FRANCE, the Landing Beaches of Normandy

the chief town of the Basse Normandie, a city of art. On both sides of the castle built by William the Conqueror (1060) you will find the famous Abbaye aux Hommes and Abbaye aux Femmes. The city was severely damaged during the Second World War, most specifically during the Battle of Caen, which lasted two months. We strongly recommend visiting the Caen Memorial, a museum that recalls the major events of the Second World War.

Transfer by taxi to the Battery Museum in Merville. On the east side of the Orne River’s mouth stretches an area of low grounds and marshes that were flooded by the Germans in 1944. This is the exact place where the soldiers of General Gale’s 6th Airborne Division were dropped during the night between the 5th and 6th of June. Their mission was to protect this area, as well as that of Sword Beach, from the German counter-attack, to destroy Merville’s Battery and to take, no damage being done,
the Orne Bridge. ….

Sword Beach stretches out theoretically from Langrunes to Ouistreham. Understanding the risks of the defences in Ouistreham and the reefs located in front of Luc-sur-Mer and Lion-sur-Mer, the Landing took place in front of Hermanville and Colleville. You will walk along the coast of this vast, fine-sand beach and will soon reach Colleville Beach and the Breche d’Hermanville where the British troops landed. You will continue your stroll through the seaside resorts of Lion and Lucsur-Mer and will arrive at Juno Beach, where the Canadian troops landed…

Leaving Courseulles, you will walk along the Graye dunes where such statesmen as Churchill and De Gaulle arrived in support of the
troops. Next you will step into the Gold Beach Sector, attributed to the 30th British Corp, settled between cliffs to the west and marshes at the east. Between Ver-sur-Mer and Asnelles, 25 000 soldiers landed. They faced strong resistance in Asnelles, but finally took position on the cliffs and liberated Bayeux. ….

You will climb up to the top of the cliffs on the east side of Arromanches to discover the vestiges of the Winston harbor. This artificial harbor made it possible for the Allied Nations’ soldiers to land 2.5 million soldiers, 500 000 vehicles and 4 million tons of equipment in about a hundred days. These cliffs stand about 60 meters high and offer a stunning view of the sea. This is where the Germans built a battery (Longues sur Mer battery) composed of four 150 mm cannons that have been very well preserved. ….

You are now in the American sector. Omaha Beach was hell on earth. The soldiers had to land on a 6500 meter-long beach wedged
between two cliffs and strongly defended by the German soldiers. The day was terrible and the Americans had to face the loss of 3000 dead soldiers, and just as many wounded or lost in the sea. All this to win nothing but a fragile bridge-head…….

Transfer by taxi to the Utah beach in the morning.You will next discover the second American sector, Utah Beach. This long beach, lined with dunes, stretches out over many kilometers and hides marshy areas once flooded by the Germans. The zone was defended by five batteries and small forts all along the coast……

End of tour. Transfer by taxi from Sainte Marie to the Carentan train station.