What to do · Bastogne
Foxholes of the Bois Jacques
Information
- Price
- Included in the Bastogne War Museum ticket
- Duration
- 30 min
- Who it's for
- All ages; difficult with a pushchair
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.
Tips
- Download the app at home Without it you only see holes in the forest; with it, six scenes of Easy Company on the very spot.
- Do it after the museum With the context fresh, the half hour in the forest makes much more sense.
- Walking boots It is a forest: in rain the ground turns muddy.
Frequently asked questions
Do you have to pay to see the Bois Jacques?
The visit is included in the Bastogne War Museum ticket, €28 for adults. The ticket is valid for six months.
Where are the Band of Brothers foxholes?
In the Bois Jacques, near Foy, about 4 km from the Bastogne War Museum, with free parking.
How much time do you need?
About 30 minutes with the augmented reality app.
As a familyWith teenagers
