Normandy is a beautiful region in France that you should definitely consider visiting, even if not for all the WWII history.
A lot of people associate this region with World War II because this is where the Allies landed on D-Day (June 6, 1944).
A bit of history on World War II :
Germany, Italy, and Japan were known as the Axis power, the bad guys.
England, the US, and Canada were the Allies, or the good guys trying to destroy Hitler. Hitler was invading many countries and exterminating many Jewish people as a part of his final solution.
During WWII, France was occupied by the Germans (Hitler was their leader). The part that was not occupied in France was known as Vichy France under the power of Marechal PĂ©tain.
The Allied powers planned an invasion of France and this invasion happened on June 6, 1944, D-Day. The Allies landed on 5 beaches in Normandy, known as Utah, Omaha, Juno, Gold, and Sword. The United States invading on two beaches (Utah and Omaha), the British forces on two beaches (Sword and Gold), and the Canadians invaded on Juno beach.
A group of US forces, known as the Rangers, climbed cliffs near Omaha beach to find and dismantle German guns. The fighting was hard, especially for the soldiers who landed on the beaches and had Germans firing on them from the cliffs, notably at Omaha Beach where you can find the American cemetery. A lot of men never made it off the beaches.
There are many places to visit historic WWII sites in Normandy and there will be huge celebrations and commemorations this year, June 6, 2024, because it marks 80 years since Operation Overlord, the D-Day landings that changed the outcome of the war.
1. WWII American cemetery at Omaha Beach
The bloodiest fighting of June 6, 1944, D-Day, took place at Omaha Beach. It’s one of two where American troops landed (the other being Utah beach, as stated above).
There is a large American cemetery here for the lives lost on Omaha beach.
Every night there is a flag lowering ceremony where Taps is played.
2. WWII museum at Omaha beach
Before you get to the American cemetery, there is a museum you can visit that’s free ! I recommend going to this museum before you reach the cemetery. It is a beautiful commemoration to the lives lost on D-Day.
3. Utah beach
Here at Utah beach, you can see the Higgins boats, the boats the soldiers took from the coast of England to the coast of France. These were small boats, the soldiers were packed in tight, the waters were rough, many got seasick. And that was the least of the horrors. Sometimes, the boats stopped in water too deep and because the men were loaded with heavy equipment, they jumped off the boats in water over their heads and drowned. If they didn’t drown, a lot of the soldiers were shot and killed by the Germans before they even got off the boat.
When I went, it was low-tide so I could see how huge the beach was. The Allies came in with the tide, so the beach would’ve been smaller, but still, a long way to run for cover. And that’s why they were easy targets for the German soldiers stationed on the cliffs above the beach.
4. Pegasus Bridge
This bridge was key to the Allied advance on D-Day. Bridges are very important for traversing water. Many of the bridges were blown up to stop troops from advancing, but this one was left in tact.
The original bridge is now a part of a museum very close to where it once originally stood. There is still a bridge there, of course. Cars and people still need to get across.
It was named Pegasus bridge in honor of the operation, Operation Deadstick, to hold the bridge in tact and not let any German forces cross it.
5. Pointe du Hoc
As mentioned earlier, the American troops known as the Rangers, scaled these cliffs to dismantle German guns that were pointed at Omaha beach where other American troops were landing.
There is a monument here commemorating these soldiers, the Rangers.
The Germans tried to hide the guns in the bushes, but they were found and dismantled.
There is an example of one of these guns, although not in the exact spot it was found (my husband went with a map to find the exact location 
).
6. Saint-Mère-Église
If you visit Utah Beach, you should visit the nearby Saint-Mère-Église.
It was in this town that paratroopers landed the night of June 5-June 6, 1944.
The paratrooper John Steele became famous here, well, because his parachute got caught on the roof of the church along with him. If you visit today, there is a mannequin with a parachute on the roof.
7. WWII German Cemetery
This is a German cemetery and you might think, why would I want to visit the cemetery of the enemies ? The contrast between this cemetery and the American cemetery is so stark. The German cemetery is dark and sombre while the American cemetery is light.
Also, by the end of the war when these men died, Germany was almost out of soldiers. They recruited kids and they forced prisoners to fight.
8. German Batteries
Many German batteries line the Atlantic coast of France, making the Atlantic wall. Not an actual wall, more a line of defence for the Germans to protect the Atlantic coast of France.
There are so many museums that you can visit, you don’t have to look far to find a museum.
The list that I provided is, of course, not a complete list. Things may seem close when you look at a map, but it gets exhausting driving back and forth on these small winding roads. So plan accordingly. My husband and I have made this trip many times and have only scraped the surface of all there is to see.
This June 6, 2024 is the 80th anniversary of D-Day. If you want to visit, plan soon !
I definitely recommend watching Saving Private Ryan and reading the book The Longest Day before you go !
Here is a private tour from Bayeux to visit World War II sites !
Bayeux is a beautiful town in Normandy that you should also think about visiting. I include it in my post here :
A Great weekend in normandy, france – Travel Blog (sarahallisonwonderland.com)
If you prefer to stay in Paris, here is a full day tour of the beaches.
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