Experience the Sounds of War and Honor the Heroes

Time to hit the road, bring some bread with cheese - like a real Dutchie would do - and jump on the gas. The first stop is about a 1.5 hour drive. You will drive to a city called Groesbeek. This is the place where the American 82nd Airborne Division, aka the All Americans, had to land with their parachutes in order to recapture higher grounds in the area, as well as the bridges over the rivers Maas, Waal and Rijn. You will see the bridge over the Rijn tomorrow. Unfortunately, this ambitious plan didn’t work out because of the German resistance and also because the ground troops had difficulties and errors were made in command. Today you will start with your tour around the area where so many brave men fought for freedom. To give you a headstart on all the background info of the places you are going to see, you will start at the museum of freedom.

This museum has been totally remodelled and reopened just a few years ago. There is a permanent exhibition about the story of War and Peace, in the Netherlands and also across its borders. You will get information about WWII and other wars from different perspectives and see how it relates to modern times.
It’s a very interesting museum with lots of info, but also with points where you can grasp the feeling of being in the middle of a war. There is the use of sight, touch and sound to make it easier to imagine how it must be to be in the centre of a continuous battle.
Tickets cost € 15,00 for adults and €7 euro for kids above the age of 7. You can also purge a family ticket, which is cheaper: €34,50 for two adults with two kids. You can buy tickets at the desk. For more info check de website online

Taking in so much information at once is awesome and educative, but it doesn’t fill your stomach. So time for lunch. You are going to a place called De Duivelsberg (the Devil's hill). It's situated in a beautiful forestry area where you can sit outside on the terrace, or inside when it rains. This place is famous for its pancakes. But if you have never tried the Dutch delicious snack ‘Poffertjes’ this is what you have to order. Poffertjes are delicious mini pancakes everybody has to try once in their life.

During lunch, you may be found yourself meandering a little inside your own head. All the stories about the war in the museum are impressive, but it's still a museum. Time to face reality in Berg en Dal, a town just above Groesbeek. Here you will find the Canadian War Cemetary where the Dutch honour the fallen heroes. Because that is how the Canadians that are buried in this cemetery are still seen by people from the Netherlands.
It’s an impressive sight to see all the white crosses in rows on the big lawn. Some of the graves are adopted by school children, who clean the headstones and put flowers by the graves a few times a year. Walk around and read some of the headstones. You will be amazed how young most soldiers were.
If you have finished looking around, you have some time to take a breather in the surrounding area. It's beautiful here every season of the year.

So, a lot of bad stuff happened in this region. Thankfully nowadays you can enjoy the good life here. Sit down and have a taste of the local wine. It's a beautiful place. This region is one of the few places where wine is produced in the Netherlands.
Opening Hour: Tuesday - Sunday: 10:00 - 18:00

This bronze statue was placed here in 1995. The 'Evacuation' monument reminds the residents of Groesbeek of the evacuation of the local population during the Second World War. Did you know the former queen of the Netherlands is a very good sculpturer? Her mother, Queen Wilhelmina had to flee to Great Britain when the Germans entered the Netherlands. She did so under pressure of the Dutch government. Fromn England she used radio to address the people of the Netherlands. Her speeches were inspiring and helped to lift the morale of the Dutch troops.

Dinner with a view. You can have it here. The restaurant is to be found in the middle of beautiful nature. Because Groesbeek has hills, which is very special in a country where almost everything is flat, you will have a great view. Did you know Groesbeek is one of the places where the 4-day marches take place? Thousands of people march 30, 40 or 50 km every day, for four days in a row in this region. It's also called The Walk of the world because people from all over the world come over to join. More info online

Time to sit back and relax in your hotel. You can choose several hotels in Groesbeek and also in Nijmegen which is very close. If you want some quiet sleep, get a hotel in Groesbeek. If you want to enjoy the nightlife, you better head over to a hotel in the centre of Nijmegen. Sleep tight and don't let the bed bugs bite!