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Secret Army: Belgium in World War 2
On this fascinating tour, led by Head Battlefield Guide Paul Reed and WW2 author Dr Victoria Humphreys, we look at the story of Belgium in the Second World War and the so-called ‘Secret Army’, the Belgian Resistance, which was immortalised in the 1970s BBC Drama of the same name. With readings and history at all the main sights we bring this period of the Second World War to life.
Tour Includes
- 4 nights hotel with continental breakfast & 2 evening meals
- Specialist Battlefield Guides
- Local joining points
5 days from £759pp
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Itinerary
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Local departure by coach, then to our hotel in Belgium where we stay for four nights.
We begin our tour with a look at the occupation of Belgium by Nazi Germany and how the Holocaust affected the population in Belgium, and we travel to Fort Breendonk for an included visit. A nineteenth-century defensive fort, it was used by the Germans as a detention and later Concentration Camp, with over 3,500 prisoners passing through it. We have plenty of time to explore the site and hear the moving stories of those held here. In the afternoon we visit Kaserne Dossin. A former army barracks, thousands of Jews were deported to Death Camps from here during the war. It is now a national memorial and museum site to the Holocaust in Belgium, and we have an included visit to the museum of genocide and remembrance now opposite this site.
Includes Breakfast
Includes Dinner
Key Visits
Today we look at the Battle of Belgium in May 1940 leading up to the Belgian surrender, seeing the 1940-45 Museum close to the battlefields near Charleroi. After lunchtime in Dinant, we travel to Bruly where we visit the unique chapel and memorial to the local Resistance Group and see the ‘Hitler Bunker’ where Adolf Hitler sheltered during the Battle of France and which is now a museum to the Belgian Resistance and Escape Lines, seeing a reconstructed Resistance post and visiting the church used by the Germans to draw up the terms of the Armistice in France in June 1940.
Includes Breakfast
Includes Dinner
Key Visits
We travel to Leuven area and visit Heverlee War Cemetery to look at the fighting in this area and the role of the RAF, and then examine Resistance in Leuven seeing the Resistance Memorial there and having lunchtime in Leuven. We then continue to Brussels visiting the Brussels Town Cemetery and ‘Secret Army’ Memorial. We then have a walking tour of central Brussels looking at locations connected to the BBC ‘Secret Army’ series. Starring Bernard Hepton, the series told the story of a Brussels café at the heart of the local resistance cell. We visit the actual café used in the series and walk to some of the key sites which feature in the series, linking the fiction with the real stories of WW2. We end the day with free time in Brussels in the evening, where we have time for an evening meal, before returning to our hotel.
Includes Breakfast
Key Visits
Return home
Includes Breakfast
Accommodation
Hotel Horizon Ath Lessines
Providing modern guest rooms, the Horizon Ath-Lessines is situated in the area of Ghislenghien, close to the towns of Ath and Lessines.
Hotel Facilities
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General
- English Speaking Staff
- 4 Star
- Guest Lounge
- Bar
- Restaurant
- Lift
Room
- TV
- Tea and Coffee Making Facilities
- Hairdryer
- Extra Pillows and Blankets
- Safe Box
- Air Conditioning
- Fridge
- Non-Smoking Rooms Available
- Shower or Bath
- Telephone
- Free Wifi
- Iron or Trouser Press
Food & Drink
- Vegetarian Meals
- Gluten Free Menu
- Lactose or Dairy Free Menu
- Vegan Menu
Accessibility
- Disabled Rooms Available
- Wheelchair Access
Service
- Room Service Available
- 24 Hour Front Desk
- Gym
- Dogs Allowed on Request
Hotel
- English Speaking Staff
- Guest Lounge
- Bar
- Restaurant
- Lift
- WiFi Available
Luxuria Coach
Stylish and modern, state-of-the-art Luxuria is the business class of coaches. Boasting comfort of the highest standard, sink into the deluxe armchair-style seats, stretch out with much more space around you, and enjoy a vast choice of entertainment on your personal touch-screen TV.
Luxuria Features
- Deluxe armchair-style seats with leather exterior, central arm rests* with cup holders, adjustable headrests and retractable calf rests on most seats to give you a more comfortable journey.
*Face to face seats are forward and rear facing with a table and will not have a calf rest. - Every seat has its own, fully interactive, touch-screen TV offering a wide choice of entertainment so you can control what you want to watch and when.
- There’s a selection of double and single seats, including six face-to-face seats with tables, and five single seats which are ideal for passengers travelling independently.
- Plug sockets and USB points at each seat mean you can keep your devices fully charged throughout your journey.
- Onboard toilet.
Silver Service Coach
More than simply your method of transport, Silver Service offers a coach with added comfort and facilities, such as deluxe reclining seats with leather headrests, an onboard entertainment system, and a spacious rear lounge so you can socialise with your fellow passengers.
Silver Service Features
- Specially designed reclining seats, with leather headrests, footrests and extra legroom.
- A spacious rear lounge where you can relax, socialise and get to know your fellow passengers.
- Our onboard entertainment and satellite navigation system makes your journey fly by.
- Free personal headphones mean you can tune into the music channel, listen to the radio or watch DVDs being played by your crew.
- Personal tables so you can enjoy your refreshments in comfort as you take in the passing scenery.
Departure Dates
