Netherlands (Winter 2023) - Arnhem (Day 4)
Amsterdam Central Train Station
Arnhem Central Train Station
The Arnhem train station surprised me a bit. It was very modern with curved walls and ceilings. I was expecting some little brick station house depot but this was definitely impressive in its styling.
The Bridge Too Far
The bridge has since been rebuilt with the same styling as the original. The original was destroyed during the war in bombings after the battle.
Arnhem Bridge (John Frost Bridge)
The reason I wanted to come to Arnhem was to see the “bridge too far.” It is one of my favorite war movies (and books).
It tells the story of Field Marshall Montgomery’s terrible plan to try to end WWII early. They dropped the entire Allied airborne army (Americans, Brits, and the Poles) behind enemy lines and then tried to drive a tank army up a single road to link up with the bridges that the paratroopers were supposed to secure.
Long story short - a lot of things went wrong and a lot of Allied troops died and a lot of heroics were wasted on a bad plan.
The small group of troops that made it to the last bridge (Arnhem) had to hold out for several days with machine guns against German tanks until they ran out of ammunition and retreated or got captured. The bridge is now named after the commander of the small group of British airborne that made it to the bridge and defended the one side that they captured. John Frost himself was injured and captured by the Germans during the battle.
The Airborne Museum at the Bridge
This is free to enter and they have exhibits and docents describing the battle of Arnhem.
They also told me that there is the main museum a few miles away in Oosterbeek that has a lot more exhibits.
They still have many memorials around the bridge area commemorating the battle.
Crossing the Bridge
Walked across the bridge. The thing that the airborne troops were unable to do.
A piece of the original bridge is displayed on the other side of the river
Arnhem
One of the many tragedies of Montgomery’s plan was that it brought a lot of death and destruction to this part of the Netherlands without gaining the objective. As a result, Arnhem itself was reduced to rubble. Very few of the buildings survived the battle. The brick turret structure shown above and parts of the church were some of the few items that survived but even those were damaged and had to be rebuilt.
I think it speaks to the generosity of spirit of the Dutch that they show appreciation for the British troops through these memorials and dedications for trying to liberate them even though it brought complete destruction to their city.
Arnhem now is actually a great little town. The town was bustling during the holidays. There were a lot of locals walking the around the city’s commercial center even in the misty rain. There was a lively farmers market happening in the square behind the old church building.
Dames & Heren - Arnhem
This shop was located just off the square where the farmers market was happening. The two guys working were super friendly and served up some hot drinks and sandwiches which were perfect for a chilly wet day outside.
Oranje Koffiehius - Arnhem
I was searching for old bars in Arnhem. Everything is about 70-80 years old because the town was rubble after the battle. This place has been a cafe/bar for about as long as anything else around here. I guess this is what would be described as a brown bar but it has a more refined feel than the other brown bars I went to in Amsterdam. The bar was rather calm that day with locals enjoying an early afternoon tipple. The barman was super friendly and accommodating.
Het Shiereiland - Arnhem
As we wandered around the central commercial district here, we searched out for another bar. This place was a bar & restaurant with a full menu. Got some wine to switch it up a bit. This was a fairly large space and a nice atmosphere.
Back in Amsterdam
Back in Amsterdam for the night. The few bars we tried to visit were just too crowded so we just wandered around the streets around the Leidseplein neighborhood for a while and got another snack at De Prins before turning in for the evening.