Tour Operators Familiarisation Trip B E L G I U M , L U X E M B O U R G , T H E N E T H E R L A N D S

During this unique tour (FAM trip) we will retrace the footsteps of the Allied soldiers 75 years after the end of the Second World War. We are going to visit a series of historical sites and museums related to the , the Hürtgen Forest, the Battle of Overloon, and . We will see and hear how the soldiers of the Allied divisions held the ground in the area, what difficulties they encountered, and how they resisted artillery barrages, dangerous patrols, rain, wind, and bitter cold.

Co-funded by the European Union

T u e s d a y Day of arrival / LRE Conference

February 4, 2020 Flights to Brussels Airport, arrival of the tour operators

Optional attendance at LRE Conference

Overnight stay in Motel One Brussels, Rue Royale 120, 1000 Brussels, Belgium https://www.motel-one.com/en/hotels/brussels/hotel- brussels/

W e d n e s d a y February 5, 2020 12:00 Royal Museum of Military History, Brussels

Visit the LREXPO, the LREF’s thematic trade show where you can meet remembrance sites, museums and destinations tourism representatives from all over Europe. During the lunch break you can follow a guided tour of a new permanent exhibition in the Royal Army Museum on Belgium and WWII called: 'War. Occupation. Liberation'. 16:30 Transfer to the 19:00 Check in at hotel Hotel Leo Station, Place Mc Auliffe, Bastogne, 6600, Belgium http://www.wagon-leo.com/en Bastogne and surroundings T h u r s d a y February 6, 2020 Guide: Reg Jans, an inspired American whose grandfather was wounded during WWII 09:00 Visit Bastogne Barracks: McAuliffe’s HQ and vehicle hall 10:30 Battlefield tour Bastogne – Battle of the Bulge, Easy Company Memorial, Bois Jacques, Foy, Recogne, Houffalize 12:30 Lunch in the Bastogne War Museum 13:30 Tour through the Bastogne War Museum. http://bastognewarmuseum.be/en/home-en/ 15:30 Transfer to Diekirch 16:30 Check in Hotel Restaurant Beau Sejour, 12 Rue Esplanade, Diekirch, 9227, Luxemburg https://www.hotel-beausejour.lu/en/

F r i d a y Clervaux/St Vith/Malmedy

February 7, 2020 Guided by Reg Jans, an inspired American whose grandfather was wounded during WWII

09:00 Diekirch: The National Museum of Military History - guided tour http://www.mnhm.net/ng/index.php 10:00 Battlefield tour: Clervaux (GI statue), St. Vith (Battle of St. Vith & Nat. Liberation Memorial, Schumann’s Eck), Nothum, Malmedy (Baugnez 44 Historical Center, Malmedy massacre) 12:00 Lunch in Malmedy 13:30 Transfer to Germany, to the Hürtgenwald 14:30 Schleiden: Visit ‘Vogelsang International Place and the Torchbearer’ 16:30 Departure for dinner and overnight stay in Hürtgenwald 17:15 Check in Landhotel Kallbach, Simonskall 26-28, 5239 Hürtgenwald, Duitsland https://www.kallbach.de/en

S a t u r d a y Hürtgenwald & Limburg T h u r s d a y February 8, 2020 Guided tour by Volker Lossner based on his education well-founded knowledge of what February 6, 2020 happened in Hürtgenwald. His family is linked to the events surrounding the "All Souls Battle". 09:00 Visit Museum ‘Hürtgenwald 1944 and in peacetime’ https://liberationroute.com/germany/spots/m/museum-hurtgenwald-1944-und-im-frieden 11:00 Battlefield tour Hürtgen Forest in the surroundings of Vossenack (Field Hospital Bunker Simonskall, Kall Bridge, Vossenack German Cemetery) 13:00 Lunch in Vossenack 14:00 Transfer to the , to the province of Limburg 15:00 Visit Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial in Margraten. Introduction by senior associate Frenk Lahaye or superintendant David Americo https://www.abmc.gov/cemeteries-memorials/europe/netherlands-american-cemetery 16:00 Transfer to Beek 16:30 Visit Eyewitness Museum in Beek guided tour by museum guide Merijn Bevers https://liberationroute.com/the-netherlands/spots/e/eyewitness-museum 17:30 Transfer to Deurne 18:30 Dinner and overnight stay in Fletcher Hotel Willibrordhaege, Vlierdenseweg 109, Deurne https://www.fletcherkloosterhotel.nl/en/

S u n d a y Limburg/Brabant/

February 9, 2020 09:00 Transfer to Ysselstein 09:15 Visit German War Cemetery - guided tour by staff member Sjoerd Ewals https://liberationroute.com/the-netherlands/spots/m/militaire-begraafplaats-ysselsteyn 10:00 Transfer to Overloon 10:30 Visit War museum Overloon - guided tour by Erik van den Dungen or Janneke Kennis https://www.oorlogsmuseum.nl/en/home/ 12:00 Lunch in the Museum-Restaurant 13:00 Transfer to the province of Gelderland 14:00 Visit new Freedom Museum in Groesbeek - guided tour by museumdirector Wiel Lenders S a t u r d a y https://freedommuseum.com/ February 8, 2020 15:30 Operation Veritable & Battle of : Guided tour (Canadian War Cemetery Groesbeek, tree of Horrocks) 16:30 Visitorcenter WWII Nijmegen - short video - experience. Introduction by Iris Möller https://liberationroute.com/the-netherlands/pois/o/operation-veritable-groesbeek https://www.infocenterww2.com/ 17;00 Transfer to bridge 'De Waaloversteek / Waalcrossing' 17:15 Sunset March & Waalcrossing Nijmegen. Short introduction and walk http://www.sunsetmarch.nl/en/welcome/ 18:15 Transfer to the hotel in Berg en Dal 18:45 Dinner and overnight stay in Hotel Erica, including - personal and hotel warstory (audio spot) by the hotel manager Marcel Hoogenboom. https://liberationroute.com/the-netherlands/pois/h/hotel-erica

Operation Market Garden M o n d a y Gelderland/Brabant

February 10, 2020 08:15 Transfer Berg en Dal – Arnhem 09:00 Arrival at Visitorcenter Airborne at the Bridge. Welcome by guide Wybo Boersma and a representative of the Airborne Museum (https://www.airbornemuseum.nl/en/airborne-at-the- bridge) for: - an introduction on 'Operation Market Garden' in general and '’ - a short guided tour through the Visitorcenter - an explanation on the group activities of the Airborne Museum & Visitorcenter 1 0:00 Short walk through Arnhem including John Frost bridge (audio spot) 10:30 Guided tour Eusebius churchtower - panorama view Arnhem - WWII experience (video) 11:15 Transfer to the province of Brabant 12:00 Battlefield tour 'Hells highway' including short visit 'Eerdse Molen' and Paulushoef' https://europeremembers.com/destination/hells-highway/ 12:45 Departure to Best 13:00 Lunch in Het Boshuys in Best, including short presentation about Brabant Remembers by Pim Sybesma, travel trade manager VisitBrabant https://www.brabantremembers.com/?lang=en 14:00 Visit Museum Wings of Liberation https://en.bevrijdendevleugels.com/ 15:00 Transfer to Vught. 15.30 Visit to Camp Vught National Memorial https://www.nmkampvught.nl/english/ 16:30 Transfer to Brussels 19:00 Dinner and overnight stay in Motel One Brussels, Rue Royale 120, 1000 Brussels https://www.motel-one.com/en/hotels/brussels/hotel-brussels/

T u e s d a y Return flights from Brussels February 11, 2020