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Home , Battle of the Bulge, Bayeux war cemetery, Liberation Route Europe, Normandy landings

SAMPLE TOUR

FRANCE - -

BATTLEFIELD TOUR - WWII AND - Welcome to Normandy, known for its wealth of food products and the significant role it played in European history. The name Normandy is derived from the word Northman, referring to the Scandinavian Vikings who settled here in the 10th century and later became known as Normans. The Allied invasion on 6, 1944 and the long Battle of Normandy that followed left another permanent footprint in Normandy. The historical importance of this invasion that led to the of from the Nazi-German occupation can be seen and felt throughout Normandy because of the many well preserved military structures, objects, memorials and cemeteries from the Second World . Aside from history, Normandy is also known for its many agricultural products such as dairy, apples, pears, ciders and more.

1 DEPARTURE Depart to Europe on your overnight flight.

2 ARRIVAL Arrive at the International Airport of and meet your European Tour Manager who will remain with you throughout the tour. Board your private bus and drive to , Normandy.

With a population of more than 100,000 inhabitants, Caen is the third largest city of Normandy and has been the stage of some of the largest events in European history. In the 11th century, William the Conquerer turned Caen into the center of ducal court and started his invasion of England from Caen. During the Battle of Normandy in WWII, Caen sustained heavy war damage, however the town still has a pretty historic center with impressive medieval buildings and structures, reminding us of the great seat of Norman power it once was. Today Caen is also a place that symbolizes the value of freedom and commemorates the high price human kind paid to regain its freedom during the horrible events of WWII. Upon arrival in Caen, visit Le Mémorial.

The Memorial Museum was built on the site of the command bunker of German W. Richter. He fought against the British and Canadian troops on what was to become D-Day in 1944. The Memorial Museum is one of the most recommended museums involving WWII as it uses film, animation, audio tools and presents original artefacts from . It is a place of history, reflection, and aptly brings across the joy people felt during the liberation. Welcome dinner and overnight in Caen.

www.wenstravel.com | [email protected] | +31 35 54 29 333 OPERATION OVERLORD OVERLORD - name for the Battle of Normandy, stands for the Allied liberation of Nazi- who occupied Western Europe. The , the largest seaborne invasion in history, started on , 1944 (D-Day). It involved 1200 planes, 5000 vessels and 160,000 troops. American, British and Canadian forces landed on five beaches along a 50-mile stretch. They were heavily fortified by bunkers, colossal coastal guns, batteries, mortars, , and thousands of Nazi-German troops.

3 BRITISH AND CANADIAN D-DAY LANDING BEACHES After breakfast, enjoy a Tour of the British and Canadian Landing Beaches with a local guide. Start with a stop at the to visit the museum and Café Gondrée, the first house in that was liberated. Continue with stops at Sword and , to see the bunkers and memorials there. In Arromanches (), see the remains of the greatest engineering feature of the invasion: the prefabricated Mulberry harbor ‘B’, which was used for 10 months after D-Day. Next, continue to the gun battery at Longues-sur-Mer, defending the Gold and Omaha beaches. End the tour with a visit of War Cemetery, the largest Commonwealth cemetery of the Second World War in France, located in the first liberated French town of importance. The cemetery contains over 4000 burials of the Second World War. The Bayeux Memorial, opposite the cemetery, bears the names of over 1800 men who died during the landings and the following months of the Battle of Normandy. Dinner and overnight in Caen.

4 AMERICAN D-DAY LANDING BEACHES Following breakfast, go on a Tour of the American Landing Beaches with a local guide.

This tour will tell the facts and human stories behind the events that took place at the American Landing Beaches on June 6, 1944 (D-Day). Stop at , (US Army Rangers) and . In Sainte-Mère-Eglise (US 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions), have time for lunch and to visit the church and Airborne Museum dedicated to commemorate the American who liberated their village on D-Day. After lunch, visit the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in Colleville-sur-Mer and have the option to perform at a wreath laying ceremony. Spend the remainder of the day in Bayeux, a well preserved small medieval town, known for the 11th century which depicts the Norman invasion of England up to the Battle of Hastings. Dinner and overnight in Caen. www.wenstravel.com | [email protected] | +31 35 54 29 333 PARIS - Bienvenue a Paris! A bustling capital city with something going on at all times, whenever you visit. Another trait is its charm, which continues to justify its title of one of the most beautiful cities in the world. The Eiffel Tower, l’Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame Cathedral, and lamp lit bridges spanning the are enduring Parisian emblems. The word 'Parisian' is synonymous with style and fashion is the city’s forte. You will also find France’s famous and delicious cuisine in Paris, make sure to try the fresh products at patisseries (pastry shops), boulangeries (bakeries) and fromageries (cheese shops).

5 CAEN - VERSAILLES - PARIS After breakfast, transfer to Versailles on your private bus. Enjoy a visit of the Palace of Versailles.

Versailles was built in the 17th century, when France was under the reign of Louis XIV, the Sun King (le Roi Soleil). The grandeur of the enormous palace with its beautiful gardens was meant to project the absolute power of the French monarchy. After your visit, transfer to your Paris hotel and check into your rooms. After some time to freshen up, have dinner in Paris. Overnight at your hotel.

6 PARIS Have breakfast at your hotel. This morning, enjoy a Guided City Tour of Paris with a local guide.

Admire the iconic sites of Paris, l ‘Arc de Triomphe, Notre-Dame Cathedral, Place de la Concorde, Place Vendôme, Hôtel National des Invalides, Pont Alexandre III Bridge, the Musée du Louvre, the Musée d'Orsay, Palais Garnier (Opéra National de Paris), Place de la Bastille, l’Ile de la Cité, la Conciergerie, the Panthéon, Champs-Elysées Avenue and the Eiffel Tower. In the afternoon, visit the Louvre Museum.

The famous Louvre holds tens of thousands of art works, from different eras and by different creators. Admire Mesopotamian, Egyptian and Greek masterpieces, but also art by famous names such as Da Vinci (and his renowned Mona Lisa), Michelangelo and Rembrandt. Have dinner, then enjoy a Cruise on the River Seine. This cruise on the Seine River gives you the unique opportunity to experience the city of Paris from a different perspective, without being distracted by busy street traffic. Besides the great monuments like the Eiffel Tower and the Notre Dame Cathedral, you will also see new enchanting parts of the historical heart that can only be seen from the river. Overnight at your hotel in Paris.

www.wenstravel.com | [email protected] | +31 35 54 29 333 LUXEMBOURG CITYCITY - Spectacularly located on a steep rock, connected by a dense network of bridges, surrounded by narrow valleys, Luxembourg City is the capital of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. The fortifications and old quarters of the Old City of Luxembourg, one of the largest fortresses of Europe until the 19th century, are a UNESCO Heritage Site due to the outstanding universal value. Today you will find a modern city with a harmonious mix of historic structures and modern architecture, decorated by beautiful landscaped green spaces. The city is one of the de facto capitals of the European Union (together with , Frankfurt, and Strasbourg) and the seat of the Court of Justice of the European Union, the Secretariat of the and the European Investment Bank, thanks to which the population (of around 120,000 inhabitants) consists of 160 different nationalities

7 PARIS - LUXEMBOURG CITY Breakfast at your hotel. Today, transfer to Luxembourg. En route, visit the -Argonne American Cemetery and attend a wreath laying ceremony (optional). Within the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery and Memorial in France, which covers 130.5 acres, rest the largest number of military dead in Europe, a total of 14,246. Most of those buried here lost their lives during the Meuse Argonne of . The immense array of headstones rises in long regular rows upward beyond a wide central pool to the chapel that crowns the ridge. A beautiful bronze screen separates the chapel foyer from the interior, which is decorated with stained-glass windows portraying American unit insignia; behind the altar are flags of the principal Allied nations. In the late afternoon enjoy a City Tour of Luxembourg with a local guide.

There is no better place to begin exploring beautiful Luxembourg City than in its historic Old Quarter. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994, the city's ancient fortifications made it one of the most important of Europe's cities. The fortress was so impregnable, it was dubbed the "Gibraltar of the North," and although the original fortress was dismantled between 1867 and 1883, its impact upon the Old Quarter is evident everywhere. Dinner and overnight in Luxembourg.

www.wenstravel.com | [email protected] | +31 35 54 29 333 BATTLE OF OF THE THE BULGE BULGE - This battle was the last major German offensive on the Western Front during WWII. It was an eventually unsuccessful attempt of the Germans to push the Allied forces back from German territory. The Germans managed to organize a surprise attack which resulted in one of the bloodiest battles in American history, lasting nearly 1,5 months. The American soldiers involved in the battle are until this day admired and remembered for their bravery and perseverance to defeat the Germans.

8 LUXEMBOURG AND BATTLE OF THE BULGE After breakfast enjoy a Tour of the Battle of the Bulge sites in Luxembourg with a local guide.

During the tour, learn about the sites and the stories behind it. Visit the towns (including the Battle of the Bulge museum) and (including a visit of the National Museum of Military History). In Ettelbruck you will have time for lunch, see the Patton Statue and visit the General Patton Memorial Museum. The tour will end with a visit of ‘the town of the martyrs’, in the heart of the , with the National Monument of the General Strike of 1942, commemorating the suffering during the Second World War. Dinner and overnight in Luxembourg City.

9 AND BATTLE OF THE BULGE - PART 1 After breakfast, transfer to Bastogne.

Located on the Ardennes plateau, at an altitude of 515m, Bastogne is a former stronghold, and renowned for its excellent ham (jambon d'Ardenne) and its walnuts. During WWII’s Battle of the Bulge, Bastogne was encircled and heavily bombarded by German forces but refused to capitulate. American soldiers in the defense of Bastogne met the ultimate test of courage during the Nazis' bloody, mid-winter siege of the city. It is a place where the US soldiers are unambiguously seen as heroes. Enjoy a tour of the Battle of the Bulge sites in Bastogne (Part One) with a local guide.

Tour the crossroads of Baugnez, near , where the infamous ambush and massacre of American soldiers took place. Visit the Baugnez 44 Historical Center in Malmedy, dedicated to the 84 soldiers who were killed during the ambush. After lunch, continue to Bastogne to visit the Bastogne War Museum. The Bastogne War Museum is the most important memorial location of WWII in the Ardennes. It is located close to the Mardasson memorial and is part of the . This route follows memorial places where the most important stages during the liberation of Western Europe took place between 1944 and 1945. Dinner and overnight in Luxembourg City.

www.wenstravel.com | [email protected] | +31 35 54 29 333 BRUSSELSBRUSSELS - is the capital of Belgium and the administrative center of the European Union. The city accommodates most of the institutions of the European Union. Brussels is an international and vibrant city where both Dutch and French are official languages. The city offers a mixture of medieval and modern architecture with buildings like the Atomium next to its cobbled streets.

10 BASTOGNE AND BATTLE OF THE BULGE - PART 2 After breakfast, continue your Tour of the Battle of the Bulge sites in Bastogne (Part Two) with a local guide.

Visit the Battle of the Bulge Museum in La Roche, the Nuts Cave, Patton Monument, the Foxholes of Boys Jacques and the town of Foy. Then visit the Ardennes American Cemetery and Memorial, a unique cemetery as it functioned as a central identification point for the European Theater of Operations between the end of the war and 1960. A number of 5317 Americans are buried here, of which 65% were fallen airmen of the U.S. Army Air Forces. Dinner and overnight in Luxembourg City.

11 LUXEMBOURG CITY - BRUSSELS Following breakfast, visit the Luxembourg American Cemetery before you continue to Brussels, Belgium.

The cemetery was established on December 29, 1944 while Allied Forces were stemming the enemy's desperate Ardennes Offensive. The city of Luxembourg served as headquarters for General George S. Patton and his U.S. . The cemetery became General Patton's final resting place. Upon arrival in Brussels, enjoy a City Tour with a local guide (including photo stops). See the highlights of the capital such as the Atomium, the Royal Palace, the European Parliament and the Grand Place surrounded by Brussels' historic Guild Houses. Farewell Dinner and overnight in Brussels.

12 FLIGHT HOME After breakfast, transfer to Brussels International Airport to check in for your flight home or extend your tour, for example to the or Germany. END OF TOUR

TAILOR-MADE TOURS For your clients' most satisfying experience Any itinerary can be adjusted according to your requests. Please contact us for possibilities and more information. www.wenstravel.com | [email protected] | +31 35 54 29 333