Forests of the Ardennes
Forests of the Ardennes.
Between Maastricht and Bastogne, we traveled through the Ardennes region of Belgium. The Ardennes is a hilly region of thick forests and was the scene of heavy fighting in World War I and World War II. In August 1914, the German army advanced into Belgium though the Ardennes--an unexpected move owing to the forests and that Belgium was officially a neutral nation. In December 1944-January 1945, the Battle of the Bulge was a surprise German counteroffensive through the forests in winter weather. Today the forests remain in this rural part of Belgium, often obscuring views from the A26 Autoroute.
"...the Forest of Ardennes, a wild, mountainous district, affording many picturesque views".--Baedeker 1910.
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Belgium became independent from the Netherlands in 1830 and was occupied by Germany during World Wars I and II. It has prospered in the past half century as a modern, technologically advanced European state and member of NATO and the EU. Tensions bet... ... read more 
