Mémorial de Caen
ModerateMuseum of the Second World War and peace
The best place to begin: the war, the landings and the Battle of Normandy explained before you stand on the beaches.
CaenHalf dayStart here
Caen & the D-Day Beaches, France
Ideal: 2–3 daysBest: Apr–Jun, Sep–OctPrice: Moderate
In 60 seconds
Caen & the D-Day Beaches in 60 seconds
On 6 June 1944 Allied forces came ashore on five Normandy beaches — Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword — in the largest seaborne invasion in history. Caen, largely destroyed in the battle that followed and rebuilt in pale local stone, is the base: start at the Mémorial de Caen, then follow the coast west past Pegasus Bridge, the Mulberry harbour at Arromanches and the cliffs of Pointe du Hoc to the American Cemetery above Omaha. Give it time; this is a coast of memorials, and it rewards slowness.
CoastWW2
Best for
- History
- Museums
Known for
- The D-Day landing beaches
- The Mémorial de Caen
- Normandy American Cemetery
Skip if
You want a beach holiday or nightlife. The coast's power is in its memorials, and seeing several in a day needs a car or a guided tour.
Your match
Choose a few travel interests and we will show how well Caen & the D-Day Beaches fits them. Choose interests
See
Must experience
The things that would make the trip incomplete without them.
Normandy American Cemetery
War cemetery above Omaha Beach
Rows of white marble crosses and stars on the bluff above Omaha. Walk down to the beach afterwards.
Colleville-sur-MerFreeMemorial
Pointe du Hoc
Cratered clifftop stormed by US Rangers
The ground is still cratered from the bombardment, between the cliffs the Rangers climbed on D-Day.
Cricqueville-en-BessinCliffsFree
Arromanches & the Mulberry harbour
Remains of the floating harbour
Concrete caissons of the prefabricated harbour still sit offshore; see them from the cliff path at low tide.
Arromanches-les-BainsLow tideMuseum
Juno Beach Centre
ModerateCanada's D-Day museum
The Canadian story of the landings, on the dunes of the beach they took.
Courseulles-sur-MerBeachMuseum
Beyond the obvious
Hidden gems
Less obvious, rarely queued for, and usually the part people remember.
Pegasus Bridge
First objective taken on D-Day
Glider-borne troops seized this canal bridge in the first minutes of 6 June; the original span stands in the museum beside it.
BénouvilleMuseumNight of 5–6 June
Longues-sur-Mer battery
German gun battery with its guns in place
The only coastal battery in Normandy that still has its original guns in their casemates.
Longues-sur-MerClifftopFree
Abbaye aux Hommes
William the Conqueror's abbey in Caen
The Romanesque abbey church where William the Conqueror was buried; the monastery buildings are now the town hall.
CaenRomanesqueTown hall
Stay
Where to stay
Areas rather than hotels — pick the right one and the rest follows.
Caen
ModerateRebuilt city centre, trains and tours
The base with the most choice, the Mémorial on its edge and tours that leave from the centre.
RestaurantsTrains
Bayeux
ModerateMedieval town spared in 1944
Closer to Omaha and Gold, with the Tapestry and a cathedral the war left standing.
Closer to the beachesTapestry
Practical
Know before you go
- Getting in
- Trains from Paris Saint-Lazare reach Caen in about two hours.
- Getting around
- The five beaches stretch over some 80 kilometres. A car or a guided tour is the practical way to see several in one day.
- When
- Around 6 June the coast fills with commemorations and veterans' events; hotels book up months ahead.
- Respect
- The cemeteries are war graves. Dress and behave as you would at any memorial.
Context
History in 5 minutes
Enough to make what you are looking at legible.
- 1060s
William, Duke of Normandy, founds Caen's two great abbeys; in 1066 he sails from this coast to conquer England.
- 6 June 1944
Allied forces land on Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword, opening the western front in Europe.
- Summer 1944
Caen is largely destroyed in the Battle of Normandy and rebuilt over the following two decades in pale Caen stone.
Further out
Nearby escapes
Worth a day if you have one to spare.
Bayeux Tapestry
The Norman Conquest in embroidery
The 70-metre story of 1066, told in wool — the other invasion this coast is famous for.
About 20 minutes by trainHalf dayMuseum
Mont Saint-Michel
Tidal abbey
Normandy's other great sight, at the far western edge of the region.
About 1 hour 30 by carFull dayUNESCO