Honouring Heroes: Four fascinating D-Day sites to visit after the Normandy American Cemetery
- teamthomastravels
- May 8
- 7 min read
Thursday May 8th 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of VE Day (Victory in Europe Day) - a milestone that invites us not only to celebrate peace, but to reflect on the immense cost of securing it. If the commemorative events over the Bank Holiday weekend have peaked your interest in World War II history, or you'd like to pay your respects in a place where the conflict happened, consider a trip to Normandy, France, where the D-Day landings began the liberation of Europe in June 1944. Codenamed Operation Neptune, this enormous undertaking involving British, American and Canadian troops was the largest in history.
We recently visited this fascinating region on a press trip with Normandy Tourism and began our exploration, as many tourists do, at Normandy's largest war cemetery, the Normandy American Cemetery.
The Normandy American Cemetery – Colleville-sur-Mer
Walking through the Normandy American Cemetery is a solemn and deeply emotional experience. With over 9,300 white crosses and Stars of David spread across immaculate green lawns, the scale of sacrifice is overwhelming. Every one of these US servicemen lost their lives between June and August 1944 - a mere three months that changed the course of history. A wall of remembrance, curving around a rose garden, is dedicated to a further 1557 men whose bodies remained lost at the time of the cemetery's creation (19 have since been found and buried, and these names are marked by a bronze rosette), and the main memorial beside a reflecting pool features large maps of the military operations and an enormous bronze statue, Spirit of American Youth Rising from the Waves.
The cemetery includes a Visitor Centre, opened in 2007, with powerful exhibits and personal stories, and the path along the clifftop allows for quiet reflection with a view over the coastline where so many lives were lost. Take a moment inside the circular Memorial Chapel and look up the mosaic ceiling. You will see allegorical representations of the United States, blessing her sons as they leave to fight, and a grateful France, wearing her red liberty cap, laying a laurel wreath on the head of a fallen soldier.
American Cemetery
14710 Colleville-sur-Mer
Open daily from 9:00 - 17:00 apart from December 25th and January 1st
Admission is free and there is a large free car park on site.
Once you've paid your respects here, there are four nearby sites that help piece together the broader story of the Normandy campaign. All of them are within an hour’s drive from the cemetery, and each offers a unique window into the events of D-Day and its aftermath.
1. Pointe du Hoc: The Rangers' Impossible Climb
(24 minute drive from the cemetery)
On the morning of June 6th, 1944, elite US Army Rangers scaled the 100-foot cliffs of Pointe du Hoc under heavy fire to destroy German artillery overlooking Omaha and Utah beaches. Their mission seemed suicidal—but they succeeded, though with devastating losses - almost 2/3 of the Rangers were killed.
Today, the cliff tops remain cratered from Allied shelling, rusted barbed wire surrounds the edge and the original German bunkers and observation posts are still accessible. A stone obelisk memorial and brass plaque is dedicated to the Rangers.
2. Omaha Beach & Les Braves Memorial: Where the Cost Was Highest
(10 minute drive from the cemetery)
Just a short drive from the cemetery lies Omaha Beach—perhaps the most iconic of the five D-Day landing sites, immortalised in Saving Private Ryan. Of the 34,000 Allied troops who landed here, over 2,400 were killed or wounded, making it the bloodiest beach on D-Day.
Today, the beach is serene and beautiful- it's hard to imagine how hellish the site would have been during the invasion 80 years ago. At the water’s edge, you’ll find the striking Les Braves Memorial, a trio of stainless steel sculptures created by Anilore Banon and installed in 2004 to mark the 60th anniversary of D-Day. The 3 sections are called The Wings of Hope, Rise, Freedom! and The Wings of Fraternity.
On a stone platform behind is the Signal Monument, inaugurated in 1950 and dedicated to "the heroism of the Allied forces who liberated Europe."
Avenue de la libération
14990 Bernieres-Sur-Mer
Open 24 hours a day, check tide times if you want to set foot on the sand!
Free street parking is available along the seafront as you approach the monument.
3. The British Normandy Memorial – Ver-sur-Mer
A New Tribute to British and French Sacrifice
(42 minute drive from the cemetery)
The memorial opened in 2021 to mark the British contribution to D-Day and the Battle of Normandy. It bears the names of 22,442 servicemen and women under British command who lost their lives during the campaign. The names of the 1,746 who died on D-Day itself are inscribed on the D-Day Wall of Memorial Court recorded by Armed Service: Royal Navy, Army, Royal Air Force, Merchant Navy, and “others”, including Special Agents and War Correspondents.
The design of the memorial is solemn and poetic: a sweeping avenue of stone pillars etched with names, leading to a dramatic bronze sculpture of three British soldiers landing on the beaches. Particularly moving is the separate memorial to over 20,000 French civilians who died in the struggle to liberate Normandy—a poignant reminder that war’s cost goes far beyond the battlefield.
This year, from 12 April to 12 September, the Standing with Giants installation will return following its success last year: among the 1,475 steel silhouettes, this year’s installation features approximately 200 new creations including radio operators, medics, and a Scotsman playing the bagpipes.
According to the British Normandy Memorial website: "In this VE Day 80 anniversary year, the figures will serve as a symbol of the bittersweet emotions faced by so many at the end of the Second World War in Europe – joy that the war had ended alongside the reality of absent loved ones who never came home. There is also a special permanent tribute to the mark VE Day with steel cut figures representing Winston Churchill, as well as a Royal Navy Wren and others who contributed to the war effort that eventually brought about freedom in Europe."
The Winston Churchill Centre for Education and Learning, which includes a café and shop, will also be open from 12 April until 5 October 2025.
13 Avenue Paul Poret, Ver-sur-Mer, 14114
The Memorial is accessible all year round, 24 hours a day but the toilets are closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.
The Memorial is free to visit, the car park costs €3.50.
4. Sainte-Mère-Église & the Airborne Museum: The Paratroopers Who Paved the Way
(36-minute drive from the cemetery)
While the Allied landings on the five Normandy beaches are world famous, the operation actually began the night before with an airborne invasion of over 18,000 paratroopers. A great place to explore this chapter of the operation is Sainte-Mère-Église; This small village became one of the first to be liberated on D-Day, thanks to the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions, who parachuted in overnight.
The story of paratrooper John Steele, who famously got caught on the church steeple and played dead for hours to avoid detection, is immortalised by a mannequin still hanging from the spire today. It's a quirky but poignant sight that hints at the chaos and courage of that night.
Right next to the church, the Airborne Museum is one of the best WWII museums in Normandy. Recently renovated, just last year it opened a new fifth building and is now one of the largest WWII museums in the area. The Airborne Museum houses a real C-47 transport plane, a rare WWII glider, and some amazing artefacts including uniforms, equipment and Nazi propaganda from the days of occupation. The museum also uses technology very effectively,with immersive exhibits that walk you through the paratroopers' journey from preparation to jump to combat. Younger visitors will enjoy using the Histopad, a tablet that allows you to travel back to 1944 and search historic scenes for collectable objects when you scan special circles throughout the museum.
14 rue Eisenhower
50480 Sainte-Mère-Église
The Airborne Museum is open every day from Monday to Sunday:
From May to August: 9:00 - 19:00
April and September: 9:30 - 18:30
From October to March: 10:00 - to 18:00
Closed in December and January except for the Christmas holiday
Tickets cost €11.50 for adults (17+), €7.50 for children (6-16). Under 6s free
You could also add on a side trip to Utah Beach, the other landing site taken by US troops on D-Day, it's a 15 minute drive from the Airborne Museum.
Where to stay while exploring the D-Day sites
We would recommend staying in the historic city of Bayeux. World famous for its UNESCO registered Tapestry depicting the Battle of Hastings, Bayeux is also a fantastic base for exploring northern Normandy's other important sites: half an hour or less by car from Omaha, Juno and Gold Beaches and under 50 minutes drive from Sword and Utah.
For our press trip, we spent 2 nights at Hotel Reine Mathilde, a comfortable and perfectly located hotel in Bayeux's Old Town with a delicious continental buffet breakfast. Less than 5 minutes walk from the Bayeux Tapestry Museum and the Cathedral (our room had Cathedral views), Hotel Reine Mathilde is fantastic base for exploring the area and we couldn't recommend it more. All the staff we encountered were extremely welcoming and friendly, and if you need to store your luggage before starting your day, Hotel Reine Matilde will keep it for you in the reception and transfer your bags to your room once its ready. You're also walking distance to lots of lovely restaurants and coffee shops.
The Hotel has 3 separate spaces all within a couple of minutes walk from each other:
16 rooms in the historic hotel building itself (where the reception and breakfast is) with Queen sized or twin beds, a coffee machine, Wi-Fi, safe and a TV.
The Annexe: a self catered studio flat suitable for a couple, Comfort Rooms and a large family sized suite that can sleep 5 people with a King sized double and 3 single beds.
The Maison: bright and spacious King rooms and suites with large walk in showers and a sunny exterior courtyard to relax in.
Alternatively, treat yourself to a grand stay in the countryside at Domaine Utah Beach - Le Grand Hard where we spend 1 night - just 7 minutes away from Utah Beach and 15 minutes from Sainte-Mere-Eglise, this luxurious hotel, built around an old farmhouse, has 19 comfortable rooms and 4 gites. Continental breakfast is available each morning in the on site restaurant (which also serves lunch and dinner menus featuring local produce and organic beef and veal from their own farm), and the hotel offers bikes to hire and even stabling for your horse! If you need to relax after a long day of sightseeing, you can enjoy the sauna and even book a massage.
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