To fully understand
Normandy, one has to visit more than
WWII sites and museums. To experience
this region and understand its history
and culture, one should visit these
eight venues:
1. Honfleur- This picturesque little
port village has been a magnet for
artists for years, including the French
impressionists. The cobblestone streets
of the town and the old basin full of
sailboats are especially gorgeous. One
can visit the many shops and galleries,
and there are excellent restaurants
nearly everywhere. There are several
museums and unique old wooden churches
to see as well.
A drive of about a half-hour to
Deauville and Trouville is also worth
the effort. Walk the famous boardwalk in
Deauville, which has hosted the annual
American Film Festival for years, and
observe the interesting architecture of
the huge beach houses, unique in Europe.
On the way to or from Deauville, stop at
a cider/calvados tasting location.
Several are marked along the road.
Grapes are not grown in Normandy to make
wine, as the local beverages are made
mostly from apples or sometimes pears.
The cider is fizzy and has only about
one-third the alcohol of wine. It goes
well with a local favorite,
moules-frites (mussels and fries).
Calvados is brandy made from apples.
Speaking of food, Normandy is famous for
its dairy products, and you’ll no doubt
sample the butter (this is one of the
few places in France where one is
encouraged to butter bread) and cheeses,
especially the three Normands (“les
trois Normands”) camembert, pont
l‘eveque, and livarot.
2. Caen- This city was rubble after
the bombings of WWII. The Caen Memorial
is easily the best of the WWII museums.
There are many WWII museums throughout
Normandy, and some are almost tacky,
with only a handful of old pictures and
a few old uniforms and medals. This one
is first class and tells the story of
the events leading up to WWII and the
Battle of Normandy. The film is also
first rate and shows the American and
German sides preparing for the invasion
and then after the battles began. There
is also a display honoring Nobel Peace
Prize winners. One can easily spend half
a day at this museum. Downtown Caen is
also very pleasant, especially the
pedestrian street with its many shops
and cafes. One can also visit the
chateau, constructed by William the
Conqueror, and several impressive abbeys
and churches.
3. Bayeux- This city was not badly
damaged in WWII as the Germans retreated
to defend Caen. The cathedral is
imposing and is among the top gothic
cathedrals in France. The main
attraction in the town, however, is the
famous Bayeux Tapestry. This remarkable
work, commissioned shortly after the
conquests of England in 1066, tells the
story of William the Conqueror and the
Battle of Hastings. It was originally
meant to hang in the cathedral. It is
only 19 inches high, but it’s length is
203 ft. It is remarkably well preserved.
Be sure to see the film, and rent an
audio player to use while viewing the
tapestry to get the most out of your
visit.
4. Omaha Beach/American Cemetery- For
Americans, this is hallowed ground.
People from other countries, Canada and
Britain, for example, might prefer to
visit the sectors of their soldiers,
such as Sword, Gold and Juno beaches
which are several miles to the east.
There are numerous British, Canadian,
German, and other cemeteries throughout
Normandy as well. I was originally not
excited to visit the American cemetery,
thinking it would be a deflating
experience. However, when one sees the
fabulous white marble headstones and the
meticulously kept grounds (the grounds
are owned and maintained by the U.S.
government) it is clear that there is
huge respect for our fallen countrymen.
To understand what these men did and the
ultimate sacrifice they made in France
makes one proud. The largest of the two
American cemeteries at
Colleville-sur-Mer looks directly over
Omaha Beach. (The other is at St. James,
farther to the west, and is also worth a
visit, although not many people go
there. It‘s about half the size of
Colleville and unique in its own way).
Leaving the parking lot at Colleville,
one can see a small monument to the
American 1st Infantry Division, the Big
Red 1, which was responsible for that
sector on D-Day. This is also worth a
quick visit.
The best way to truly understand what
happened at Omaha is to take a tour with
an expert. We have used the services of
Col. Oliver Warman, British Army
Retired. Col. Warman will take you to
places must tours don’t visit, and he
has intimate stories about what took
place there on D-Day, when several
thousand American soldiers lost their
lives (the official figure is in the
hundreds). He’ll take you from the hills
overlooking the beaches down to the
beaches themselves and explain how
effective the German defenses were,
especially the 12 machine gun nests that
spanned Omaha.
5. Arromanches- It was here that a
huge artificial floating port was
erected. The Germans knew the Allies
would need a large port, and all of
those in France were heavily defended.
The sections of the port were
constructed in England and were floated
across the English channel just after
D-Day. The museum has an excellent model
of the port and a good film. There is
also a 360 degree theater on the hill
overlooking the town. This film is one
of my favorites, and it show scenes of
the area, both during the Battle of
Normandy and then contrasted with how
they look today.
6. Pointe du Hoc- At this strategic
location American Rangers scaled the
cliff walls on D-Day. There are bomb
craters everywhere, destroyed German
bunkers, and one gets a feeling of how
difficult the fighting must have been.
There were many casualties, and the
Americans were almost driven back over
the cliffs, but for some still unknown
reason the Germans pulled the big guns
back from the point to the rear. These
were found unguarded by an American
patrol, and they were quickly destroyed.
If you take a tour with Col. Warman, as
described above, he can take you here as
well, and his perspective and stories
about this location are more than worth
the price.
7. Utah Beach- I was surprised to
learn that the fighting here was much
less intense than at Omaha, and the
number of casualties here on D-Day was
low, only about 15 KIA before noon. It
is, however, a big part of the American
D-Day story and therefore worth some
time. The museum is reasonably good as
well, and the grounds, again owned and
maintained by the U.S. government, are
well kept.
8. Mont St. Michel- This spectacular
setting on the border between Normandy
and Brittany is one of the most popular
tourist locations in Europe. The island
village is dominated by the cathedral at
the top. At certain times of the year
the tides are high enough to surround
the island by the sea. If possible,
spend a night on the island itself, and
you’ll have a chance to wander around
without the normal crowds. The shops are
mostly tourist traps, but Mont St.
Michel is worth a day. There are hikes
and horse-back excursions one can take
as well.
The above general itinerary goes from
east to west and will take nearly a
week. There are of course other venues
in Normandy to visit. The eight listed
above, however, will give you a
fulfilling experience, and upon
completion you’ll be able to say that
you have truly experienced and
understand the culture and significance
of this outstanding region.
