Very few countries have a history free of involvement in war, be it civil war or at the global scale. It is therefore not surprising that many places which have witnessed extraordinary occurences of war are of increasing interest to the weary traveler looking for a more meaningful experience than plastic Eiffel Towers and “I Love New York” t-shirts.

Europe is full of battle sites from World War I and II ranging from the battlefields of Flanders and the D-Day landing beaches of Normandy, to the Nazi Concentration Camp of Auschwitz - Birkenau in Poland. A popular pilgrimage for Australians and New Zealanders is Gallipoli’s ANZAC cove in Turkey, where on April 25 thousands converge to pay their respects to the fallen soldiers of the bloodbath at the site in 1915.

The most visited attraction in Hawaii for Americans is the Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor, while in Singapore a visit to the Changi Museum where POW’s were held during the Japanese occupation is a sobering experience. Most visitors to Thailand include a trip to the Bridge on the River Kwai. For me a visit to the JEATH war museum and the Allied Forces cemeteries on the way to see the “Death Railway” was an incredibly moving experience. The beauty and tranquility of the area hides unimaginable past horrors and torment.

Possibly the most confronting of all war sites is Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park in Japan. Built to commemorate the atomic bomb blast of 1945, the memorial stands as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and as a constant reminder of the need for vigilance in a rapidly developing world.

It’s not just about the world wars though, many nations preserve the site of civil battles in order to honor those who gave their lives in the quest for freedom. The Zulu’s first took on the British Empire on Natal Battlefields of South Africa, and in the United States tours to Gettysburg are available from Washington DC and Pennsylvania, while any visitor to San Antonio is bound to stop for a visit of The Alamo.

Be it global conflict or domestic dispute, for anyone who does visit these historic places, be warned, it can be an emotional experience that leaves you physically, emotionally and mentally drained by the end of the day. These are not the places you come back from with a bag full of souvenirs and a hundred funny stories to tell, but you will bring home a renewed sense of patriotism and respect for the past generations who have courageously put lives on the line to defend their nation and our future.

- Kerrie O’Mahony

This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 14th, 2007 at 2:33 pm and is filed under Asia, Destinations, Europe, USA, Canada, Mexico. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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