I’d love to take a tour that stops at several(?) strategic Rhine River WWII bridge crossings, preferably with on-board seminars/presentations on what made each bridge & crossing important in the larger campaign to force Germany’s surrender. Wondering if such a edu-travel already opportunity exists or if I need to DIY it….Thanks!
Posted by
Greeley, co, usa
3105 posts
There is a museum in Remagen. Watch the movie The Bridge at Remagen before you go if you haven’t already
Posted by
Lexington, KY (formerly Southeast US)
4793 posts
I think this is probably a DIY endeavor. The only intact bridge the Allies crossed during WWII was the Ludendorff Bridge at Remagen. Twin stone towers used as guard towers on both sides of the river are the only remains of the bridge. As noted above, a Peace Museum is located in the towers on the west side of the river.
The other bridge crossings were made by floating bridges constructed by Allied engineers. At Wesel a railway bridge remains that was detonated by the Wehrmacht as Allied troops approached the bridge.
Posted by
Frankfurt, Germany
9857 posts
I had met some people quite a few years ago who had a local historian helping them with some historical crossings of the Rhein farther south, I think around Oppenheim. There were several locations that he took them to.
I helped with the crossing the Army did in Frankfurt. Their father was a US Army Corp of Engineers Captain who thought of a unique way of fixing the bridge overnight. They built a piece on wheels, rolled it down the street to the bridge and then fit it in. They fixed the bridge well enough overnight for the troops to cross the next day. (All the bridges over the Main in Frankfurt had been bombed by the Nazis.) I had his diary pages so it was up to me to figure out the where and how.
Get in touch with the TI in some of these towns and see if they have someone local who can help. This is a niche tour market and might be tough to find someone, but there is sure to be an historian that can help.
Posted by
Somewhere out there
219 posts
I’ve been to Remagen and Oppenheim. Remagen is a visual site and Oppenheim is simply a location on the Rhine with a small monument on the east bank. (Patton urinated in the river near here) You should read up on the Allied advance to cross the Rhine or the visuals are meaningless. There are out of print books containing campaign maps that reflect numerous crossing points along the Rhine by Commonwealth, American and French forces. Some American battlefield tours touch on the crossing(s).
Contacting local TI offices may be helpful but I did most of my exploration in the Rhine region on my own. It’s nice countryside to explore and after a day on battlefields there’s always a good meal waiting you somewhere.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32712 posts
I'm not aware of any organized tours of the Rhine bridges, but there may certainly be some? The most significant bridge (IMO) is the Ludendorff Bridge at Remagen, and that's easily toured on your own. Many of the other bridges had been demolished by the Nazis prior to the arrival of the allies.
As I recall it's a bit of a walk from the rail station to the Museum, perhaps 20 minutes or so but mostly level. I found this information online....
"The Peace Museum Bridge at Remagen (Friedensmuseum Brücke von Remagen) is open daily from March 23 to October 31. It operates Monday from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM and Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Extended summer hours (until 6:00 PM) apply between May and September 1."
I suppose the movie provides a somewhat accurate account, but it's undoubtedly "dramatized" to some extent by Hollywood. You could also check some books which are likely more accurate.....
- The Bridge at Remagen by Ken Hechler
- Remagen 1945: Endgame against the Third Reich by Steven J. Zaloga
- Signal Corps Chronicles: The Remagen Bridgehead by Joey van Meesen