World War II and Normandy

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Some of the details on this page have been kindly supplied by Maison de la Normandie et de la Manche 

Click here to go to the official site detailing the 60th anniversary of D-Day

A veritable open-air museum, the historical area of the Battle of Normandy brings together all museums and places of interest and remembrance connected with D-Day and the ensuing offensive in the three departments of Calvados, Manche and Orne. 

Eight itineraries in chronological sequence clearly signposted “Normandy Terre-Liberté”, enable to visit or to discover this history packed places and to follow the unfolding of this huge battle on which the outcome of Second World War depended. 

Overlord-l’Assaut (the Onslaught): 70 km from Pegasus Bridge to Bayeux via Sword, Juno and Gold Beach.

D-Day-le Choc (the Impact): 130 km from Bayeux to Carentan via Omaha Beach and Saint-Lô.

Objectif un Port (Objective a Harbour): 95 km from Carentan to Cherbourg via Sainte-Mère-Église and Valognes.

L’Affrontement (the Attack): 207 km from Bénouville to Caen; this itinerary completes the first one.

Cobra-la Percée (the Breakthrough): 155 km from Cherbourg to Avranches via Coutances.

La Contre-Attaque (the Counter Attack): 162 km from Avranches to Alençon via Mortain.

L’Encerclement (the encircling movement): 145 km from Alençon to l’Aigle via Chambois and Montormel.

Le Denouement (the Outcome): 122 km from Caen to l’Aigle via Montormel and Vimoutiers.           

The D-Day Landings (main sites) 

The Pointe du Hoc: the symbol of the gallantry of the young Americans soldiers and one of the strongpoint of the German fortifications, the famous Pointe du Hoc was taken by storm by Colonel Rudder’s Ranger on the morning of 6th June.

Omaha Beach

The American Cemetery of Colleville: overlooking Omaha Beach, the American cemetery contains 9.387 perfectly aligned white crosses on a 170-acre plot, which is conducive to meditation and remembrance. A chapel and a memorial add the finishing to this moving scene.

The Battery of Longues sur Mer: this German artillery battery, which gave the Allied ships a pounding on the morning of 6^th June, is the only coastal battery to have kept its guns, giving an impressive picture of what an Atlantic Wall gun emplacement was really like.

The artificial harbour of Arromanches

Arromanches 360°: Chemin du Calvaire BP9, 14117 Arromanches ; tel.0033 2.31.22.30.30  www.arromanches360.com

Musée Mémorial de la Bataille de Normandie: Boulevard Fabian Ware, 14400 Bayeux ;

tel.0033 2.31.51.46.90

Musée Mémorial d ‘Omaha Beach: Rue de la mer, 14710 Saint laurent sur mer ; tel.0033 2.31.21.97.44  www.musee-memorial-omaha.com

Musée Airborne : 14 rue Eisenhower, 50480 Sainte-Mere-Eglise ; tel.0033 2.33.41.41.35 

 www.airborne-museum.org

Musée du Débarquement d’Utah Beach: 50480 Sainte marie du mont ; tel. 0033 2.33.71.53.35

www.utah-beach.org

Le Mémorial de Caen: Esplanade Eisenhower, 14066 Caen Cedex ; tel. 0033 2.31.06.06.44                      

www.memorial-caen.fr

Centre Juno Beach: Courseulles sur Mer ; tel. 0033 2.31.37.32.17

And enough many others 

-         Musée D-Day Omaha : www.vierville-sur-mer.htm

-         Cimetière militaire allemand : www.volksbund.de

Brochures available at la Maison de la Normandie et de la Manche 

-         Espace historique de la Bataille de Normandie

-         The D-Day landing Beaches and the Battle of Normandy

-         Arromanches D-Day landing museum

-         Mémorial du Général De Gaulle à Bayeux

-         Caen : Mémorial

-         Mémorial Pégasus (Calvados) www.normandie1944.com

-         Batterie d’Azeville. Vestiges du Mur de l’Atlantique

-         Batterie de Crisbecq. Mur de l’Atlantique

-         Sainte Mère Eglise : première ville libérée en France