D-Day Beaches
Places of remembrance, the beaches of the D-Day Landings are nonetheless beaches that nature is patiently and silently eroding, and where walkers can enjoy a leisurely stroll as they observe the coastline.
75 years after the Normandy Landings of the Second World War, the five beaches that saw millions of soldiers pour into the sea bear witness to those murderous days, as evidenced by the region's vast military cemeteries.
Along more than 80km of coastline, numerous memorial sites recall the violence of the fighting that cost the lives of thousands of soldiers on D-Day alone, June 6, 1944. In addition to military cemeteries, such as the American cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer, opposite Omaha Beach, with almost 10,000 graves, or the German cemetery at La Combe, with over 20,000, the area around the D-Day beaches boasts a large number of memorials and Museums designed to preserve the memory of the fighting.
You can visit a D-Day Museum at Utah Beach, the westernmost of the D-Day beaches, a Memorial Museum at Omaha Beach, the America Museum at Gold Beach or a Memorial Center at Juno Beach. Sword Beach regularly hosts events commemorating the Battle of Normandy, including the international ceremony marking the 75th anniversary of D-Day in 2019.
Inseparable from this part of 20th-century history, the Caen Memorial is without doubt the region's most emblematic museum, with an itinerary focused entirely on peace and understanding the two world wars. It also organizes guided tours of the beaches.
Want to discover the history of the Battle of Normandy? Rent a Holiday cottage in Utah Beach, one of the Normandy landing beaches. Utah Beach, the first place to witness the D-Day landings on June 6, 1944, will surprise you with the beauty of its beaches, its bunkers and its Museums.
People come to Normandy to immerse themselves in history and visit the emblematic sites of the D-Day landings. Starting with the beaches where thousands of British, American and Canadian Allies landed on June 6, 1944. Known as Utah, Omaha, Sword, Juno or Gold Beach, these beaches are places of remembrance and freedom.