques woods near Foy and held its foxholes through freezing weather and heavy shelling.
Patton's Third Army broke through to Bastogne on 26 December, and in January 1945 Easy Company attacked Foy and then Noville. Below are the places from our free Holland & Bastogne guide around Bastogne, with the museums, memorials and war cemeteries of the northern Ardennes.
Bastogne & the Bois JacquesNorthern Ardennes & the cemeteries
Bastogne & the Bois Jacques
101st Airborne Museum — Le Mess
Museum · allow 1 h 15 min
In the former officers' mess: uniforms, a bomb-shelter experience and a strong 101st collection. Avenue de la Gare 11.
Bastogne Barracks
Museum · McAuliffe's HQ · allow 1 h 30 min
The Belgian barracks where General McAuliffe's staff worked in the cellars and where the German surrender demand was answered with 'Nuts!' on 22 December. Guided visits; large vehicle restoration hall.
Bastogne War Museum & Mardasson Memorial
Museum · memorial · allow 2 h
The best single museum of the Bulge, beside the star-shaped American memorial. Do it first: it gives the siege its shape before you go into the woods.
Bizory
Hamlet · allow 15 min
The 506th's right-hand village; the road from here to Foy runs straight through the Easy Company positions.
Clervaux — castle & museum
The Bulge · Luxembourg · allow 1 h
The castle held for two days by the 110th Infantry on 16–18 December, delaying Panzer Lehr on the road to Bastogne.
Easy Company foxholes, Bois Jacques
Battlefield · allow 45 min
The preserved foxholes on both sides of the road, looking down on Foy. Shallower now, but unmistakable; numbered markers and an app-guided walk since 2022 (paid entry).
Easy Company memorial, Bois Jacques
Memorial · allow 30 min
Built by the Men of Easy Company Foundation on the Bizory–Foy road: fourteen names of Easy men killed here between 18 December and 13 January, and a text about −28 °C nights with little food and ammunition.
Foy
Village · allow 30 min
The village Easy attacked across the open snow on 13 January, and where Speirs made his run. The 101st memorial stands in the village.
Houffalize — the Panther
Town · allow 30 min
Where the US 1st and 3rd Armies met on 16 January to close the Bulge; a German Panther tank sits in the town centre.
Luxembourg American Cemetery — Patton's grave
Cemetery · 5,000 graves · allow 40 min
The Third Army's dead of the Bulge and their general.
Mourmelon-le-Grand
far detour · allow 30 min
The Champagne garrison town where the 101st refitted between Holland and Bastogne, and where Easy returned after Haguenau. Still a French army camp.
Noville
Village · allow 30 min
Team Desobry's stand on 19–20 December, then the 506th's objective on 14–15 January. A small museum and memorials in the village.
Place McAuliffe & the Sherman
Town square · allow 20 min
The square at the centre of the seven roads, with the general's bust and a Sherman tank knocked out at Renuamont.
Rachamps — church & Easy Company memorial
Memorial · allow 30 min
Easy's last objective in the Ardennes, 16 January. The company slept in the church; the schoolgirls' choir sang. Memorial beside the church, tree planted by Guarnere and Heffron.
Recogne German war cemetery
Cemetery · allow 30 min
6,800 German dead from the Bulge, a kilometre from Foy — the men on the other side of the snowfield.
Northern Ardennes & the cemeteries
Baugnez crossroads — Malmedy massacre memorial
Memorial · allow 30 min
The crossroads where 84 American prisoners were shot on 17 December. The Baugnez 44 Historical Center beside it closed permanently in January 2023; the memorial wall and the field remain open.
December 44 Museum, La Gleize
Museum · allow 1 h 15 min
The high-water mark of Kampfgruppe Peiper on the northern shoulder, with a King Tiger outside.
Elsenborn Ridge
The Bulge · northern shoulder · allow 1 h
Where the 2nd and 99th Divisions stopped the 6th Panzer Army — the shoulder that held.
Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery
Cemetery · 7,900 graves · allow 40 min
Bulge and Rhineland dead, north of Liège.
Netherlands American Cemetery, Margraten
Cemetery · 8,300 graves · allow 40 min
American dead of Holland, the Bulge and the Rhineland, including 101st men.
Questions
How many places are there to visit?
This page lists 20 places from the free Easy Company in Holland & Bastogne guide, each with its story, what you can see today, how to visit and GPS directions.
How much time do I need?
Allowing the suggested time at each place adds up to about 15 hours on site, plus driving between them. Plan on about 4 days to see everything, or pick the places that matter most to you. The guide's tour planner puts any selection in driving order.
Do I need to book?
Most places can be visited without booking. 2 of them need booking or can only be seen on a guided visit; they are marked “Booking needed” below. For 5 places we checked opening times and prices on official websites in September 2026; open each place to see them. Opening times change, so check before you travel.
Can I visit every site?
Some places, especially open fields, are on private land: view them from the road or a public path. Cemeteries and memorials are places of remembrance first.
Is the guide free, and does it work without signal?
Yes. The Easy Company in Holland & Bastogne guide is free and works on your phone with no signal once it has been opened, with maps, stories and a tour planner. There is nothing to install from an app store.
More trip ideas
- Band of Brothers sites in HollandSon, Eindhoven, Hell's Highway, the Island
- Band of Brothers sites in NormandyDrop zones, Brécourt Manor, Carentan
- Band of Brothers sites in Germany & AustriaLandsberg, Berchtesgaden, the Eagle's Nest
- D-Day sites in NormandyThe five beaches, batteries, museums
- Spanish Civil War sites in MadridCiudad Universitaria, Jarama, Brunete
- Battle of the Ebro & Catalonia sitesGandesa, Corbera, Barcelona shelters
All 48 sites in Holland & Bastogne 1944–45 →
Easy Company in Holland & Bastogne
A free field guide for your phone: the route, the maps and the stories built in, even with no signal.
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