Oosterbeek begins Airborne Month and 79th commemorative walk

The Airborne Month has officially commenced at the Airborne Museum in Oosterbeek, marked by a ceremony involving mayors, child mayors, and veterans. To honor the month, flags from the participating municipalities of Renkum, Overbetuwe, Ede, and Arnhem are being flown at the museum throughout September.

This year’s commemorations include the 79th Airborne Wandeltocht, scheduled for September 5. Recognized as the world’s largest single-day commemorative walk, the event honors the soldiers who fell during the Battle of Arnhem in September 1944, specifically the British and Polish troops buried at the Airborne Cemetery in Oosterbeek.

The walk offers participants routes of 10, 15, 25, and 40 kilometers through historical landscapes such as the Veluwezoom forests and the former Hotel Hartenstein. The event draws tens of thousands of participants from around the world to reflect on war, freedom, and connection.