Normandy • The landing beaches by motorbike.
Heirs to a tragic history, but whose outcome put an end to the war, the landing beaches will mark a highlight of your stay in Normandy.
It is not without emotion that we imagine these thousands of soldiers arriving at first light in these wild landscapes to fight the enemy.
Beaches, cemeteries, museums... There are numerous places of memory.
> What is disembarkation?
Codenamed “Operation Overlord” , the landing constitutes the largest military operation in history.
On June 6, 1944, 160,000 American, Canadian, British and French soldiers landed on the beaches of Normandy with the aim of retaking France occupied by the Germans.
In the early morning of this significant day, the Allies arrived by surprise on the beaches of the northern coast of Normandy, which were given code names:
Omaha Beach and Utah Beach (American troops)
Juno Beach (Canadian and British troops)
Gold Beach (British troops)
Sword Beach (British and French troops)
The landing beaches were the scene of violent clashes during which at least 10,000 soldiers died on the first day alone.
Despite everything, the operation was a success and marked a turning point during the Second World War. What followed was the Battle of Normandy which lasted almost 3 months and which cost the lives of more than 140,000 people (civilians and soldiers) but which allowed the liberation of the region and then of the whole of France.
> How to visit the landing beaches?
To get a more precise idea of what the landing was like, the ideal is to alternate visits to different places of memory: beaches, cemeteries and museums.
Different museums offer exciting tours. This is particularly the case for the Caen Memorial, whose excellent guides have been trained by historians specializing in this page of history.
> Omaha Beach
It was the landing beach that saw the most human losses; it is also nicknamed “Bloody Omaha”.
With its high cliffs pierced by imposing German bunkers, the view was clear on the Allies who came under heavy fire. You can visit the Overlord Museum which traces the history of the Battle of Normandy and which has a beautiful collection of vehicles, tanks and cannons.
Overlooking the beach, the American cemetery of Colleville-sur-Mer lists 9,387 graves of fallen soldiers. A moving visit, but necessary.
> Pointe du Hoc
Located between Omaha Beach and Utah Beach, it is undoubtedly one of the best preserved landing sites and which allows us to best imagine the violence of the fighting. A path will take you through the various blockhouses and huge shell holes, the site having suffered intense bombardments during the assault.
> Arromanches-les-Bains
This place concentrates must-see sites! First of all, Cinema 360: thanks to 9 giant circular screens, it presents in a concise and poignant manner never-before-seen archive images of the landings and the Battle of Normandy.
The D-Day Museum, whose new building will be inaugurated in March 2023, focuses on the logistics of the assault, including a superb model of the artificial port built in Arromanches, pending the capture of the port of Cherbourg. Finally, don't miss a trip to Gold Beach, one of the five landing beaches.
> Utah Beach
The only landing beach located in the English Channel, Utah Beach is a wild beach where you can still see certain vestiges of the landing: bunkers and Czech hedgehogs (steel anti-tank obstacles).
There you can visit the Utah Beach Landing Museum, a superb museum which details the 10 key stages of the landing process, from preparation to the final assault. You can also see an authentic B-26 Bomber there.
Visiting the landing beaches is an essential part of the duty to remember, but other places have been decisive, such as Sainte-Mère-Église.
> Selection of 19 essential sites to visit.
The Caen Memorial
14050 CaenNormandy American Cemetery-Visitor Center
14710 Colleville-sur-MerBritish Military Cemetery
14400 BayeuxBritish Memorial of Ver-sur-Mer
14114 Ver-sur-MerGerman Military Cemetery
14230 La CambeLanding Museum
14117 Arromanches-les-BainsArromanches 360 • Circular cinema
14117 Arromanches-les-BainsJuno Beach Center
14470 Courseulles-sur-MerOverlord Museum • Omaha Beach
14710 Colleville-sur-MerMuseum of the Battle of Merville
14810 Merville-Franceville-PlagePegasus Memorial Museum
14810 RanvilleGerman Battery of Longues-sur-Mer
14400 Longues-sur-MerPointe du Hoc site
14450 Cricqueville-en-BessinThe Falaise Memorial • The Civil War
14700 CliffNormandy Victory Museum
50500 Carentan-les-MaraisD-Day Experience
50500 Carentan-les-MaraisUtah Beach Landing Museum
50480 Sainte-Marie-du-MontAirborne Museum
50480 Sainte-Mère-ÉgliseMontormel Memorial
61160 Mont-Ormel