Belgium and Germany October/November 2025
Most years we try to spend Autumn in the Moselle Valley, one of our favourite places. This year we were a little later getting there. We also decided to spend a little while longer in Belgium before getting there.
We left home after lunch on 6th August and had a quick run down to Folkestone. We stayed overnight at The Valiant Sailor (Brit Stop), had dinner there and met up with our eldest daughter. Next morning we arrived at the ferry port in Dover early and were put on an earlier boat. As a result we had a second breakfast rather than lunch!
Arriving in Calais sooner than expected we had a good drive across France and overnighted at Lennik in Belgium, on an aire by the sports field.
Our plan was to visit Waterloo. We had tried a couple of times before but to no avail. Last year we were heading there in Spring when it started to snow heavily. This time we only had rain!
We had details of two aires near to the site of the 1815 Battle but we failed to find one and the second was inaccessible due to road works so we continued to the site and found that we could stay overnight on the car park at the Butte du Lyon. Had a wander round the site but decided to wait until the morning so that we could have longer in Memorial Museum.
We left home after lunch on 6th August and had a quick run down to Folkestone. We stayed overnight at The Valiant Sailor (Brit Stop), had dinner there and met up with our eldest daughter. Next morning we arrived at the ferry port in Dover early and were put on an earlier boat. As a result we had a second breakfast rather than lunch!
Arriving in Calais sooner than expected we had a good drive across France and overnighted at Lennik in Belgium, on an aire by the sports field.
Our plan was to visit Waterloo. We had tried a couple of times before but to no avail. Last year we were heading there in Spring when it started to snow heavily. This time we only had rain!
We had details of two aires near to the site of the 1815 Battle but we failed to find one and the second was inaccessible due to road works so we continued to the site and found that we could stay overnight on the car park at the Butte du Lyon. Had a wander round the site but decided to wait until the morning so that we could have longer in Memorial Museum.
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We decided not to tackle the 225 steps to the top of the Butt du Lyon, instead taking the shuttle bus out to La Ferme d'Hougoumont. The fortified farm was famous for being the site of intense fighting, where Allied forces, especially the British Guards, fiercely defended it against repeated French attacks, making it a decisive "battle within a battle" that Wellington credited with his victory. A sound and light show in the farm described the events of the day. The rain came on heavier whilst we were on the shuttle bus with only a plastic covering to shelter us. Fortunately by the time we had visited the farm it had cleared up a bit.
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From Waterloo we headed to Bastogne to visit the site of the Battle of the Bulge. En route we stopped at Givet in France, staying overnight on the well appointed aire situated on the banks of the river Meuse and wandering into the beautiful historic town with its 16th century citadel high above and a toll tower on the waterfront.
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A short drive through the beautiful deciduous woodlands of the Ardennes took us to the small historic town of Bouillon. Here the Semois river has formed a deeply incised bend where a medieval castle sits proudly on the hilltop.
Finally, before reaching Bastogne, we visited Orval Abbey. The abbey you see today is the third. In 1070 Benedictine monks built a church on the site, by 1131 this church was expanded and became a cistercian monastery. In 1793 troops of the French Revolution destroyed the abbey and it lay in waste until it was rebuilt in 1926 by Cistercian-Trappist monks.
Finally, before reaching Bastogne, we visited Orval Abbey. The abbey you see today is the third. In 1070 Benedictine monks built a church on the site, by 1131 this church was expanded and became a cistercian monastery. In 1793 troops of the French Revolution destroyed the abbey and it lay in waste until it was rebuilt in 1926 by Cistercian-Trappist monks.
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Bastogne war museum was incredible. An audio guide featuring four people involved in the conflict led us dramatically through the build up to the encircling of the town by German units and how the inhabitants of the area resisted the advance. The final area of the museum -Generation 45 - told the story of the main events since the end of WW2, the film bringing back many memories of events which had taken place in our lifetime.
Our entry ticket allowed us to stay overnight on the museum car park so next day we visited the Bastogne War Rooms were General McAuliffe uttered his famous response "NUTS" in response to the German demand to surrender. We then drove to the Bois Jacques battlefield where the fox holes dug by the GI's of Easy Company can still be seen.
Our entry ticket allowed us to stay overnight on the museum car park so next day we visited the Bastogne War Rooms were General McAuliffe uttered his famous response "NUTS" in response to the German demand to surrender. We then drove to the Bois Jacques battlefield where the fox holes dug by the GI's of Easy Company can still be seen.
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From Bastogne we headed into Luxembourg. Our route took us through pretty villages, past hill top castles and along narrow twisting roads. We stopped at the tiny picturesque village of Esch-sur-Süre, which was situated on a loop of the river. A ruined 10th-13th C castle sits atop a steep knoll. We attempted to stop at the picturesque village of Vianden where, perched on the hill above, was a vast castle complex which was restored in the 20th century but the tiny car park was full.
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Stayed overnight at Camping Gritt, Ingeldorf, on the banks of the river Sauer, before heading to Germany and the Moselle valley.
We spent the next three weeks gently driving along the banks of the Moselle, visiting lots of places we know and love, staying on stellplatz beside the river and taking gentle strolls along the river bank, through the vineyards and around the pretty little villages. We enjoyed bratwurst mit pommes, apfelkuchen and ice cream.
We spent the next three weeks gently driving along the banks of the Moselle, visiting lots of places we know and love, staying on stellplatz beside the river and taking gentle strolls along the river bank, through the vineyards and around the pretty little villages. We enjoyed bratwurst mit pommes, apfelkuchen and ice cream.
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The weather was getting colder and wetter. Time to head back home. It had taken us two weeks to get to Germany this time, we used to do it in a day when we were working and had less time! We took three days to get back to Calais. We don't do long drives anymore. Our final stop in France was the aire in Arques followed by shopping for cheese, beer and wine. Very few passengers apart from lorry drivers on the ferry to Dover. A good drive back home with very little traffic, even the Dartford crossing was fairly quiet.