# Bastogne

The village in the Belgian Ardennes that the US Army held while surrounded in December 1944. One day for the museum, the memorial and the Bois Jacques; another for the Ourthe at La Roche or Orval Abbey.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/belgium/bastogne · Revisado: 2026-11-12

## How much time do you need?

One day for the essentials: the Bastogne War Museum in the morning, the Mardasson Memorial next to it and, in the afternoon, the Bois Jacques and the War Rooms. The combined ticket covers all three and is valid for six months, so you can spread them out. With one more night, the second day is for something that has nothing to do with the war: kayaking the Ourthe at La Roche-en-Ardenne or visiting Orval Abbey, close to the French border.

## What to see in the village?

On McAuliffe Square, the centre, there is a tank on display and most of the restaurants. The museum and the Mardasson stand on a hill on the outskirts, with paid parking; the Bois Jacques is about four kilometres from the museum, in Foy, and the War Rooms are on the rue de La Roche, next to the Bastogne Barracks.

## Can you go without a car?

Bastogne has no railway station. You take the train to Libramont and continue by TEC bus. The centre and the museum can be done on foot; for the Bois Jacques, La Roche and Orval you need a car.

## Dónde está
- Zonas: Second World War routes, Beers of Belgium
- Cerca: Caves of Han (Han-sur-Lesse) (a 40.1 km), Durbuy and La Roche-en-Ardenne (a 43.3 km), Bouillon (a 52.0 km), Spa (a 55.7 km)

## Qué hacer
- **Bastogne War Museum** (2 h 30 · From about age 10; under-12s accompanied · Desde 28 € adult · ages 6 to 18, €15.50 · under 6, free): What it is
The Bastogne War Museum is the great Second World War museum in the Ardennes and in Belgium, and it focuses on the Battle of the Bulge, the German offensive of the winter of 1944 in which Bastogne was surrounded. It is on the Mardasson hill, next to the memorial, and continues a story that began in 1950, when Guy Franz Arend opened the Bastogne Nuts Museum here; since 2014 it has been the current museum.
A single ticket covers three visits: the museum, the Bois Jacques, the forest with the paratroopers' foxholes, and the Bastogne War Rooms, General McAuliffe's basement. You have six months to see whatever you have not yet seen.
What you see
The tour tells the causes, events and consequences of the war, with objects chosen to link the small history of individuals to the great one. The audio guide, included, accompanies you with four voices: Emile Mostade, a 13-year-old boy from Bastogne who plays the accordion; Mathilde Devillers, a young teacher from the village; Hans Wegmüller, lieutenant in the 26th Volksgrenadier Division, the unit that was to take Bastogne, and Robert Keane, corporal in the 101st Airborne Division, which defended it. Along the way there are interactive screens designed for schoolchildren and young people.
At the end is Generations45, a visit of about 30 minutes that follows an American and a German veteran from 1945 to 1989, from the ruins of Bastogne to the Berlin Wall. It ends beside a full-size replica of a P-51 Mustang fighter. The last entry to Generations45 is at 17:15.
Allow two and a half hours for the museum with Generations45. With the Bois Jacques and the War Rooms, the whole day.
Opening hours
Open every day from 9:30. Closing varies with the season, between 17:00 and 19:00; in November 2026 it closes at 18:00. Check the calendar on the website, which shows the hours for each day.
Tickets

Adults (19–64): €28.
Over-65s and teachers: €24.50.
Students and people with a disability: €19.50.
Children aged 6 to 18: €15.50. Under-6s, free.
Family (two adults and two children): €72.

The ticket includes the audio guide, the Bois Jacques and the War Rooms. It is bought online for a half-hour slot; it is not compulsory, but without a booking entry is not guaranteed, especially at weekends, on public holidays and during school holidays. You can carry it on your phone.
Getting there and parking
The address is Colline du Mardasson 5, on the outskirts of Bastogne. In front is the municipal car park, with 200 spaces, for €7.50 per vehicle; it is not suitable for motorhomes. Without a car, the train reaches Libramont and from there continue by TEC bus; in Bastogne, line 6 drops you at the Pépinière stop, about a 20-minute walk away.
Facilities and accessibility
The museum is accessible: entrance, shop and toilets are at street level and a lift takes you to the tour. They lend a wheelchair if you ask. There are lockers with a €1 deposit. At the Bistrot de la Paix, with a terrace facing the memorial, you can eat without a ticket. Photos without flash are allowed.
With children and dogs
The visit is designed for all audiences, but under-12s must be accompanied by an adult. It works best from about age 10: the subject is hard and the audio guide long. Dogs may not enter the tour, except assistance dogs; they are allowed in the shop and the bistro.
- **Mardasson Memorial** (30 min · All ages · Free): What it is
The Mardasson Memorial is the monument that Belgium dedicated to the American soldiers who fought in the Battle of the Bulge. It stands on the Mardasson hill, on the outskirts of Bastogne, next to the Bastogne War Museum. The first stone was laid on 4 July 1946 and it was inaugurated on 16 July 1950; the architect was Georges Dedoyard.
It is shaped like a great star, that of the Allied troops, which evokes the flag of the United States. On the pediment are the names of all the states of the country, including Alaska and Hawaii, which joined after the war, and an inscription in Latin: the Belgian people remember their American liberators. Since 2020 its upkeep has been the responsibility of the United States: the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC), which manages American military cemeteries and monuments abroad, has taken it over and now calls it the Battle of the Bulge Monument at Mardasson.
What you see

The star. You walk around the walls with the names of the states and the inscription from the Belgians.
The terrace. A spiral staircase climbs to the top of the monument, with a view over Bastogne and its surroundings.
The crypt. Below are three vaulted niches with altars for Catholic, Protestant and Jewish worship, each with a mosaic by Fernand Léger.

The visit takes about 30 minutes.
Hours, price and works
Admission is free. Since the ABMC took charge, the memorial has been undergoing complete renovation; in December 2024 the end of the works was announced for summer 2025 at the earliest. Some areas may be closed, such as the crypt or the terrace: if you are interested in one in particular, ask at the museum reception before going up.
Getting there and parking
It is a few steps from the museum, on the same hill. Park in the museum's municipal car park, with 200 spaces, for €7.50 per vehicle, and walk up. Without a car, the TEC bus reaches Bastogne from Libramont station; in the village, line 6 stops at Pépinière, about 20 minutes' walk from the museum.
When to go
First thing in the morning or at the end of the afternoon, when the groups from the museum go down, the memorial is quieter. In December Bastogne celebrates the Nuts Days, with events around the anniversary of the siege: in 2026, from 11 to 13 December, with the inauguration at the Mardasson of a monument to the 28th Infantry Division. On those days there are more people and more atmosphere.
With children
It is a place of remembrance, open and without difficulty: children can go up to the terrace if it is open. With small children it works as a short stop between the museum and the bistro. If you have already seen the museum, they will better understand what the star commemorates.
How to combine it
Do the museum, go out to the memorial and eat at the Bistrot de la Paix, which has a terrace facing the star. Then the Bois Jacques, 4 km away, closes the morning.
- **Foxholes of the Bois Jacques** (30 min · All ages; difficult with a pushchair · Included in the Bastogne War Museum ticket): What it is
The Bois Jacques is a forest near Foy, north-east of Bastogne, where fighting took place during the siege of 1944. In it, sunk among the trees, are still the foxholes that the American soldiers dug to protect themselves from the cold and the artillery. Easy Company was here, the paratrooper company of the 101st Airborne Division whose story was told in the series Band of Brothers.
It is the outdoor part of the visit to the Bastogne War Museum: there is no building or display cases, only the forest and the holes in the ground, eighty years later.
What you see and how to visit
The walk is short: about 30 minutes among the foxholes. To understand what you see, the museum has created an augmented reality app with six geolocated 360-degree videos that recreate the daily life of a section of Easy Company in their foxholes. They are triggered on arrival at each point in the forest. The app is in English, French, German and Dutch: download it before you go from the App Store or Google Play and bring headphones and a charged phone.
Where it is and how to get there
About 4 km from the Mardasson museum. You can go on foot or by car; there is free parking in front. If you walk, count almost an hour each way. By car, the practical thing is to do it right after the museum.
Admission and hours
The visit is included in the Bastogne War Museum ticket: €28 for adults and €15.50 for children aged 6 to 18, with the War Rooms also included. You can come within the six months following your museum slot without booking again. The advertised hours are the museum's; in November 2026, 9:30 to 18:00.
With children, a pushchair or a wheelchair
There is an adapted gate for people with reduced mobility and pushchairs, but the museum warns that the paths to the foxholes may be impractical with a pushchair or wheelchair. With small children, a baby carrier is better. Teenagers get on well with the app; even more so if they have seen Band of Brothers.
When to go
It is a forest: in rain the ground turns muddy and in winter it is cold and gets dark early. To get an idea of what the soldiers lived through, December is the month, but go with boots and warm clothes. In spring and summer the walk is more comfortable. Respect the place: do not enter the foxholes or take anything from the ground.
Nearby
In Bastogne you still have the Mardasson Memorial, next to the museum, and the Bastogne Barracks, with the wartime vehicles.
- **Bastogne War Rooms** (1 h · From about age 12 · Included in the Bastogne War Museum ticket): What it is
The Bastogne War Rooms are the basement of the former Bastogne barracks where the command post of the 101st Airborne Division was during the siege of December 1944. Here, on 22 December, Brigadier General Anthony McAuliffe answered the German request for surrender with a single word, "NUTS!". The reply raised the defenders' morale and made Bastogne a symbol of resistance against the last great German offensive of the war.
The basement opened as an interpretation centre in February 2024 and is run by the team at the Bastogne War Museum.
What you see
It is an indoor visit. Using immersive staging techniques, the rooms recreate the key moments of the siege as they were lived in this place, with the "NUTS" scene at the centre. It is not a museum of display cases: it is a staging on the real site, designed to help you understand what was being decided underground while the town was surrounded.
Allow an hour.
Where it is
At rue de La Roche 38D, in the grounds of the former military base, a few kilometres from the Mardasson museum. Next door, at number 40, is the Bastogne Barracks, the War Heritage Institute's vehicle centre: you can see both in the same morning. There is free parking in front.
Opening hours
It opens at 9:30 and follows the Bastogne War Museum's hours; in November 2026, 9:30 to 18:00. Check the website for the hours on the day you go.
Admission
There is no separate ticket: the visit is included in the Bastogne War Museum ticket, which costs €28 for adults and €15.50 for children aged 6 to 18, with the Bois Jacques also included. The ticket is valid for six months for the parts you have not seen, without booking again. It is bought on the museum website or at the Mardasson ticket office.
How to organise it
The most convenient way is to do the museum first, to have the context of the battle, and the War Rooms afterwards. If you are short of time, you can split it: the museum and the Bois Jacques one day, and the War Rooms with the Barracks another.
Accessibility, age and dogs
The museum states that the War Rooms are accessible to people with reduced mobility; if in doubt, call reception (+32 61 21 02 20). Because of the subject and the atmosphere, it works better with teenagers; under-12s must be accompanied by an adult. Dogs may not enter, except assistance dogs.
- **Bastogne Barracks** (1 h 30 · All ages · €12 adults, €9 for ages 6 to 18, free under 6): What it is
The Bastogne Barracks is a former Belgian army barracks, the one that served as headquarters of General McAuliffe's 101st Airborne Division during the siege of 1944. Today it is run by the War Heritage Institute, the Belgian military heritage institute, and since 2010 it has operated as a Second World War interpretation centre.
What sets it apart is its collection of wartime vehicles: some rare or almost unique, many with their original camouflage, markings of other armies and the wear of use. They are not just on display: the centre has working restoration workshops, several vehicles still start up and come out for events and commemorations, and from time to time there are demonstrations with the engines running.
What you see
The tour goes through renovated exhibition rooms, with the vehicle halls and the workshops where they are restored. Allow an hour and a half.
Opening hours
Tuesday to Sunday, 9:00 to 17:00. Closed on Mondays, 1 January, 1 May, 1 November and 25 December.
Tickets

Adults: €12.
Children and young people aged 6 to 18, students and teachers: €9.
Under-6s: free.
People with a disability and their companion: free.
On the first Wednesday of each month, free entry from 13:00.

Groups of at least 15 people: €9 per person and €4 for under-18s. Guided tours for groups cost €87 on weekdays and €97 at weekends, plus €4.50 per adult, and are booked three weeks in advance at booking.bastogne@warheritage.be.
Payment is by card: the centre does not accept cash, according to its listing on the province's tourism website.
Getting there
It is at rue de La Roche 40, in Bastogne, next to the Bastogne War Rooms, the basement where McAuliffe replied "NUTS!". There is parking in front. The Bastogne War Museum, on the Mardasson hill, is a few kilometres away.
Accessibility and with children
The official listing describes it as suitable for people with reduced mobility. Children and teenagers who like tanks and lorries will find it more engaging than a museum of display cases; for under-6s, admission is free. If you are going with little ones, remember that it is an hour-and-a-half tour mostly of vehicles.
How to combine it
A perfect morning in Bastogne: the Barracks at 9, the War Rooms next door and lunch in the centre. The Mardasson museum and the Bois Jacques can be left for the afternoon or another day. Watch out for Mondays: the Barracks is closed.
- **La Roche-en-Ardenne and kayaking on the Ourthe** (4 h · Families and beginners on the Maboge stretch · Paid kayak with life jacket and transfer): What it is
La Roche-en-Ardenne is a village tucked into a bend of the river Ourthe, north of Bastogne, with the ruins of a feudal castle on a rocky ridge. It is the half-day trip that balances the visit to the war sites: a walk around the village, the climb to the castle and, if the river has water, a kayak descent to the centre.
The castle
On the site there was a Celtic oppidum and a Roman camp. Around the year 844 Count Adelard built the first castle, and the fortress you see was built gradually from the eleventh century. Louis XIV occupied and reinforced it between 1681 and 1688. A fire started by lightning ruined it in 1721, Emperor Joseph II ordered it dismantled, and in December 1944, during the Battle of the Bulge, it was damaged by a bombing raid. Since 1976 it has been protected as Walloon heritage.

Visit: about 45 minutes; last entry half an hour before closing.
Admission: €8.50 from age 12 and €6.50 for ages 3 to 12. The animations cost €2 more.
Opening hours: the castle's website gives two timetables that do not match: Monday to Friday from 13:00 to 16:00 and weekends from 11:00 to 16:30, and on another line, every day from 11:00 to 17:00. Confirm before going up. With snow or ice it may close.

It is not accessible to people with reduced mobility. Dogs may enter on a lead. There is a picnic area and a bar. At certain times of year it organises archery, crafts and falconry, and on summer evenings, at dusk, legend says the ghost of Countess Berthe appears.
Kayaking the Ourthe
The classic descent for families and beginners is Maboge to La Roche, an hour and a half to two hours. You set off from Maboge, upriver, and finish in the village. For those who want more, the Nisramont to La Roche descent, about 18 km, takes four to five hours.
Several companies rent kayaks in the village:

Outdoor Centre, from the Les Merlettes estate, Val du Pierreux 2: Maboge–La Roche from €20 per person, with departures from 9:30 to 16:30 at weekends, on public holidays and during school holidays, and Nisramont–La Roche for €35. Single kayak, €5 more.
Ardenne Aventures, at the same Val du Pierreux: Maboge–La Roche for €25 per person, about two hours; it announces a season from March to November, every day from 9:00 to 17:00.
Brandsport, also in La Roche, with descents on the Ourthe.

The price includes the kayak, the life jacket and the transfer to the starting point.
The water decides
The Ourthe is a river with a very variable flow and descents are only made if the level allows it. In 2026, because of the drought, kayaking was banned on the Ourthe from 23 June. Phone the company the day before and do not take a summer descent for granted.
Getting there
By car from Bastogne, to the north-west. For the kayaks, leave your car at the company's point in La Roche: the transfer takes you up to Maboge and you paddle down to the car.
With children
The Maboge stretch is the one the companies recommend for children and beginners; ask the minimum age when you book. The castle has a children's ticket from age 3 and seasonal activities, such as treasure hunts.
- **Orval Abbey** (1 h 45 · All ages · Ruins and museum: €8 adults, €3 for ages 7 to 14): What it is
Orval Abbey is in Villers-devant-Orval, in the municipality of Florenville, in the Ardennes and Gaume forest, one kilometre from the French border. It was founded in 1070 by Benedictines from Calabria and in 1131 passed to the Cistercian order. French revolutionary troops sacked it and on 23 June 1793 it burned; the monks were dispersed. In 1926 monks from Sept-Fons arrived and built it again beside the ruins, to a design by the architect Henry Vaes; the church was consecrated on 8 September 1948.
Today Trappist monks live there, who have made cheese since the end of the 1920s and beer since 1935. Its name comes from a legend: Countess Matilda of Tuscany is said to have lost her ring in a spring and to have recovered it miraculously, hence Aureavallis, the valley of gold, and the ring emerging from the water on the abbey's coat of arms.
What you can visit
You can visit the ruins of the medieval abbey and the visitor areas; the new abbey, where the monks live, and the brewery are not open to visitors.

The Cistercian ruins, with a circuit that explains each monastic space.
Matilda's spring, in the valley, the one from the legend of the ring.
The welcome house, with a video of about 10 minutes on the history of the monastery and the present community, and animated models of the abbey through the centuries.
The museum of religious art, in the eighteenth-century cellars.
The medicinal plant garden, with objects from the monastery's old pharmacy.
The shop, with the abbey's beer and cheese, books and souvenirs.

Allow about two hours.
Opening hours
The ruins, museum and shop are open:

November to February: 10:30 to 17:30.
March to May and in October: 9:30 to 18:00.
June to September: 9:30 to 18:30.

The website does not publish closing days: check beforehand if you are going on public holidays.
Tickets

Adults: €8.
Seniors and students: €6.
Children aged 7 to 14: €3.
People with reduced mobility or a disability: €3.
Annual pass: €25.

Tickets are also sold online on the abbey's website: they are not dated, so you come on the day you like, but they are not refundable. The last entry is one hour before closing. In July and August there are guided tours every afternoon, and in September on Sunday afternoons, lasting an hour and only in French and Dutch.
Getting there
The address is Orval 1, 6823 Villers-devant-Orval. By car, from Brussels take the E411 towards Arlon, exit 26 towards Neufchâteau and then Florenville; Orval is 8 km from Florenville in the direction of Virton. From Luxembourg, take exit 29 of the E411 towards Etalle, continue towards Florenville and at Jamoigne turn left towards Orval.
Without a car: train to Libramont, connection to Florenville and from there TEC bus 24, direction Virton, to the Orval carrefour stop.
Eating and drinking
Opposite the abbey is À l'Ange Gardien, the Orval tavern: it serves the Trappist beer and cheese and is the only place that has Orval Vert on draught. The kitchen has lunch and dinner hours, closes one day a week and in January opens to groups only.
With children
The open-air ruins, the legend of the ring at the spring and the animated models work well with children. Under-7s have no published rate; ask at the ticket office.

## Dónde comer
- **Wagon Léo** (Restaurant, Bastogne, €€). Qué pedir: the bistro at lunchtime, the restaurant for dinner.
- **Brasserie Lamborelle** (Bar, Bastogne, €€). Qué pedir: Belgian beer-based cooking.
- **Bistrot de la Paix** (Café, Bastogne, €€). Qué pedir: something quick between the museum and the Bois Jacques.
- **À l'Ange Gardien** (Bar, Villers-devant-Orval, €€). Qué pedir: the Orval Vert, which is served only here, with Orval cheese.

## By car: One night in Bastogne and the car for the Ardennes
With a car, Bastogne can be seen in a day and on the second you head for the river or the abbey. The museum, the Bois Jacques and the War Rooms are in different places, a few minutes from each other.
Presupuesto orientativo: 80–130 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir if you're driving
- **Hôtel Melba** (Hotel): A large hotel in the centre of Bastogne, with a restaurant. Without a car, the museum and the square can be reached on foot.
- **Léo Station Hotel** (Small hotel): In the centre, in the same establishment as the bistro, the restaurant and the shop of Wagon Léo.
- **Hôtel du Sud** (Small hotel): A simple hotel a step from the square, for a night between the museum and the Ardennes.
- **Camping de Renval** (Campsite): The village campsite, on the road out towards Marche, for arriving with a tent or motorhome. Check the exact dates before you go.
### Servicios
- **Bastogne War Museum car park**: Municipal car park with 200 spaces · €7.50 per vehicle · Bois Jacques and War Rooms, free

## Car-free: By train to Libramont and bus to Bastogne
It works for the village and the museum, not for the Ardennes. Bastogne has no railway station: you arrive at Libramont and continue by bus. The centre, the museum and the Mardasson can be done on foot; for the Bois Jacques, about four kilometres from the museum, you need a taxi.
Presupuesto orientativo: 90–140 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir without a car
- **Hôtel Melba** (Hotel): A large hotel in the centre of Bastogne, with a restaurant. Without a car, the museum and the square can be reached on foot.
- **Léo Station Hotel** (Small hotel): In the centre, in the same establishment as the bistro, the restaurant and the shop of Wagon Léo.
### Servicios
- **TEC bus from Libramont station**: TEC line 6 · connects with the train · about 35 min, every hour

## With teenagers: From the museum to the forest where the foxholes were

With teenagers, Bastogne works better than many war museums because the visit goes outdoors: after the museum, the forest at Foy, where the foxholes remain, and the Barracks vehicles. If they have seen Band of Brothers, the Bois Jacques will mean something to them.

### What works best
The Bois Jacques with the augmented reality app

The vehicles at the Bastogne Barracks and the restoration workshops

McAuliffe's basement at the War Rooms

Kayaking down the Ourthe the next day

### Where to sleep
Hotels in the centre, so they can go out alone to the square

### Where to eat
The brasseries on the square have cooking for everyone

### Bear in mind
The museum takes two and a half hours: do not put it after another long visit

Under-12s enter accompanied by an adult

### Qué hacer with teenagers
- Bastogne War Museum
- Mardasson Memorial
- Foxholes of the Bois Jacques
- Bastogne War Rooms
- Bastogne Barracks
- La Roche-en-Ardenne and kayaking on the Ourthe

## As a family: A day of history and a day on the river

With children of different ages, split it up: the museum is long for the little ones, but the Mardasson, the forest and the Barracks vehicles can be seen without effort. On the second day, the Ourthe at La Roche is what everyone will remember.

### What works best
The kayak descent from Maboge to La Roche, the one recommended for children

The vehicles at the Barracks, with free entry for under-6s

The ruins of Orval, with room to move around

### Where to sleep
The Hôtel Melba, large and in the centre

The Renval campsite if you are travelling with a tent

### Where to eat
The museum bistro, with a terrace

A picnic by the river at La Roche

### Bear in mind
The paths at the Bois Jacques are difficult with a pushchair: a baby carrier is better

Under-6s do not pay at the museum; for ages 6 to 18 there is a reduced rate and a family ticket

A small child tires long before the two and a half hours of the museum

### Qué hacer as a family
- Mardasson Memorial
- Foxholes of the Bois Jacques
- Bastogne Barracks
- La Roche-en-Ardenne and kayaking on the Ourthe
- Orval Abbey

## Consejos

### Book your museum slot
It is not compulsory, but without a booking entry is not guaranteed at weekends, on public holidays and during school holidays.

### Keep your ticket
It is valid for six months for the parts you have not seen: museum, Bois Jacques and War Rooms.

### Footwear for the forest
The paths to the foxholes in the Bois Jacques get muddy and are difficult with a pushchair or wheelchair.

### The Barracks close on Mondays
They are open Tuesday to Sunday, 9:00 to 17:00.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### How much does the Bastogne War Museum cost?
€28 per adult, €15.50 for ages 6 to 18 and free for under-6s. There is a family ticket for €72 for two adults and two children. It includes the Bois Jacques and the War Rooms.

### How long does the visit take?
The museum takes about two and a half hours; the Bois Jacques, half an hour; the War Rooms, an hour. The Mardasson, next to the museum, is free.

### Can you visit the Bastogne Barracks?
Yes, Tuesday to Sunday from 9:00 to 17:00, with a separate ticket: €12 per adult and €9 for ages 6 to 18. They hold military vehicles and restoration workshops.

### Is it suitable for children?
Under-12s must be accompanied by an adult. The museum works from about age 10; the Bois Jacques and the vehicles at the Barracks suit younger children. With small children, leave time for La Roche and the river.

### What is there to do in the Ardennes besides history?
Kayak down the Ourthe from Maboge to La Roche-en-Ardenne, climb up to La Roche castle, or see the ruins of Orval Abbey and try its beer in the tavern opposite.