+33 768 800 684
contact@myprivatefrance.com
Contact Us |
Loading your cart...
Your cart is empty
Items in your cart
0
Your cart is empty
Your cart is empty
The region of Normandy is infamous for the day that turned the tide of World War 2, the D-Day landings. When it comes to WW2 sites in France, the Normandy battle sites are arguably the most well known. They are also both awe-inspiring yet incredibly sobering at the same time.
There are a number of memorable areas to visit that can make narrowing down your list of places to tour quite difficult. This guide is here to help guide you on which of these significant spots should be high on your list to visit and experience.
Normandy is a coastal region of France that was the scene of ‘operation overlord –’ the allied invasion of the European continent. This amphibious invasion took place simultaneously across multiple locations scattered throughout Normandy, leading to multiple Battle of Normandy sites. This day of immense sacrifice and bravery marked the turn of the tide in World War II for Germany’s control over Europe by breaking through the Atlantic Wall, a defense thought to be unbreakable.
This lead to the liberation of Western Europe and the surrender of Germany to the Allies less than a year later. From the beaches to the hills further inland, the scars of these landings can still be seen in the landscapes of each D-Day site. The different areas can easily be seen on a day tour from Paris before returning to spend Christmas in Paris.
Although there are an exceptional amount of locations and memorials to visit, the Cain Memorial Museum is one of the top museums to visit if you want to get an overall understanding of the Battle of Normandy.
This is a good starting point before venturing to the beaches of Normandy. The Cain Memorial museum is dedicated to the history of conflict in the 20th century. It contains an entire section that is dedicated to World War 2, specifically anything from D-Day in June 1944 and the Battle of Normandy. This is considered the best WW2 museum in France.
This museum is also a war memorial containing three different gardens dedicated to American, British, and Canadian soldiers who lost their lives in Normandy. Walking up to the entrance, you will be greeted by the famous non-violence sculpture, a revolver with a twisted barrel, by Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd.
While it is hard to narrow it down to just a handful of Normandy memorial sites and places of interest, these are just a few of them that should be witnessed. You will find yourself visiting Normandy beaches where some of the most significant moments of D-Day took place on the sands.
From visiting D-Day beaches to going to the famous Atlantic Wall and the intensely moving American Cemetery in Colleville Sur Mer, there are sites that will leave an everlasting impression on you. These are places that should be visited to take in the gravitas of what occurred on those grounds, a tour that history lovers should partake in.
If you are going to visit Normandy beaches, Omaha Beach is the first stop that you should make. Sadly, Omaha beach is famous for the most glorious yet devastating moment of the entire D-Day invasion. For it is at this invasion point that the Americans and allies had the highest number of casualties.
Most people probably know this beach from the opening battle scene of Saving Private Ryan. This should give some form of reference to the sheer determination and devastation that happened here. This long, sandy beach remains an almost silent tribute to that day and the men who lost their lives.
There is an impressive war memorial and monument on the beach with the Overlord Museum that has over 10,000 artefacts. It adds a human dimension to the landing with different accounts, stories, and impressions from those events.
Stretching along the coast are the remains of the Atlantic wall. This megastructure was created to fortify the continent and defend the coast from any invasions. This wall of fortifications stretched for over 5000 kilometers, from northern Norway all the way to the Spanish border. There are a few remains of the wall scattered throughout the coastline.
Pointe du Hoc is an important point of the wall, perched atop a cliff that overlooks both Omaha and Utah beaches. It is truly hard to grasp the magnitude of the invasion but taking a tour of this area will highlight the scale of what happened. The area on the top of the cliff is full of bomb craters. The remains of the giant batteries are all skewed after being blown off of their foundation.
This is an area that has been untouched since June 6th,1944 with the entire scene being an official war grave for the men who still lie beneath the ruins.
This is a location that shows the sheer scale of the D-Day landings in a different way. Here you will find carefully curated green grass fields, filled with thousands of white crosses. You may have seen this in the final scene of Saving Private Ryan, the symbolism of these thousands of crosses will not be lost on anyone.
There is no denying that this will be the most emotional site of any tour with the wandering of ‘why’ and ‘how’ being common reactions. This land was given to the USA free of charge by the French government and is considered American soil. Here you will have a view overlooking Omaha beach, a visitors centre, the Wall of the Missing, and a memorial for soldiers who lost their lives.
France and other countries throughout Europe are scattered with different WWII sites. Some more poignant than others but there is no mistaking the magnitude of these Normandy WW2 sites. There are secrets hidden throughout Normandy, just like there are secrets hidden in Montmartre and other cities.
This is an educational tour that everyone should take, but it’s important to remember to be respectful at all times. You will be walking on the same land that was the scene of one of the most important days in history, and if that doesn’t give you goosebumps then nothing will.
Request your own custom itinerary of France! Free, fast & secure. Designed by our passionate Pro Local Guides.
Private Tour France – My Private France is specialized in designing custom itineraries for couples, families and groups of friends visiting France.
We curate private walking tours of France, day trips to the most beautiful locations; we arrange private wine & cheese tastings, shopping sessions and photoshoots with real professionals. We also provide amazing museum tours for art lovers, first-timers, and kids alike!
Would you like to venture out of the city with us? We can create a custom tour for you, tailored just to your liking. One of our fantastic Paris day trip tours is sure to satisfy all of your travel needs!