The one incredible city every WW2 fan needs to visit according to Al Murray

Comedian Al Murray has revealed the one destination that every World War Two enthusiast should visit - and it's a place steeped in history, heroism and heartbreak. The Pub Landlord star says Arnhem, in the Netherlands, remains one of the most remarkable cities he's ever travelled to, thanks to its deep connection to the British-led Operation Market Garden - one of the most daring and ill-fated missions of the war. Al first visited Arnhem with his father as a teenager, while working on a school history project about the infamous battle.

He said his interest began after watching A Bridge Too Far and discovering that his father had served in the 131 (Parachute) Regiment, Royal Engineers, alongside several men who fought there. "So one fine spring day Dad and I headed to the coast, caught a ferry to Holland, and from there made our way to Arnhem, a 90-minute drive from Amsterdam," he told the Daily Mail. "He walked me through the battlefield, both in Arnhem and Oosterbeek, the leafy nearby village where the last phase of the action took place, pointing out where key events happened."

The pair also visited the Airborne Museum, housed in the former Hartenstein Hotel - once the British 1st Airborne Division's HQ - as well as Oosterbeek's Airborne Cemetery, where more than 1,700 Allied soldiers are buried. "It was a very moving experience," Al said.

"It was also a chance for me and my Dad to 'bond' and get closer. Oh, and I got to drink a refreshing cold cider at a local pub, the first time alcohol had passed my lips."

Now, decades later, Al still finds the story of Operation Market Garden - "a doomed attempt to shorten the war which saw the biggest parachute drop in history" - as compelling as ever.

He returned to Arnhem last autumn with his We Have Ways podcast co-host James Holland to mark the anniversary of the battle.

"Going in September is a particularly special time to visit the city, and nearby Oosterbeek," Al said. "Every other house is flying a maroon and sky blue Pegasus flag - the 1st Airborne Division's standard - in the run-up to the anniversary commemorations."

He described the annual events as "poignant", with parachute drops, parades, and services at the cemetery, where Dutch schoolchildren tend to the soldiers' graves year-round.

As Al put it: "All too often us Brits see WWII, with the exception of the Blitz, as something that happened 'over there'. Whereas for the Dutch the war was something that happened on their home soil, and they remember in a more visceral way."

Urging history lovers to make the trip, he added that Arnhem is "a very pleasant place with some very agreeable hostelries serving excellent Dutch beer."

And for those still unsure, the comedian recalled what the city's mayor told him on his last visit: "The Battle of Arnhem is our modern foundation story in the same way that Dunkirk is yours, and despite the operation failing we'll forever be grateful to those who gave their lives in a bid to free us from Nazi tyranny."