New war museum opens in Belgium

The Bastogne War Museum, a new museum dedicated to the Second World War, opened its doors to the public on Saturday, March 22. The museum is located at the foot of the Mardasson Memorial, which honours the memory of the 76,890 American soldiers who were wounded or killed during the Battle of the Bulge.

The new museum takes the place of the former Bastogne Historical Center, in a space that is now completely refurbished and includes a new extension. Spread over two floors, a timeline of events covers a ten-year period beginning with the pre-war years, followed by the invasion in 1940 and the liberation in 1944, as well as the period from December 1944 until the end of the war.

The museum’s modern architectural style allows enough space to include a number of tanks within the exhibition space and three rooms with Scenovisions, 3D animated scenes for greater visual impact.

In addition to the permanent exhibition, the Bastogne War Museum will also host a number of events and temporary exhibitions. More than 100,000 visitors are expected annually.