The day after Bastogne: a family from Atlanta in the Meuse valley

Last Wednesday, at 08:00, I picked up Julie B., her husband Randy and their adult daughter at The Hoxton in Brussels. They came from Atlanta. They were my first guests from there.

They were at the end of a long trip. Before Brussels, they had cycled from the Netherlands to Bruges with Backroads. They rode into Bruges along a canal that Napoleon built. The day before our day, they spent a full day in Bastogne on the Battle of the Bulge, with a specialist guide. The morning after, they flew home.

This post is about what made their day their own. For the route itself, read our guide to Dinant and the Meuse valley.

How the day came about

This day did not start with a long exchange of mails. Their travel advisor in the US found it on Viator and suggested it. Julie read the description in the middle of planning a wedding. She knew they were going to Dinant. She did not know how the rest of the day would be filled.

Randy enjoys military history, mostly the European side of the Second World War. That is why Julie had booked the Bastogne day. Our day was the region around Dinant: the river, the castles, the food and the beer, and one stop on the Battle of the Bulge.

Coffee by the Lesse

The morning started at the viewpoint over Château de Walzin, with coffee by the Lesse and the castle on its cliff in view.

They told me later that neither the coffee nor the lunch felt rushed. There was time to hear about the chocolate, the biscuits and the beer. They also liked the stories of my family behind the food, and that I chose each thing for them instead of offering options.

A sandwich for lunch

Lunch was a traditional sandwich, with beer. When I asked Randy what he liked about the day, that was the part he named. Julie said the portions were more than enough, even for the biggest eaters from America.

Randy’s day at Celles

Before Celles we stopped at Château de Vêves, the castle with the drawbridge. On the way from there, Julie said this was Randy’s day, because he would get to see a tank.

Celles is where the German advance in the Battle of the Bulge got furthest. A German tank still stands at the edge of the village. We got out and read the plate together. Then we walked into the village, to the church.

Leffe, and a beer from my brother

The last stop was Maison Leffe in Dinant. Then we drove back to Brussels. At The Hoxton, I gave them my brother’s beer to take home: Nen Echten, a hoppy blond IPA. Objectively the best beer in the world, even though it is my brother’s.

A day like this

It suits a family of adults who want one long day across a whole region. That means a river, castles, beer and a piece of war history. It also works as a last full day, after a specialist day somewhere else. Julie said the day showed them the Dinant region, not only Dinant. She also said it was as much about how I see my own country as about the sights.

It is a long day. The route is about 450 km round trip. Three adults were comfortable in my car. Four adults on a day this long would be too tight, Randy said.

It does not suit someone who wants a full battlefield day. I am not a military historian. For that, a specialist day like their Bastogne day is the better choice, and this day pairs well with it.

What would a day like this cost today? Read what a private day in Belgium costs, and what is in it.

If your group has its own mix of interests, tell us who is coming.