Full Day Private Tour: in the footsteps of World War II

Operation Market Garden, A Bridge Too Far, General John Frost, Concentration Camp Herzogenbusch. These are all familiar names if you are interested in the history of WWII. On this tour we will learn more about this fascinating part of Dutch history.

We will pick you up at your hotel and will drive to the former Nazi concentration camp Herzogenbusch (Vught) in the South of Holland. The camp was first used in 1942 and held 31,000 Jewish and political prisoners. We will visit the remainders of the concentration camp with its reconstructed watchtowers, barracks, crematorium, and children’s memorial.

From Vught we will drive to Arnhem, a city on the river Rhine. Here we will visit the Airborne Museum at Villa Hartenstein. During the Battle of Arnhem in September 1944, which was part of the military operation Market Garden, Hartenstein became the headquarters of the British Airborne Division during heavy fighting. The daring attempt to punch through German lines and capture the Ruhr area to quickly end the war was unsuccessful. The bridge at Arnhem turned out to be a bridge too far. Now, Hartenstein is home to personal stories from British, Polish, and German soldiers as well as from civilians, told through the museum’s unique historical objects.

After this we will have a short stop at the John Frost Bridge. The Bridge over the Rhine at Arnhem was the last bridge that needed to be captured during Operation Market Garden. If the Allies could capture this bridge the road to Germany would lay open. The bridge plays an important role in the movie A Bridge Too Far.

From the John Frost Bridge, we will continue to our last stop of the day: the Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery. Here most of the 1684 fallen soldiers of the September landings are laid to rest.

Itinerary

(times subject to change due to traffic or specific requests):

08.30 AM: pick up at your hotel

10.00 AM: visit former concentration camp Herzogenbusch (Vught)

12.30 PM: transit to Arnhem

01.30 PM: visit to the Airborne Museum, former headquarters of the British Airborne Division

03.30 PM: visit to John Frost Bridge (“A Bridge too far”)

04.00 PM: visit to Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery

06.00 PM: drop off at your hotel

Included in this tour:

• Pick-up and drop off at your accommodation
• Transportation in an air-conditioned vehicle
• Experienced personal guide / driver that stays with your group all day
• Visit to the former Nazi Concentration Camp Herzogenbusch
• Visit to Airborne Museum at Hartenstein
• Visit to the John Frost Bridge
• Visit to the Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery
• Entry fees / tickets
• Cold drinks and snacks throughout the day

Excluded:

• Meals
• Souvenirs / personal expenses