As the annual festivities to commemorate the 1944 D-Day landings draw near, this is a perfect opportunity to pack your bags in Normandy. Utah Beach, Omaha Beach, Gold Beach, Juno Beach or Sword Beach, these sandbanks full of history and emotion are part of our historical heritage. With exceptional museums and numerous festivities for the D-Day Festival, the landing beaches are an ideal getaway for the arrival of the sunny days
From West to East, historic beaches
First stop at Sainte-Marie-du-Mont or on the beach at Madeleine Sainte-Marie-du-Mont. Code name on June 6, 1944: Utah Beach, delimitation of the assault zone of the Allied armies: Sainte-Marie-du-Mont - Quinéville. June 6, 1944, Overlord brought thousands of soldiers to its beach at La Madeleine. On the walls of the church, plaques retrace, among other things, the epic story of "the hunter", the American shooter hidden behind the fountain. On the site, the memory is palpable, one can easily imagine the two companies, one American, the other German, crossing each other in the village square, two companies of belligerents passing each other's eyes...
But it is also difficult to realize when you walk along the beach of Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer, so pleasant and lively in summer, that it is the same Omaha Beach, the one that was nicknamed "Omaha the Bloody". And yet, it was here that some 3,000 men died during the D-Day landings. Thousands of casualties that are now commemorated by a museum and many monuments and remains, some of which are still visible on the beach
Further east, Ver-sur-Mer, a small seaside resort just between Gold Beach and Juno Beach, saw the British land on June 6, 1944 to liberate it. But Ver beach had been the scene of a curious adventure long before that, that of the crash (without gravity) of the Fokker America providing the first official airmail link between the USA and France. It was the night of June 30, 1927. The Gold Beach Museum in Ver-sur-Mer pays tribute both to this air crossing and to the liberators of Ver.
Finally, Sword Beach is one of the most important landing sites. Sword Beach theoretically extended from Langrune to Ouistreham, but for military strategy reasons, the attack front was finally narrower than expected. General Rennie's 3rd British Division landed outside Hermanville. She was supported on her wings by the "Green Berets" of two special commandos brigades. After the capture of Ouistreham and its casino, after deadly street fights, the bridges of Benouville (Pegasus Bridge) and Ranville were reached and the junction with the paratroopers was made. The 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings, on 6 June 2014, gave Ouistreham and Sword an international reputation with the presence of 26 Heads of State and Government
Museums steeped in history
On your tour on the trail of the landing, the Landing Museum in Utah Beach is a must-see site. Renovated on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the landing, the museum's extraordinary collection is now even better showcased, with a large hangar built for this purpose, and containing a life-size replica of a B26 and a flight simulator. The Utah-Beach Museum, a place steeped in history, is both a centre for cultural and educational transmission and a place for the preservation of memory, enhancing collections associated with a constant educational concern, with the youngest being particularly targeted. The memorial complex also includes many external monuments, including the latest addition, the Higgins Memorial. Inaugurated by the United States ambassador herself, the latter, through the landing barge manufacturer Andrew Jackson Higgins, pays tribute to the thousands of soldiers who boarded the barges. A life-size 14-tonne replica is now located outside, a few dozen metres from the museum's buildings, allowing us to better imagine this fundamental episode of the Second World War. We also enjoyed the educational workshops, the treasure hunt and the VIP Tour. An exceptional museum to see and see again!
Also unmissable is the Omaha Beach Memorial Museum. Living scenes filled with emotions for this museum which, over the years, has sought to be as close as possible to reality. The ever more in-depth research encourages us to review the scenography for a better understanding of the events. Located 200 metres from Omaha beach, this 1,200 m² museum is inevitable. From the outside, we are in the atmosphere, a Sherman tank and an American "Long Tom" gun guard the entrance. Then we enter a vast exhibition hall decorated with a landing barge and a Rhino engine base (parts found during excavations on the Omaha site itself). To the right of the entrance, a small room strongly realistically depicts the lives of civilians of the time (inspired directly from the life of the family of curator Mrs. Chartier). During the visit, we move from one scene to another: on June 22nd 1940, the German occupation, the resistance, the repression, the restrictions, the ammunition, an American camp... Accurate and meticulous reconstructions using period mannequins, period clothing and shoes, vehicles, military camps and weapons reinforce the impression of "being there". A poignant immersion in the heart of the events, accompanied by a very educational film on the D-Day landing. The Memorial Museum will celebrate its 25th anniversary at this location in 2019. If you have never been here before, the visit is more than imperative.
The D-Day Festival, a mess of commemorations
Every year, commemorations of the Normandy Landings of Allied troops take place throughout the region, mainly on the anniversary of the D-Day. This year the "D-Day Festival" will take place from May 26 to June 10. Reconstitutions, military parades, parachutists, parades, exhibitions, meetings, concerts, fireworks displays, official ceremonies and wreath laying are organized by municipalities, patriotic associations and tourist offices on historic beaches. The "D-Day Festival Normandy", as it is called, was created in unison, respecting the memory of those who paid with their lives. These events are mainly organized on beaches and inland. As much as the Normans seem to live normally, on a daily basis, on these sites full of blood and courage, they know that, every year, thousands of visitors come to walk on this sand with great emotion. Like American, British, Canadian veterans or their descendants who never fail to leave, tears in their eyes, with grains of sand. From Utah to Sword, via Omaha, Gold and Juno, from Sainte-Mère-Eglise to Ouistreham, via Caen, Bayeux, Arromanches and the interior, you cannot miss any ceremony where everyone can take place.
Smart info
When? When? You can go to Normandy all year round, even if the arrival of the sunny days is more pleasant. To attend the 74th anniversary of June 6, 1944 and the D-Day Festival 2018, come and visit us from May 26 to June 10.
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