The Battle of Normandy

6th June 1944: the greatest battle of the Second World War began here, in Normandy.
Normandy is a genuine open-air museum throughout which the vestiges of the D-Day Landing beaches and the Battle of Normandy are still visible to this very day: artillery batteries, bunkers, cemeteries…

Signposted routes and several museums offer you a fascinating insight into the story of the Normandy Landings.

Immerse yourself in this remarkable page in History over a guided tour of the D-Day Landing beaches during your stay in Calvados.

The D-Day Landingsites and museums

Follow the story of the Normandy Landings, in Calvados. A great number of museums offer you an opportunity to follow and to understand the events that preceded and followed the D-Day Landings in Normand.

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Historic trails

3 signposted routes retrace the story of the Battle of Normandy: from the D-Day Landing beaches to inland Calvados.

D-DAY: “le choc” (the shock):
This route takes you to the world-famous Omaha Beach then to the Carentan marshes and Utah Beach, located in Manche. The American cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer and the historic site of Pointe du Hoc are among the sites not to be missed on your “D-Day tour”.

OVERLORD : l’assaut (The attack).
The Overlord-L’Assaut route runs alongside the D-Day Landing beaches.
Set off from Merville-Franceville and head for Bayeux, the first French town to be liberated on the evening of the 7th of June 1944.
The route takes you past the famous Pegasus Bridge in Bénouville. It then continues along the D-Day Landing beaches via Courseulles-sur-Mer and Arromanches, where you can visit the D-Day Museum and the Mulberry artificial harbour, an essential ingredient in the success of the Normandy Landings.

L’affrontement (The confrontation).
This route leaves Pegasus Bridge in Bénouville and offers you an opportunity to follow the Allied troops’ footsteps as they progressed inland to the Normandy Bocage. Your Normandy Landing tour ends with a visit of the outstanding Mémorial de Caen visitor centre.

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