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.

Pegasus Bridge

Location: At Ranville-Bénouville, half way between Ouistreham (on the coast) and Caen, just off D514.
General Information: Website. Avenue du Major Howard, 14860 Ranville. Tel No: 0(2) 31 78 19 42.  Entrance prices: Adult €6, children over 7 €4.50.  Open from February-November and without a lunchtime closure from April-September.
Description: A smallish museum which retells the full story behind the famous glider attack on Pegasus Bridge, one of the two bridges spanning the Orne River and canal. The museum is very informative and has a film show (available in English – do ask) that gives an excellent overview of the events. Outside in the grounds you can visit the original Pegasus Bridge (which has been replaced across the river with a new bridge) and an actual size model of a glider from the war period.
Our recommendations: For historians this is a fascinating museum and well worth visiting, but bear in mind that there are lots of D-Day museums that can be visited, so you may need to be choosy and pick only those of particular interest. If time permits, stop off at the equally famous Café Gondrée across the road for some refreshments – for aficianados this is full of memorabilia for sale.
For the children: Without wanting to appear sexist, this, like most D-Day sites may be of more interest to male members of the family. Our boys loved it – the girls didn’t, so there may have to be some trade-offs!

    - 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.