Building on the success of its inaugural battlefield tour in 2012, the National World War I Museum is offering two new tours.
“From Liege to the Vosges” will take place from September 23 – October 2, 2013. Participants will tour through miles of landscape stretching from the Belgian Coast to the Swiss Border known as the Western Front. This tour is intended to study the topography and campaigns between 1914-18, the evolution of tactics and terrain with a focus on the achievements and experiences of the American Expeditionary Forces. Travelers will the visit the spectacular battlefields of the Vosges Mountains, the fortress city of Liege and much more.
The second tour will take place in August 2014 visiting the battlefields of Gallipoli. This walking tour incorporates the initial landings of April 25, 1915, through to the eventual evacuation in January 1916. One of the most comprehensive tours available, participants will reach seldom-visited spots via mule tracks, dried up gullies and quiet beaches of the peninsula.
Those interested in learning more about specific tour information including pricing are asked to visit www.theworldwar.org/travel.
“We are delighted at the overwhelming success of our inaugural battlefield tour to Europe and are enthusiastic about the new offerings,” says Interim President & CEO Dr. Mary Cohen. “We are pleased to be able to offer another way to connect individuals with this important time in history.”
Both tours are limited in the number of participants. The tours are hosted in conjunction with specialist tour operator Battle Honours Ltd in the United Kingdom. In addition to gaining insight from Museum staff members who will accompany the trip, there will be badged guides from the International Guild of Battlefield Guides on the tours.
Robert Inkster, one of those participating in the inaugural tour in 2012 shared his thoughts on his experience: “In ten days on the tour, we learned more of the geography, topography, strategy, tactics, and history than we could have done if we had spent two months on our own. Our guides were wonderful, convivial people—and world-class experts on the battles of the Great War. They knew the ground like we know our back yard. And they knew local people and institutions, resources that we couldn’t have found ourselves.”
