Knowing we'd be in the vicinity (we were traveling from Amsterdam to Frankfurt), My husband and I…read moredecided to take a day and stop in at this cemetery to pay our tributes to one particular soldier buried here, my grandfather's cousin, Francis C. Smedley, who was KIA during WW2. First let me say that the cemetery is beautiful! It is very simple in it's layout, but it is just so clean and neat and well kept. There is a small lawn with a low stone wall at the entrance, and then a long tree lined driveway that leads to the parking lot. A large cube shaped memorial building, with a giant eagle carved on it, appears as you come out of the trees. There is a long, wide, crushed gravel path with a lawn on either side of it, that leads you to the building. Off to the sides, where this path begins, are small sidewalks. One leads to what I believe is a caretaker's building, and the other one leads to the bathrooms, and a small building where you can talk to someone who can help you find graves, and give you information about the cemetery. It is very much like a living room in this building, with a guestbook to sign and various displays about the cemetery's history and inception. The doors to the memorial building are on one side and are unlocked while the cemetery is open. The inside has very little artificial light, with most of the light coming through 2 sets of windows that span from the tops of the emergency exit doors to the ceiling. There is very little furniture inside...a couple of benches are in the main open area, and a couple of chairs as well as a couple of kneelers are in an area that is made to be like a small chapel. It is "walled off" by 2 5-6ft tall monuments depicting the insignias of the military units that fought in the area, and an equally tall set of curtain walls to provide some privacy. On the main walls, are giant maps depicting the combat and supply activities across Europe. These are made from various colors of marble and other materials. These maps are easily 10-15 feet tall and wide. They are huge, and they are stunning! Outside, on the stone pathways around the building are plaques (called Tablets of the Missing) listing the names of soldiers whose graves have never been found. Rosettes mark the names of those who have been found since the installation. On the back of the building, the insignias from the walls inside are again represented, but on a much larger scale, and in color. Here, the grounds open up and before you is a vast lawn filled with grave markers neatly arranged in rows. From the air, the layout is that of a Greek cross, but from the ground, it is equally breathtaking. There is another monument type area at the far end of the cemetery with an American flag flying, but we did not take that close of a look at it, as the emotions of where we were and why we were there started to overwhelm me. The gentleman that escorted us to Francis's grave provided both a Belgian and American flag, which we placed in front of his stone. I brought a Wisconsin flag from home, because it is the state from which he enlisted, and I was allowed to place that at his grave, as well. This was my first visit to a military cemetery and I was very impressed! This is definitely how our veterans should be honored for making such a huge sacrifice. *Something to note: I did the research...the best way to visit here is to rent a car. We stayed overnight in Brussels, picked up the car the next day, drove here and then dropped the car near the train station in Liège. The cost for the car rental was about the same as taking the train from Brussels to Liège, and there is no direct public transportation from Liège to the cemetery. The bus would have been a 2 hour ride, and would drop you about a mile from the cemetery. There aren't sidewalks in the area, so we would have been walking on the side of the road, and we had all of our luggage with us. Having a car also allowed us to stay as long as we wanted, with our luggage in the trunk. It was about an hour drive from Brussels to Liège, and another 15 minutes to the cemetery.* 21/2020

When American soldiers were making their final push towards the German border during WW II and in…read morethe process liberating Belgium, the local Belgians housed many of the GI's in their homes, only to see the same soldiers making the final sacrifice perhaps the very next day. In gratitude for giving their lives for them, the local people brought flowers to the soldiers' temporary graves, and then to cemeteries, a tradition which exists to this day at Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery. Henri-Chapelle may be the single most beautiful cemetery you will ever visit. The design is stunning, with the graves arranged in row after row, with each grave stone made of dazzling white Italian marble. And the dedication of the staff and volunteers to maintaining the grave sites is remarkable. Thanks to all who serve and have served. This review was written in gratitude for all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for freedom.

The Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery is a breathtaking sight. The history alone is fascinating and…read moretouching but the site itself is beautiful and a must see if you are in the area. The staff is very knowledgeable and extremely helpful. The site holds fallen Americans of two major efforts. One involved the First U.S. Army's drive from September through December 1944 through northern France, Belgium, Holland, and Luxembourg into Germany. The second included the Battle of the Bulge and its elimination, enabling allied forces to advance farther into Germany. We were coming to visit the SO's great uncle, who passed away during the latter effort. We arrived really late and they were closing the gates to the parking lot, but they were nice enough to direct us to park across the street so we could still visit. The manager actually went above and beyond and offered to make an appointment for us last minute to come back before the end of our trip. He explained that he could put together a family memorial service and information packet for us, We came back a week later, and he gave us a brief tour and vast amounts of information- both about the site and about the SO's relative (the path of his final days, approximately where his last battle took place, etc) along with additional resources for us to request additional documents and records. We ended the very informative tour at the headstone, where the manager cleaned the stone and performed a short but touching ceremony. The SO's parents spoke some words and his father was presented with US and Belgium flags to take home. Words can't really describe it, but it was very moving. If you are coming to visit a relative, I highly recommend scheduling an appointment in advance. What the staff and local village do here is nothing short of beautiful and amazing. The staff will take great care of you.

A very heartfelt thank you to the men and women who maintain these cemeteries and to the Dutch…read morepeople who adopt individual graves of our fallen heroes. On another cold, very wet day I once again visited. I'll probably have visited 4 to 5 times over the last 15 years on the way or leaving Maastricht where I was attending meetings. Each time I go I see new things and learn new things of the men buried there and the men and women who take care of the Cemetry. It's a beautiful place. If you can watch a uTube video on the history and the symbolism of the monuments and statues prior to going. There's free parking and restrooms available and I recommended you take the time to visit the visitor center and chat with the staff and sign the visitor's log.

The Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial is one of the finest memorial sights that you will…read moreset your eyes upon in the Netherlands. I believe if you have a love for history or appreciation for the men and women that liberated Europe, then you will find this memorial sight as one of the most impressive monuments in Europe. It was an honor for me to view the names and information of the brave men who fought in World War II. The layout of the memorial has: Memorial Tower, The Mourning Woman Statue, Court of Honor with Reflecting Pool, The Maps, The Chapel and The Crown in the Chapel. The cemetery has a rich historical background site of the Romans, Charlemagne,Charles V, Napoleon,Kaiser Whilhelm II, German troops, and US troops. At the end of your visit, please make sure to sign the guest register book commemorating these brave heroes who served in World War II. What I also found remarkable was that the people of the Netherlands continue to honors these men fallen of war, by adopting a grave. A Dutch friend of mine had showed me the grave site, and personal records of the soldier that she adopted. It was so profound to have the opportunity to review his records.

Dryers are 8 Minutes per Token. You can buy tokens from the owner inside the Cafe attached to the…read moreLaundry. They work really well, range from no heat to hot settings, and are large in size. Washers use euro coins. They also work really well and are medium in size. The owner of the Cafe also sells detergent pods. Albert Heijn supermarket is also really close. Simply exit the Laundry and make a left onto Frankenstraat. Stay on the left side of the sidewalk. Keep walking until you see an alley on your left and turn left there. Then continue walking through the alley way and then at the end, turn right.