Europe 2015: Battlefield Crawl - McWhiney History Education Group

Bear-Leader Tours Present
Europe 2015:
Battlefield Crawl
Bear-Leader Tours is a program of the McWhiney History Education Group, a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization.
Fly to Paris and join us on June 11,
2015, for a thirteen-day tour of sites of
major importance to the creation and
perpetuation of Western Civilization.
Come early or stay late!
Tour Leader:
Dr. Donald S. Frazier
President and CEO
Day One: Thursday, June 11
Bring your gear to the rendezvous hotel, then power through jet lag by
seeing some of the landmark sites of the city including the Louvre, Eiffel
Tower, Les Invalids (Musée de la Armée), and other places of legend
and lore.
Louvre
Eiffel Tower during WWII
Musée de la Armée
Day Two: Friday, June 12
Load up early and head to Versailles for a tour of the massive palace
and grounds that reveal the grandeur of heroic France. From there, we
travel to Falaise in Normandy and visit the castle ruins of William the
Bastard, later William the Conqueror, who brought Norman domination
to Saxon England and cultivated the roots of our culture and our language.
Falaise Chateau
Versailles
Normandy countryside
Day Three: Saturday, June 13
Up early, we visit the Bayeux Tapestry, a graphic portrayal
of the Norman invasion of England. From there, we will
study another invasion that changed the world—D Day,
1944. Visit German coastal batteries that once formed the
Atlantic Wall, visit the American cemetery, and walk the
sands of Omaha Beach where American soldiers stormed
ashore to roll back the Nazi menace.
D-Day: June 6, 1944
Atlantic Wall
Bayeux Tapestry
Day Four: Sunday, June 14
Travel to the American airborne drop zones and see where intrepid US
troops caused havoc among the German defenders and helped secure
the lanes of invasion behind Utah Beach. We will also take a look at several important battlefields where American troops fought their way
through the hedgerows before breaking out in Operation Cobra.
Utah Beach
St. Mere Eglise
Day Five: Monday, June 15
Road trip! We leave Normandy behind and make our way toward
Bruges, Belgium. En route we visit the British World War I battlefields along the Somme River, as well as the 1415 battlefield of Agincourt fought between the French and English during the 100 Years
War.
We will stay in or near Bruges for two nights in a comfortable hotel.
Bruges
The Somme during WWI
Battle of Agincourt
Day Six: Tuesday, June 16
World War I enthusiasts will get a chance to visit the battlefields
around Ypres and Passchendaele. If trenches and battlefields
aren’t your thing, another day in Bruges will still be time well spent!
Trenches near Ypres
Belgian countryside
Shop in Bruges
Day Seven: Wednesday, June 17
We will travel to Waterloo to visit the 1815 battlefield near the 200th
Anniversary of Napoleon’s desperate bid to regain his empire. Then,
we press on to the German city of Trier on the River Moselle.
We will spend two nights in a comfortable hotel in Trier.
Bruges
Market
Waterloo
Day Eight: Thursday, June 18
Trier, the summer capital of the late Roman Empire and
once home to Constantine I, the first Christian emperor, is
the center of the Moselle Wine region. Visit the various
historic sites and museums in town or stroll, shop, and
sample the local wine and beer. That night, be ready for
an exquisite meal at the world-famous Becker.
Trier
Day Nine: Friday, June 19
Load up and travel the same roads as the American and German
armies from World War II as they fought the titanic struggle known
as The Battle of the Bulge. Visit museums, foxholes, and strategic
towns like Clervaux and Bastogne as we reconstruct the horrible
winter days of that pivotal campaign.
Clervaux
Battle of the Bulge
Bastogne
Day Ten: Saturday, June 20
Road trip! We leave Trier and head to the American Cemetery at St.
Mihel where the dead from the first American campaign in World War I
lay buried. From here, we will visit the horrific battleground of Verdun
where, in 1916, German and French forces fought a ten-month death
struggle for the future of Europe.
We will spend the next two nights in a Château or comfortable hotel in
the Champagne Region of France.
Verdun, 1916
Verdun, Present Day
St. Mihiel
Day Eleven: Sunday, June 21
Take a tour of the American Meuse-Argonne Battlefields from World
War I, the American Cemetery at Romagne, and the impressive
Vauban fortification at Montmédy.
American Cemetery
Montmédy
US Tank during WWI
Day Twelve: Monday, June 22
We end the trip with a tour of Champagne estates and
caves, learn something of the ancient art of crafting this
icon of celebrations, enjoy a gourmet meal, then make our
way back to overnight in Paris.
Champagne Region
Day Thirteen: Tuesday, June 23
Make your way home, or stick around Paris
awhile to visit places on your own.
McWhiney History Education Group
Bear-Leader Tours
410 Appleton
P.O. Box 818
Buffalo Gap, Texas 79508
325-572-3974
www.buffalogap.com
[email protected]