80th anniversary of D-Day

Bandeau 80ème anniversaire de la bataille de Normandie

After having had the pleasure of welcoming so many of you during the 2023 season, we are now preparing for the 2024 season.

And this new year promises to be full of emotions… and History!
Normandy will be commemorating and celebrating the 80th anniversary of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy. Our entire region will be honouring the memory of the men and women who came from all over the world to liberate Europe.

So as part of our collective duty to remember, we are painting this page in the colours of the 80th anniversary.

Every day, we are lucky enough to be able to admire Omaha beach, now peaceful and synonymous with holidays and happiness shared with family, friends, couples or ourselves. But it’s important to remember, as we approach this anniversary, that behind this postcard landscape, one of the most important events in the history of our region and our country was played out. The sectors of Charlie and Dog Green (Vierville-sur-Mer) saw a whole section of the Allied youth who had come to liberate them die under enemy bullets, allowing the young people who followed to enjoy this new-found freedom.

We are the generations that followed and that have a duty to remember. We know your attachment to the history that took place and continues to live at the foot of our campsite. That’s why we’re going to share with you information about this international event, the 80th anniversary of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy.

Events

evenements dday

With 94 memorial sites and places to visit – 44 museums, 21 memorials and natural sites and 29 cemeteries – throughout Normandy, the opportunities to immerse yourself in the history of our region and our country, and to participate in the duty of remembrance, are almost unlimited.

The year 2024 will be marked by numerous events commemorating and celebrating the 80th anniversary of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy. These events are therefore expected to take place between 1 March and 15 October 2024.

As the calendar of events for the D-Day is not yet officially known, regular updates will be made on this page to keep you informed of the events planned during your stay at the campsite.

dday festival

Organised by the 7 tourist offices of the D-Day landing beaches, the D-Day Festival is back this year and will feature parachute drops, military camp re-enactments, liberation balls, a bagpipe parade and more.

Over a hundred festive, cultural and family events will be on offer to Normandy residents and tourists to celebrate freedom and peace.

The D-Day Festival Normandy takes place along the entire coastline of the D-Day Landings and the Battle of Normandy, from Pegasus Bridge to Sainte-Mère-Eglise, including Ouistreham, Arromanches, the Pointe du Hoc, and of course the five emblematic areas of Utah Beach, Omaha Beach, Gold Beach, Juno Beach and Sword Beach.

Ceremonies

cérémonies dday

Many of us, campers and staff alike, have turned on our televisions or plugged in our phones and computers on 6 June over the last few decades to watch the national and/or international ceremonies organised each year to commemorate the various anniversaries of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy.

Every year, Normandy remembers those who lost their lives on its soil, but also those who survived and brought peace to the world. Ceremonies are organised in the presence of veterans and their families, local and presidential authorities and invited guests.

This year, 2024, will be marked by the 80th anniversary of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy. And we now know that the international ceremony will take place on Omaha beach. After hosting the 50th anniversary ceremony, the village of Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer has been chosen to celebrate this anniversary, thought to be the last in the company of the men and women who took part in the war effort.

You can find all the information about the ceremonies on this page as soon as they become official. We will also inform you of the various traffic arrangements, timetables and other necessary information.

Places to visit

Normandy remains a land of memories and tributes. The museums, memorials and cemeteries that exist are proof of this desire to never forget what happened nearly 80 years ago. Many of you will be interested in discovering the places that are important to the people of Normandy and to tourists from all over the world.

Here is a (non-exhaustive) list of places to visit in the vicinity of the campsite.

D-Day Omaha

Thousands of original pieces on display in the heart of Omaha Beach in an authentic American period building. Situated between the American Cemetery and Pointe du Hoc, this museum presents a unique collection assembled over nearly fifty years by a passionate father, now deceased, leaving his two sons with the duty of perpetuating this work of remembrance.

D-Day Omaha
Route de Grandcamp
14710 VIERVILLE-SUR-MER
Tél. : +33 (0)2 31 21 71 80

Mémorial de Caen

As soon as you arrive at the Caen Memorial you will be transported to 1939, in the area dedicated to the Second World War. Throughout the tour, period costumes, photos and objects are on display, while videos immerse you completely in history… In front of you, a moving photograph and a globe show you the borders dreamed of by Germany in 1943.

Stop off in the room devoted to the D-Day landings to find out all about the Battle of Normandy. Take the opportunity to watch the D-Day film “The Battle of Normandy: 100 days that changed the world”. Passing through the gardens of the Memorial, descend into General Richter’s Underground Bunker to relive the last moments of the German commander and his team.

Although the Caen Memorial is well known for retracing the history of the Second World War, the post-1945 world and the Cold War are also chronicled here. You will find real vestiges of the Cold War such as remains of parts of planes, a thermonuclear bomb and even a nuclear warhead… Don’t miss the two sections of the Berlin Wall brought back intact from the German capital!

Le Mémorial de Caen
Esplanade Général Eisenhower
CS 55026
14050 CAEN
Tél. : +33 (0)2 31 06 06 45

Arromanches 360°

An immersive film, unique in France, that plunges you into the Battle of Normandy. Come and discover the circular cinema located on the heights of Arromanches. Nine 360° screens, immersing you in archive images, most of which have never been seen before, from Canadian, American, German, British and French archives. A film that pays tribute to the combatants of all nations and to the 20,000 civilians killed during the 100 days of terrible fighting in Normandy.

Arromanches 360 – Cinéma Circulaire
Chemin du Calvaire
14117 ARROMANCHES-LES-BAINS
Tél. : +33 (0)2 31 06 06 45

Overlord Museum

Situated 500 metres from the Normandy American Cemetery of Colleville-sur-mer and the famous Omaha Beach, OVERLORD MUSEUM presents a unique collection of over 10,000 items, retracing the history of the Battle of Normandy right up to the liberation of Paris. The 6 armies involved are brought to life in life-size re-enactments, with personal effects by soldiers and more than 40 vehicles, tanks and cannons.

Overlord Museum Omaha Beach
Rond-point d’accès du Cimetière Américain
Lotissement Omaha Center
14710 COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER
Tél. : +33 (0)2 31 22 00 55

D-Day Experience

Discover the D-Day Experience and its different areas: two museums, an immersive attraction unique in the world, a giant screen 3D cinema, a memorial dedicated to airborne troops, a souvenir shop and a military antiques shop. Spread over more than 10,000 m², our site invites you to live an incredible experience combining education and entertainment following the principle of “edutainment”, in the heart of a place steeped in history.

D-Day Experience Normandy
2 Village de l’Amont
50500 SAINT-CÔME-DU-MONT
Tél. : +33 (0)2 33 23 61 95

Airborne Museum

Just a few kilometres from Utah Beach, the Airborne Museum in Sainte-Mère-Eglise is located on the church square where paratrooper John Steele hangs. Through its 4 buildings with a modern, interactive and spectacular scenography, the museum guides you in the footsteps of the American paratroopers of D-Day.

Climb aboard a genuine Waco glider, the only one of its kind in France, or a C-47 aircraft like the paratroopers of the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions flew in the Battle of Normandy. The museum’s objects come to life in hyper-realistic reconstructions. You’ll have the sensation of jumping out of a C-47 aircraft in mid-air to land in the heart of the village of Sainte-Mère-Eglise, or fighting in the flooded marshes during the Battle of La Fière, or getting lost in the Normandy bocage during the Battle of Les Haies…

The museum’s film “The Paths to Liberty” projected in the large cinema room explains with emotion the destinies of the men who came to Utah Beach, Omaha Beach, Gold Beach, Juno Beach and Sword Beach as well as the highlights of the air landings. and maritime.

And to accompany you throughout your visit, the HistoPad tablet will take you back in time. Thanks to its hyper-realistic 3D graphics, the museum’s aircraft and objects come to life! Experience the paratroopers who landed on the church square, witness the decisive battles that marked history and many other surprises… Immersion is guaranteed!

Airborne Museum
14 rue Eisenhower
50480 SAINTE-MÈRE-EGLISE
Tél. : +33 (0)2 33 41 41 35

Cimetières 80ème anniversaire

The Normandy landings on 6 June 1944 were the first day of the Battle of Normandy. The fighting in Normandy had lasted for almost 3 months and many families back home had received terrible news from the front: their son, husband or father had been killed, wounded in action or was missing.

At the end of the Battle of Normandy, the Allies suffered more than 200,000 casualties and the Germans between 300,000 and 450,000. The end of the war in Normandy marked the beginning of the final burials in this land of war.

Today, 29 cemeteries represent the ultimate sacrifice for these families. They are an indelible reminder of the horror of the Second World War. Visiting these cemeteries will allow you to put a name, an age or a country to all the men and women who fell in Normandy.

The Normandy American Cemetery

Located in the village of Colleville-sur-mer, the Normandy American Cemetery overlooks Omaha beach. More than 9,300 American servicemen and civilians are buried there. More than 1,500 people are honoured in the Garden of the Missing. It is managed and maintained by the American Battle Monuments Commission.

A visitors’ centre features a permanent exhibition presenting the Commission’s mission, the missions and operations of the American forces and portraits of servicemen and civilians buried and honoured in the cemetery.

Opening hours:

  • 1 April to 30 September: 9am – 6pm last admission at 5.45pm
  • 1 October to 31 March: 9am – 5pm last admission at 4.45pm

Free admission – pets not allowed

Bayeux War Cemetery - British Military Cemetery

Located in the town of Bayeux, the British Military Cemetery has a total of more than 4,600 graves. Although it carries the name “British”, this cemetery is the final resting place of British, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand, Russian and German soldiers, as well as soldiers from other countries. It is maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Opening hours:

  • Open 24 hours a day

Free admission – pets not allowed

La Cambe German Military Cemetery

Located in the village of La Cambe, the German Military Cemetery is the burial place of more than 21,000 German soldiers. The cemetery is administered by the Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge, the German War Graves Commission. In September 1996, the Peace Garden was created and 1,200 maple trees symbolising peace were planted. Each tree was financed by a donor.

A reception and information centre features a trilingual exhibition dealing with themes such as Man in Wartime, the individual responsibility of soldiers, war crimes, military graves, the meaning of commemorations and the work of remembrance.

Opening hours:

  • April 1 to October 31: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
  • 1 November to 31 March: 8.30am to 5pm
  • Saturdays and Sundays: 9am to 5pm or 7pm depending on the season

Free admission – pets not allowed

Beny-sur-mer Canadian War Cemetery

Located just a few minutes from Courseulles-sur-mer, the Bény-sur-mer Canadian Military Cemetery was created to permanently regroup the bodies of more than 2,000 soldiers killed during the Battle of Normandy. It is maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Opening hours:

  • Open 24 hours a day

Free admission – pets not allowed

Campsite map

After opening the first reservations on May 15, 2023, the Campsite is currently full of rentals and pitches with electricity. We now only offer “nature” pitches without electricity, created for the occasion in a reserved plot, right next to the campsite.

If you want to live the experience of this 80th anniversary of the Landing and the Battle of Normandy as closely as possible, don’t hesitate any longer and reserve your pitch online for a minimum of 4 nights above this legendary place that is Omaha Beach.

Museum packs

Would you like to take advantage of your stay to discover the history of the landing with preferential rates?