Exploring Normandy
With an abundance of beautiful scenery, historic villages and war memorials, Normandy is a must if you’re planning a trip to Northern France. Although we love exploring through hiking and venturing to the outdoors, we wanted to dedicate our time in Normandy to visiting some of the sites and memorials from the D-Day Landings that took place in WW2. Below we have listed the top 4 places we explored on our journey through Normandy, but first let’s set the scene and talk a little more about D-Day.
D-Day
During the Second World War (1939-1945), the Battle of Normandy took place resulting in the Allied liberation of Western Europe from Nazi Germany. On June 6th 1944, the battle commenced and this date will forever be known as ‘D-Day’. The invasion involved over 150,000 American, British and Canadian soldiers who landed on 5 beaches stretched across the heavily defended coast of Normandy. The invasions are often referred to as ‘The D-Day Landings’ and were of paramount importance in overthrowing Nazi Germany in mainland Europe.
Pegasus bridge
Our first stop in Normandy landed us at Pegasus Bridge, an infamous war memorial located in the Lower Normandy region. The bridge was formally known as Bénouville Bridge after a nearby village and was of key importance in the Normandy invasion in WW2. Although the original bridge was replaced and modernised in 1994, it still remains a moveable bridge (bascule bridge), and the memorials scattered around the area provide an accurate insight into what the soldiers faced back in June 1944.
Although there is a museum just a walk away from Pegasus Bridge, we instead decided to visit a coffee shop called ‘Café Gondrée’. The café lies at the northwest end of Pegasus Bridge and was the initial site of combat during the D-Day invasion. Photography is not allowed within Café Gondrée, however, we can tell you the walls are dedicated to commemorating the events of Pegasus Bridge. From floor to ceiling there are countless photos from the Second World War along with army uniforms, medals and a guest book signed by visitors from all over the world. Perhaps the toughest thing about Normandy is the sheer volume of historical landmarks, museums and experiences available to explore, but in our opinion, Café Gondrée was the most humbling site of rendition from D-Day.
2. Site Hillman
Comprising of nearly 20 casemates (a fortified structure where guns are fired from) and 24 hectares worth of bunkers and trenches to explore, Site Hillman was a must on our journey through Normandy. The fortifications at Site Hillman were built by the Germans between 1942-1944 and provided a command post for the German defences along the Côte de Nacre coast. Although walking around the site created a chilling sense of what the soldiers must have been seeing in the distance back in WW2, the wildflowers, bees and trees added a sense of peace and rest.
After the war, the bunkers were preserved and the land owner donated the site to the British Suffolk Regiment to commemorate the events of the war. Since the 1990s, volunteers and the local community have preserved Site Hillman and continue to restore the vast array of fortifications. Site Hillman is open all year and is free of charge with guided tours taking place at 3pm every Tuesday from 1st July-30th September.
3. D-Day Experience
As the end of our time in Normandy grew closer, we decided to venture to the highly recommended D-Day Experience in Carentan les Marais. With 2 museums, a 3D movie theatre, immersive flight simulation and a memorial to the airborne troops, the D-Day Experience is a place where hours can simply fade away as you follow the footsteps of the soldiers back on June 6th 1944. The flight simulation features a converted C-47 that mimics the channel crossing taken on D-Day by paratroopers and the heavy fire they experienced up in the clouds over Normandy.
The D-Day Experience was the only paid entry site we chose to visit and we would highly recommend adding to your list of must-see places in Normandy. There are three different price options available which we have linked here.
4. Dead Man’s Corner Museum
Less than a minute from the main D-Day Experience building lies ‘Dead Man’s Corner’, a house that acted as the headquarters for German paratroopers. Now a museum, the house unfolds the events that took place when the American paratroopers of the 101st Airborne Division invaded and overthrew the Germans at Dead Man’s Corner. The museum is one of Normandy’s most famous landmarks and the story of what happened there signifies the pure tragedy of WW2. There was no photography permitted in the museum when we visited, but you can find out more information and see pictures from Dead Man’s Corner here.
5. War cemeteries
To truly grasp the tragic number of lives lost in WW2, we chose to visit several war cemeteries on our Normandy visit. Although some of the cemeteries were busy with tourists, we still wanted to pay respect to those who lost their lives and each cemetery was a humbling, emotional experience. As we have mentioned previously, there is such a sheer volume of memorials, museums and cemeteries around Normandy and France and we recommend visiting at least one if you want to learn more about D-Day and the events that took place over 70 years ago.
It’s easy to skip past exploring France and instead use it as a transit country to various other European countries. However, with so much to see and experience, it’s worth spending at least a few days getting immersed in France’s rich history if you are able to spare some time. We have only touched on a handful of France’s historical sites and if you are interested in visiting any of the places we have mentioned, we’d advise getting there early! Tourists from all around the world travel to France and in particular Normandy to visit the various war museums and sites, so they can get busy pretty quickly.
FAQs
Is France good for campervans?
France is without a doubt an incredible place to travel by campervan. With free Aires offering hot showers, fresh water fill up, toilet disposal and sometimes even electric hook up, it seems like France was made for campervan travel. These facilities will only remain available if they are respected, so please keep them clean and tidy so we can enjoy them long into the future!
What’s the quickest and easiest way to get to France from the UK in a campervan?
There are a few ways to travel to France from the UK in a campervan but in our opinion, the easiest way is via the Eurotunnel. We have a full guide about travelling to France on the Eurotunnel here.
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