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Landing Beaches

Planning a trip to Normandy? A visit to the D-Day beaches is a must, as this event left such a lasting impression on the region!

From Utah to Sword Beach, the D-Day beaches bear poignant witness to the June 6, 1944 landings that helped liberate France, the largest operation of all time. Inherited from a tragic history, but whose outcome put an end to the war, the D-Day landing beaches will be a highlight of your stay in Normandy. Located in the departments of Manche and Calvados, the D-Day landing beaches stretch for several kilometers between Sainte-Marie-du-Mont and Ouistreham.

D-Day Beaches: find out everything you need to know below to explore this land of history!

The Normandy landings in a nutshell!

The aim of the Normandy landings was to retake German-occupied France. On June 6, 1944, the Normandy landing beaches went down in history as the site of the famous sea landing by Allied forces to liberate France. American, British, Canadian and French soldiers landed on the beaches of Normandy as part of Operation OVERLORD.

The landings took place on 5 beaches, each with its own code name:

Utah Beach (Sainte-Marie-du-Mont to Quinéville) – American sector
Omaha Beach (Vierville-sur-Mer to Colleville-sur-Mer) – American sector
Gold Beach (Asnelles to Ver-sur-Mer) – British sector
Juno Beach (Bernières-sur-Mer to Courseulles-sur-Mer) – Canadian sector
Sword Beach (Hermanville-sur-Mer to Colleville-Montgomery) – Franco-British sector

Even today, millions of people come every year to pay homage to the soldiers who liberated France.

Come and visit these emotionally-charged places!

There are many places of remembrance. Beaches, cemeteries, museums… here are some ideas for visiting the D-Day landing beaches!

American sector of UTAH BEACH

Utah Beach Landing Museum: this museum, located in Sainte-Marie-du-Mont, is built on the site where American troops landed on June 6, 1944.It recounts all the events of D-Day, from the preparation of the assault to its successful conclusion. Through films, eyewitness accounts, collections of objects, vehicles and equipment, you can immerse yourself in the history of the D-Day landings. You can also catch a glimpse of an authentic American B-26 Marauder bomber.

> Further information: https: //utah-beach.com/

The Airborne Museum : located in Sainte-Mère-Eglise, opposite the bell tower from which John Steele hung for a few hours. The museum’s exceptional museography will take you back in time to the D-Day landings alongside American paratroopers. You’ll discover a collection of historical objects, see an authentic glider, and also a C-47 aircraft. Experience the first days of the Battle of Normandy.

> Further information: https: //www.airborne-museum.org/

The D-Day Experience: located in Saint-Côme-du-Mont, this museum takes you back to life under the German occupation, where you can take a seat aboard a real C-47 aircraft transformed into a flight simulator to relive the crossing of the English Channel.

> Further information: https: //dday-experience.com/

The Azeville Battery: a former German defensive site, now in ruins, visit the battery and its 300 m of underground passageways on your own, thanks to an audio-guided tour: casemate architecture, the Battle of Azeville, daily life.

Hangar à Dirigeables: Located in the commune of Ecausseville, this military building was originally built to house the airships used to spot submarines during the 1914-1918 war, and later served as a naval artillery school.Between 1967 and 1969 (Cold War), the site was used as a base for building balloons for nuclear testing.

The World War II Museum: located in Quinéville, this museum will take you through the whole of WW2, from occupation to D-Day. You can walk through a street reconstructed under the occupation, and see exceptional photo collections. A museum for the whole family, unique in France.

> Further information: https: //worldwar2-museum.com/

American sector of OMAHA BEACH

La Pointe du Hoc: a strategic point of German fortifications, this site today features the remains of the German artillery battery, and traces of the fierce fighting that took place here on June 6 and 7, 1944, costing the lives of 135 Rangers. Free to visit.

Omah Beach Memorial Museum: This museum, in the commune of Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer, presents an impressive collection of uniforms, personal objects, weapons, vehicles, photographs, films and testimonials from American veterans. Child-friendly museum.

> Further information: https: //www.musee-memorial-omaha.com/

The Liberation Museum : the first house liberated by the Americans in Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer on the morning of June 6, 1944.

The Musée Mémorial de la Bataille de Normandie, in Bayeux: this memorial retraces the 77 days of fighting in the Battle of Normandy from June 7 to August 29, 1944.

La Cambe German Military Cemetery: the final resting place of some 21,300 German soldiers.

Normandy American Cemetery: a place of remembrance in Colleville-sur-Mer, where the perfectly aligned headstones of fallen soldiers are laid to rest.

British sector of GOLD BEACH

The Musée du Débarquement (D-Day Museum) at Arromanches: the first place of remembrance to open to the public in 1954 to commemorate D-Day and the Battle of Normandy. Built on the site of the British artificial harbour, the museum recounts the importance of the port in the Battle. It features an essential collection of objects, archive films, models and a 3D animation with commentary.

> Further information: https: //www.musee-arromanches.fr/

Arromanches 360 circular cinema: located on the heights of Arromanches, it overlooks the remains of the artificial harbour built by the Allies. For 20 minutes, on 9 circular screens, you can immerse yourself in the terrible Battle of Normandy with the film “The 100 Days of Normandy”.

The German battery at Longues-sur-Mer: an exceptional panorama of the D-Day beaches. A major work of the Atlantic Wall, this battery remains one of the most spectacular sites, with its 4 casemates still housing the original cannons.

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Canadian sector of JUNO BEACH and Franco-British sector of SWORD BEACH

The Juno Beach Centre at Courseulles: on the beach where the Canadians landed in June 1944, the Juno Beach Centre presents the role played by Canada in the Second World War through an exhibition of texts, photos, audiovisual and audio testimonies, maps, objects and film. There’s also a children’s trail for the whole family to explore.

The Pegasus Memorial in Ranville: presents the various missions that the British 6th Airborne Division had to carry out on the night of June 5-6, 1944. Numerous objects steeped in history, photos, historical and moving memories of the liberation of the region are on display in this museum. The Bénouville Bridge, better known as the Pegasus Bridge, is on display in the museum grounds.

> Further information: https: //musee.memorial-pegasus.com/

Musée de la Batterie de Merville: located between Ouistreham and Cabourg, this historic site offers an educational tour of the battery’s operation, the role of each bunker and the attack at dawn on June 6, 1944.

> Further information: http: //www.batterie-merville.com/

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