It is famous for the part it played in the Battle of the Bulge in 1944 during World War II.
On December 21, 1944, the German Army surrounded the city, trapping the U.S. 101st Airborne Division and other units. The 101st's defense of Bastogne was credited with slowing up the Germans' push for the port of Antwerp, until the city was reached by General Patton's Third Army on December 26.
When the advancing Germans demanded surrender from the American forces garrisoned there, the response of General Anthony McAuliffe was terse -- "Nuts!"
The ensuing siege leveled the town, but Bastogne never fell, and as a result the Germans were slowed enough for allied reinforcements to arrive and deny them their ultimate objective of Antwerp. A museum commemorates the battle.
Bastogne Museum - Mardasson memorial / Mémorial du Mardasson
This is the most important of all the 'Battle of the Bulge' museums. It is located outside of Bastogne, in the southern part of Belgium. Monument built by the Belgian-American friendship organization to remember the 76.890 American soldiers, killed or missing or wounded. The building forms a star with 5 arms and is 12 m high. The names of 48 US-states in bronze characters encircle the top.
This fascinating museum displays a unique collection of uniforms, vehicles and weapons that belonged to the divisions which were involved in the battle. In the center of the museum is a presentation with slides that show the different movements of the troupes. The showpiece is the 24 minute movie compiled with footage that was shot during the battle.
The museum also has a nice gift shop.
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