Second World War remembered  Normandy was selected by the allies as the landing point from which to start the assault that eventually led to the end of the Second World War in Europe.  Even though the German army was expecting an attack further north in the Pas de Calais, this area was still heavily defended and there was an inevitable loss of life that is difficult to imagine.  There are many places one could visit in this area on the the coastline of the Calvados département, here is a small selection.

Merville-Franceville Battery

Location: In the village of Merville-Franceville to the east of the D514 coast road on the east side of the Orne River.

General Information: www.mairie-mervillefranceville.fr www.batterie-merville.com 14810 Merville-Franceville.  Tel No: 0(2) 31 91 47 53 Open mid March to end of October 10.00-18.00, with limited hours in March and October. Reasonable charges.

Description: The most easterly of the D-Day sites that can be visited, this is a former German Battery built as part of Germany’s Atlantic Wall defences. There are several casements on the site but only one can be visited and this is where the main museum exhibits can be found. The site is small compared to other museums

Our Recommendations: Not as much to see here as other sites and the exhibits are not as well presented – the museum is still evolving. Probably one for real enthusiasts.

For the Children: Again not one for children, although there is plenty of space to run around while adults view the site.

    - American Cemetry (Omaha)
    - Arromanches 360
    - Atlantic Wall Museum
    - Caen Memorial
    - Canadian Museum (Juno)
    - Merville-Franceville Battery
    - Pegasus Bridge
    - Pointe du Hoc
    - Tour of the Battlegrounds

If you know of any other historic attractions in Normandy which are worthy of inclusion in this website, please send us your feedback.

For more pictures of the area visit the schools history website here.

And an excellent D Day site that is full of useful information.