Wagon Léo
What to order: the bistro at lunchtime, the restaurant for dinner.
McAuliffe Square · restaurant, bistro and hotel
geocalia
Day itinerary · 50.00° N · 5.72° E
The museum, the memorial and the foxholes of Easy Company, the Battle of the Bulge in a day from Brussels.
The battle museum in the morning, the Mardasson memorial next door, the foxholes of the Bois Jacques, lunch in the centre and McAuliffe's cellar in the afternoon, all with one ticket.
Leaving from
Direct flight to Bruselas fromBarcelona 2 hGirona 2 hSantander 2 hVitoria 2 hZaragoza 2 hMadrid 2 h 15Palma de Mallorca 2 h 15Valencia 2 h 15Alicante 2 h 30Málaga 3 h
Part of BastogneSecond World War routesBeers of Belgium
Add to my trip
Total time11 h
By car2 h each way
From BrusselsCar · about 2 h
Combined ticket€28 adult · €15.50 ages 6 to 18
DifficultyEasy
Cost€60–80 pp
With childrenBest from about age 10
The plan
The day at a glance
Any part can be swapped for another without spoiling the day.
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Leave Brussels 2 h by car
E411 to Namur and N4 via Marche-en-Famenne
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1
Bastogne War Museum
€28 with Bois Jacques and War Rooms · book the slot; parking €7.50
- 5 min on foot
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2
Mardasson Memorial
free; there may be areas closed for works
- 11 min by car4,5 km
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3
Foxholes of the Bois Jacques
free parking · 360° videos on the app
- 13 min by car7,7 km
- 4
- 3 min by car1,3 km
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5
Bastogne War Rooms
rue de La Roche 38D · with the same ticket
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Back home
in Brussels around 19:00
Approximate cost
About €20–35 per person
Adds up the activities and meals in the plan at their published prices; travel and accommodation not included.
The route
Bastogne War Museum
In December 1944, Bastogne was surrounded by the German army and was defended by the 101st Airborne Division and other American units until Patton's army arrived. Today it is the best place in the Ardennes to understand that battle, and from Brussels it can be done in a day by car: about two hours by motorway. A single €28 ticket covers the museum, the foxholes of the Bois Jacques and the War Rooms, so the day organises itself: museum in the morning, forest at midday, lunch in the centre and the headquarters in the afternoon.
The day, hour by hour
7:45 · Drive to Bastogne. E411 to Namur and the N4 south through Marche-en-Famenne. The museum has a 200-space car park at €7.50.
9:45 · Bastogne War Museum. Two and a half hours with an audioguide, which tells the battle through four characters: an American soldier, a German lieutenant, a child and a Bastogne schoolteacher. Book the slot online in season and in December.
12:15 · The Mardasson memorial. Next to the museum, the great stone star with the names of the states of the Union. Free. It is undergoing renovation works and there may be areas closed.
12:45 · Bois Jacques. 4 km away, near Foy: the foxholes of Easy Company are still in the forest. Half an hour with the 360° videos of the museum's app. Free parking.
13:45 · Lunch at Wagon Léo. On the place McAuliffe, next to the Sherman tank. The restaurant, with bistro cooking and seasonal dishes, is open Tuesday to Sunday from 11:45 to 15:00 and has a half-price menu and half portions for children.
15:30 · Bastogne War Rooms. The cellar of the headquarters where General McAuliffe answered "NUTS!" to the German ultimatum, reconstructed with scenery. One hour, with the same ticket.
16:45 · Return. About two hours to Brussels.
Is it for me?
If you are interested in the Second World War, or travel with teenagers who are studying it, yes. With small children it is a long museum day; for them the Barracks works better, with its vehicles, and an afternoon on the river at La Roche.
Time2 h 30
Change the route
If you are interested in vehicles: the Barracks is next to the War Rooms, €12, Tuesday to Sunday from 9:00 to 17:00; go before lunch:
Bastogne Barracks
To eat something quick at the museum, with a terrace facing the Mardasson:
Bistrot de la Paix
With children in summer, at a weekend: swap the afternoon for kayaking on the Ourthe at La Roche, 35 km away:
La Roche-en-Ardenne and kayaking on the Ourthe
Where to eat
Where to eat?
Lunch is half the plan: book before you set off.
Brasserie Lamborelle
What to order: Belgian beer-based cooking.
At the end of rue Lamborelle, not on the main street
Bistrot de la Paix
What to order: something quick between the museum and the Bois Jacques.
At the Bastogne War Museum · open during museum hours, no ticket needed · terrace with 100 seats
À l'Ange Gardien
What to order: the Orval Vert, which is served only here, with Orval cheese.
Next to Orval Abbey · kitchen from 11:30 to 15:00 and from 18:00 to 20:00 · closed one day a week and in January open to groups only by reservation
Map
The stops, in order
With where to park at each one.
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Getting there
By car or without one?
When to go
When to go to Bastogne
Any day from Tuesday to Sunday, when the Wagon Léo restaurant is open. In December, for the anniversary of the battle, the town fills up: book the museum slot. Check the day's hours in its calendar, which changes with the season.
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Best timeGood timeLow season
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Buy the combined ticket online
It secures your museum slot and is valid for six months for whatever you don't see that day.
- 2Bring footwear for the forest
In the Bois Jacques the paths are dirt and do not suit a pushchair.
- 3Check the day's hours
The museum changes its hours with the season; check its calendar.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How much is a ticket to the Bastogne War Museum?
€28 for adults and €15.50 for ages 6 to 18; it includes the Bois Jacques and the War Rooms.
Can you see Bastogne in a day from Brussels?
Yes, by car: about two hours each way and about six hours there.
Where do you eat?
At Wagon Léo, on the place McAuliffe, Tuesday to Sunday, or at the Bistrot de la Paix, inside the museum.
Is it open on Monday?
The museum follows its calendar, but the Wagon Léo restaurant and the Barracks are closed on Mondays.
More plans like this
Other days of walking and good food
geocalia.com/en/belgium/bastogne/itineraries/war-museum-and-mardasson-by-car
Prices, opening hours and times are approximate: check them before you go. Each place has its own page on Geocalia.