WW2 historic sites in Normandy

Bring history to life by visiting some of the historic sites in Normandy, preserved due to their importance in D-Day and the Battle of Normandy. Remnants of the war can be found all around the region, including bunkers by the D-Day beaches or bullet marks left in churches, as the Allied troops crossed Normandy towards central France. Larger sites such as gun batteries, bridges and more can be visited and are a fantastic way to learn about the past in the places where history was made.

Historic WW2 places still standing today

Many of these larger historic sites have been turned into museums or have museums attached so that you can learn more about what happened at the site and uncover the events of WW2 in France. Other monuments such as the Longues-sur-Mer gun battery, which still retains its original guns, are untouched and kept in the condition they were in at the end of the war. Open to the public, these sites are the best way to experience the history of this area and its importance in the war first-hand.

Longues-sur-Mer Gun Battery

Visit the Longues-sur-Mer Gun Battery and let history stand still. The battery atop these 65m high cliffs is the only one on the Atlantic Wall to retain its original guns. Four casemates made of concrete 1m thick each contain a 150mm naval gun. Positioned between Gold Beach and Omaha Beach, the battery began firing early on the morning of D-Day before the boats had landed. It was engaged in a fierce duel with HMS Ajax which resulted in the battery eventually being silenced.

The following day, the German garrison stationed here surrendered to the 231st Infantry Brigade. The panoramic views of the beaches below that secured the defensive placement of the battery here, today give incredible views of the beaches and the battery itself is surrounded by pretty wheat fields. It is the only battery on the Atlantic Wall to be classified as a Historic Monument and the site is completely open to the public.

La Batterie d'Azeville

The Azeville battery with its 4 Schneider cannons was at the heart of the action during the D-Day Landings on Utah Beach in June 1944 and was one of the first buildings of the Atlantic Wall. Home to a garrison of 170 Geman soldiers, the battery was taken on June 9 after bombardment by the USS Nevada - a hole from a 356mm shell fired by the battleship can still be seen where it went straight through the bunker without exploding.

Painted by the German soldiers to look like the ruins of a Norman cottage, the battery's camouflage meant that it was undiscovered by Allied forces until they landed on June 6th. Explore the 350m of underground passages using an excellent, informative audioguide and see a film about the construction of the Atlantic Wall and relations between the occupying forces and the local people.

Pegasus Memorial

Just a short drive from the ferry port at Caen, the British attack on Pegasus Bridge in the early hours of June 6th was crucial to the success of Operation Overlord. The bridge spanned the Caen Canal, a vital supply and communications route which had to be secured by the Allies.

The bridge was replaced in 1993 by something more suited to modern traffic and the original now has a permanent home at the Pegasus Memorial. Tour the visitor centre to see archive footage and artefacts, then wander the park to see not just the bridge, but also an original piece of Bailey bridge, a type of bridge that was designed to be easily and quickly put together by troops. There is also a replica Horsa glider, whose original likenesses silently dropped so many British soldiers beside the canal on that historic night.

Merville Gun Battery

The Merville Gun Battery was one of the primary objectives for the 6th Airborne Division who landed in the night to silence German guns and seize bridges before the arrival of the D-Day landings in the morning of 6th June 1944. 9th Battalion Parachute Regiment had the task of silencing the guns here, which were thought close enough to fire on Sword Beach, one of the British landing beaches. However, it was discovered when 9th Battalion reached the battery that what was suspected to be a 155mm gun with a range of 17km was a 100mm howitzer of Czech origin, 1 of 4 at the site.

Each of the 100mm guns were housed inside 4 casemates, 3 smaller ones and casemate 1, which was thought to contain the 155mm gun. Made of steel-reinforced concrete 6 ft thick, casemate 1 was covered with soil to camouflage it with its environment. Today this casemate has been renovated and its gun has been removed and replaced with one of the same type, a FH 14/19 [t].

When the 9th Battalion tried to take the battery, they were confronted with a complex defence system including a minefield, barbed wire, an anti-aircraft gun, a substantial antitank ditch, trenches and several bunkers. Most of the German garrison withdrew into the underground bunkers when the British attacked. Although this effectively silenced the gun, they were unable to gain entry and moved on to their next objective. The German troops stationed here finally left when Hitler withdrew the German Army from France in August 1944.

The site now has a museum focused on the exploits of 9th Battalion here on D-Day and their role in the intense fighting during the Battle of Normandy in the days and weeks that followed.

Batterie de Maisy

Forgotten for the past 60 years, the Batterie de Maisy was an integral part of the German Atlantic Wall around the Utah and Omaha beaches. Covering both beaches with six 155mm artillery emplacements, the battery opened fire on the liberating troops landing on the beaches below.

After 5 long hours, the assault by the 5th and 2nd American Rangers finally silenced the guns here. Buried for over 60 years, the site has been excavated and you can now visit the 1.5 km of trenches, tunnels and underground constructions, as well as the gun emplacements themselves.

Les Batteries Du Mont Canisy

Overlooking the sea from a height of 110m, Mont Canisy is an important site where 2 batteries built by the French Navy from 1935 to 1940 were taken and extended by the Germans. Originally designed to ensure the security of the estuary and the port of Le Havre, the batteries became a major link in the Atlantic Wall.

Several features remain today including casemates, gun emplacements and a 250m subterranean gallery.