Anyone with an interest in the Second World War will find a wealth of things to experience with a river cruise, including some of the most famous sites of the war. River cruises offer the ideal chance to see famous locations, providing a thought-provoking insight into the reality of the time. Take a look through 10 places linked to the war you can see as part of a cruise:
Normandy
The Normandy beaches are some of the most famous places to be associated with the Second World War, as the landing sites of Allied forces in 1944 which saw the tide turn as the Nazis were pushed back. There is also the American Cemetery and Memorial, with the fields of white crosses providing an imposing sight.
Dresden
On an Elbe River cruise you can head to Dresden, which was heavily bombed and still shows much of the damage. You can also see the Konigstein Fortress which acted as a jail for prisoners of war. It’s an impressive hilltop fortress.
Anne Frank House
Any cruise in the Dutch and Belgian Waterways will incorporate a visit to Amsterdam, where you can see the famous Anne Frank House, where the Frank family hid from Nazis and Anne wrote her now-renowned diary.
Arnhem Bridge
Staying in the Netherlands, the Arnhem Bridge was the focal point of the Battle of Arnhem in 1944, one of the major Allied defeats in 1944 that held up the end of the war. The rebuilt bridge was named the John Frostbrug Bridge in 1977.
Berlin
As capital city of Germany, numerous sights in the city are linked to the war including the Brandenburg Gate, used as a symbol of the Nazi Party, and the Reichstag building, a major parliament location which was used for propaganda.
Luxembourg National Museum of Military History
If you’re sailing through Luxembourg on the Moselle you can head to the National Museum of Military History, which has a number of items and displays dedicated to the Battle of the Bulge, which was one of the last big offensive moves by the German forces causing heavy US casualties.
Mauthausen Concentration Camp
Danube sailings that visit Linz offer the opportunity to explore the Mauthausen Concentration Camp, with a museum and visitor centre and various memorials to those who died at the camp.
Slavin Memorial
Slavin is a monument in Bratislava, which remembers the many thousands of Soviet soldiers who died liberating the city from the Nazi occupying force in 1945. It is one of the most visited landmarks on an excursion in the city.
Nanjing Memorial
While this didn’t occur during World War II it was related, as this memorial hall remembers the Chinese that were massacred by Japanese forces in 1937. It is definitely worth a visit on any Yangtze River cruise.
Nuremberg
Nuremberg was the site of the trials following the war where officers were sentenced for their crimes. There are a number of memorials dedicated to the trials.
By Ian Lewis
Google
