Themed route

The war in Arnhem

The Netherlands

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Type

Hiking

Distance

6.48 km

This walk goes through the center of Arnhem and brings the Battle of Arnhem (September 1944) to life. 24 small "Vectors of Memory" are placed on the pavement along the route.

It is September 1944. Arnhem has been occupied by Nazi Germany for four years. The Allied advance has begun, but the front is far away in France. The storm of war seems to be passing Arnhem by.

The war in Arnhem 

Then Operation Market Garden erupted. The largest airborne operation the world has ever seen. Allied troops tried to seize the bridges over the major rivers in one fell swoop. This includes the bridges at Arnhem. The city suddenly becomes a grim front area. There is fighting from house to house. After the fighting, nearly 100,000 people leave their homes in a great hurry. Operation Market Garden comes to a halt and Arnhem is left as a ghost town.

Sites and stories along the route