Memorials & Major Museums
An itinerary to grasp the wider scale of the conflict, from the Caen Memorial to the Atlantic Wall batteries.
Suggested timings
Indicative timings for a 9:00am start by car, lunch break included. Adjust them to each site's opening hours.
- Drive34 min • 35 km
- Drive6 min • 6 km
- Drive21 min • 22 kmLunch break • 60 min
- 1
Stop 01 • Caen09:00 – 10:30Visit 1h30Caen Memorial Museum
The major museum dedicated to war, peace and 20th-century history.
Visit → - 2
Stop 02 • Longues-sur-Mer11:04 – 11:44Visit 40 minDrive 34 minLongues-sur-Mer Battery
One of the few intact German batteries, with its original guns still in place.
Visit → - 3
Stop 03 • Arromanches-les-Bains11:50 – 12:30Visit 40 minDrive 6 minArromanches – Mulberry Harbour
Remains of the British artificial harbour — a logistical feat of the Landings.
Visit → - 4
Stop 04 • Colleville-sur-Mer13:51 – 14:41Visit 50 minDrive 21 minNormandy American Cemetery
9,388 white headstones overlooking Omaha Beach — an essential place of remembrance.
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.