- Attractions
- Monument
A remembrance site, only a stone's throw from the French border, where Adolf Hitler stayed during the Second World War.
The little village of Brûly-de-Pesche, in the South of the Province of Namur, was chosen to be Hitler's headquarters for three weeks in June 1940. The site was ideally located, only a few kilometres from France, nestled in a woodland. From there Hitler orchestrated the battle of France from 6 June onwards. Also known as the Wolf's Gorge (Wolfsschlucht), the site still bears the scars of Hitler's stay and has the original concrete bunker, as well as two reconstructed Bavarian-style chalets in which the Fuhrer stayed.
The exhibit
The two chalets are now exhibition centres. One of the buildings has a 20-minute film about Hitler's arrival and photographs charting the German occupation of the area. The other chalet is dedicated to the local resistance effort. Thanks to modern exhibiting techniques, touch screens, videos, films and educational signs in three languages (French, Dutch and English), the exhibition gets right to the core of events that took place here all those years ago. Numerous objects and accounts from the locals, resistance fighters or descendants, complete the exhibition.
The resistance
In July 1943, the Special Operations Executive formulated a Sabotage Mission aimed at 'military harassment' of the occupying Germans. This became a resistance movement called 'Groupe D, Service Hotton', operating in the forest near Chimay. Ironically, the group ended up very near Hitler's former HQ at Brûly-de-Pesche. Their reconstructed ‘Cagna’ (or forest shelter) can be found near the bunker. Look out for panels throughout the village, retracing the story of Brûly-de-Pesche and its inhabitants.
Contact
Equipement
Shop - Car parking - Parking
Visites
Guide available/groups - German - EN - FR - NL