Six Must See D-Day Sites to Visit in Normandy, France
Today marks the 80th anniversary of the solemn, yet monumental, day when the Allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy, France, on June 6th, 1944. Known as “D-Day,” this surprise initiative consisted of 7,000 ships and almost 150,000 troops from eight countries, and is still the largest amphibious invasion in human history. At 6am that June morning in 1944, 133,300 troops stormed the shores, where over 10,000 brave, courageous, and freedom defending men (mostly American soldiers) lost their lives.
Brady and I have always been fascinated and emotionally touched by the history of the Second World War, so we planned a trip to France in October 2022 based around visiting the D-Day sites. Brady’s grandfather came ashore in Normandy three days after D-Day, near the town of Arromanches-les-Bains, and was later injured in the Battle of the Bulge in 1944, making this trip even more significant. To say it was a moving, humbling experience is an understatement, and a memory we think back to often, even after two years. I truly think it’s a place all Americans should experience if they are able, and a place that demands reflection, prayer and gratitude for the brave young soldiers that fought to liberate Europe from despotism.
We rented a car in Paris (something I don’t recommend, but that’s a story for another time!) and made our way to Normandy along roads lined with hedgerows. I do want to note, there are historic guided tours which I think we will want to do the next time we visit (including this Overload Tour), but we were really grateful to have the extra time to really soak it all in at our own pace. Here are the sites we were able to experience, with tips to help plan your trip to Normandy if you get the opportunity to visit.
Omaha Beach
After a 22-minute drive from our home base at the city of Bayeux we arrived at the shores of Omaha Beach. I must say, I was surprised at how empty and uninhabited it was, but I was also grateful, because the quietness amongst the gentle waves gave us time to walk the beach, visit the Les Braves memorial, and just truly reflect on what took place there in 1944. While it was difficult to fully grasp the sounds, smells and horror that the men had endured while it was so peaceful and calm, I absolutely felt the weight of the ground I was walking on.
After lowering the ramps of the landing crafts, thousands of Americans waded into the water, weighed down with gear, being ruthlessly shot at by machine guns from shore. Around 2,500 brave soldiers died right on the beach. What really stuck with me was learning that the water between the sandbars were rivers of red on D-Day, stained with blood from all the casualties. Walking the beach today, those sandbars are still visible (you can see them in the photo above), and I can only imagine the scene on D-Day. After we said our prayers, walked some of the beach, collected sand and had time to reflect, we headed back to the car for the second stop on our trip. Quick tip – Be sure to bring a baggie or water bottle to collect sand from this hallowed ground, you’ll be happy you did.
Normandy American Cemetery
The famed Normandy American Cemetery is a 10-minute drive from Omaha Beach, situated on a hill overlooking the long stretch of beach where so many of the soldiers lost their lives. At the entrance to the cemetery stands the Normandy Visitors Center, which includes an impactful museum with artifacts and written accounts and perspectives from D-Day soldiers. The cemetery is pristinely kept and is the final resting place for 9,238 soldiers, along with a wall listing the names of 1,557 MIA soldiers. Walking past the thousands upon thousands of graves, you can really feel the gravity of the extreme sacrifice. We were lucky enough to catch a free walking tour of the cemetery, provided by the cemetery itself, which began with visuals from June 6, 1944, a tour of the cemetery to the Wall of the Missing, and ended with a moving wreath laying ceremony at the base of the Spirit of American Youth Rising from the Waves statue, concluding with a trumpet playing Taps. I couldn’t help but tear up, as did many others. This peaceful, beautiful final resting place is obviously a must-visit site to anyone visiting the Normandy region.
Colleville Sur Mer – WN 62 & War Memorials
To the right of the Normandy American Cemetery parking lotis a non-descript path that leads to Nazi bunkers, war memorials, and a trail that leads down to Omaha Beach. After leaving the cemetery and returning to our hotel that night, we realized we missed this important D-Day area and returned back the next day, which turned out to be one of the highlights of our trip. It is not marked, and can be easily missed, which is extremely unfortunate! Once again, not very many people were on this path, so we had the opportunity to walk the quiet grounds and explore the bunkers (Widerstandsnest 62) where Nazi soldiers were strategically positioned along the coast to gun down American soldiers as they made their way up the hill. It was another moving experience, with even more time for reflection. Waking down to the beach, we stumbled across a significant memorial, the Combat Medics 16th Regiment 1st Infantry Division Memorial. This large stone structure marked the place where medics set up the first casualty station on the beach, risking their lives to help their fellow soldiers in the midst of heavy fire, death and sheer chaos.
Overlord Museum
Less than a five minute drive from the cemetery is the Overlord Museum, which is an absolute must-see. We arrived in the late afternoon, and got lucky again as it was relatively empty before closing time, but had about two hours to soak it all in. A new museum opened in 2013, it is dedicated to D-Day and the Battle of Normandy, packed with artifacts, exhibits, vehicles, equipment, and incredible first-hand accounts from D-Day soldiers. They also have an extensive gift shop, where we bought mementos to remember our trip by. Another trip highlight! Tip – If you have more time, the Airborne Museum dedicated to paratroopers is nearby, and I’ve read that the Caen Memorial Museum is the best WWII museum in France, about 40ish minutes from the cemetery. We will make a point to see these museums next time!
Longues-Sur-Mer Battery
After taking a few wrong turns down one lane roads in coastal fields, we final found this site, but it was worth the struggle. The four enormous gun installations lie near the coast, offering views of the Atlantic, and a strategic place for the Nazis to protect the territory. The gun installations were bombed by the Allies the night before D-Day, but you can still visit them today, complete with bunkers. We went around sunset and were the only people around for miles, once again giving us the perfect time to reflect on what the brave American soldiers were up against.
Pointe Du Hoc
A thirty-minute drive from the cemetery lies Pointe du Hoc, the site where another key battle took place in the early morning hours of D-Day. U.S. Army Rangers scaled the 100 foot cliffs while enduring heavy artillery from Nazi soldiers. Against the odds, they pushed forward and prevailed, seizing German artillery that would have been used against the soldiers on Omaha and Utah Beach, yet once again, at the cost of the lives of many brave Americans. Today, the grounds around Pointe Du Hoc are cratered from the bombardment on the Nazi bunkers on that poignant day. Visitors can walk designated paths around the craters and the bunkers on the grounds, as well as get up close to the cliffs that the Rangers scaled. You can’t help but be awe-inspired by the bravery these men exuded.
President Ronald Reagan said it best when he visited Pointe du Hoc on the 40th anniversary: “We stand on a lonely, windswept point on the northern shore of France. The air is soft, but 40 years ago at this moment, the air was dense with smoke and the cries of men, and the air was filled with the crack of rifle fire and the roar of cannon. At dawn, on the morning of the 6th of June, 1944, 225 Rangers jumped off the British landing craft and ran to the bottom of these cliffs. Their mission was one of the most difficult and daring of the invasion: to climb these sheer and desolate cliffs and take out the enemy guns. The Allies had been told that some of the mightiest of these guns were here and they would be trained on the beaches to stop the Allied advance…These are the boys of Pointe du Hoc. These are the men who took the cliffs. These are the champions who helped free a continent. These are the heroes who helped end a war.”
Overall, this trip to the D-Day sites of Normandy is something we will remember and honor for the rest of our lives, and left me feeling so much pride for the bravery of the spirit of the American soldier. This is a region that every WWII enthusiast and patriot should visit if they have the opportunity. May God Bless our soldiers, their families and those who fight and defend our country on a daily basis.
