Santa Fe ~  Lutrebois

Room "Bastogne"

This family suite from 1 to 4 people features a full-size bed (63 inches), two twin beds, a wardrobe, a table, a sitting area, a luggage rack and a sink.

Bathroom: shower with curtain, sink, toilet.

Services: TV, Wi-Fi connection.

NIGHTLY RATE: €180 and up (breakfast included).

Bastogne 1940 - 1945

In May of 1940, during the German invasion, Bastogne was on the front line as German troops crossed Luxembourg; Corporal Emile Cady, from the Chasseurs Ardennais regiment, was the first casualty. The bunker that witnessed his sacrifice can be seen on the Clervaux road, at the foot of the Mardasson hill.

After four years of occupation, Bastogne was liberated by the US Army's 28th Infantry Division, on September 10, 1944. The town was then used as a command centre during the Battle of the Bulge in December of 1944. On December 22, the town was surrounded and General McAuliffe, commander of the 101st Airborne Division, received an ultimatum from the German commander; his famous reply was a single word: “NUTS!”. The troops in Bastogne did their best to resist the German onslaught while the first supply drops provided much-needed ammunition, food, medicine, etc. The siege was finally broken by tank commander Boggess (from Patton's Third Army), on December 26.

The town of Bastogne, now a symbol of the US's sacrifice on the European front during World War 2, was chosen to host a monument dedicated to the memory of these events and to US-Belgium friendship: the Mardasson Memorial. The town is also home to many other memorials in humour of Patton, McAuliffe and other figures. Bastogne also features the final stone marker of the Liberty Road, connecting it to the beaches used for D-Day in Normandy.