Cemeteries & the Memory of Nations
A contemplative route linking the American cemetery at Colleville, the German cemetery at La Cambe, the British cemetery at Bayeux, the Canadian cemetery at Bény-sur-Mer and the Polish cemetery at Grainville-Langannerie.
Suggested timings
Indicative timings for a 9:00am start by car, lunch break included. Adjust them to each site's opening hours.
- Drive16 min • 16 km
- Drive30 min • 31 km
- Drive25 min • 25 kmLunch break • 60 min
- Drive41 min • 43 km
- 1
Stop 01 • Colleville-sur-Mer09:00 – 09:50Visit 50 minNormandy American Cemetery
9,388 white headstones overlooking Omaha Beach — an essential place of remembrance.
Visit → - 2Stop 02 • La Cambe10:06 – 10:56Visit 50 minDrive 16 min
La Cambe German War Cemetery
Over 21,000 German soldiers rest beneath the dark headstones and the central tumulus.
Visit → - 3Stop 03 • Bayeux11:26 – 12:16Visit 50 minDrive 30 min
Bayeux War Cemetery
The largest Commonwealth cemetery in France, facing the war reporters' memorial.
Visit → - 4Stop 04 • Reviers13:41 – 14:31Visit 50 minDrive 25 min
Bény-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery
2,048 Canadian soldiers who fell in the days following the Juno landings.
Visit → - 5Stop 05 • Urville — Grainville-Langannerie15:12 – 16:02Visit 50 minDrive 41 min
Polish War Cemetery, Grainville-Langannerie
France's only Polish war cemetery, 696 soldiers of the Maczek division.
Visit →
Practical tips
Set off around 9:00am: most sites open between 9:00 and 10:00 and crowds are still light early on.
Book museums and guided tours online, especially from June to September and during school holidays.
Walking shoes, a windproof layer and water: much of the route is outdoors and often exposed.
A car is essential between the beaches: public transport is scarce and sites lie 15 to 40 km apart.
Cemeteries and memorials are places of remembrance: dress respectfully, keep quiet, and do not picnic on site.
Check tide times before walking onto Omaha or Utah: at low tide the foreshore extends several hundred metres.
Plan lunch in Sainte-Mère-Église, Arromanches or Port-en-Bessin; there are few options between remote sites.