Normandy Historic Trail

The Transatlantic Council Normandy Historic Trail is a popular choice for this weekend activity. The trail stretches from the American Cemetery at Colleville sur Mer to the beginning of the cliffs in Vierville along the beach. One may no longer hike on the bluffs overlooking the beach due to dangerous conditions. The hike other than tide conditions is basically flat and can be completed in 2 to 3 hours depending on the age and experience of the people on the hike. (It could take all day too). Please take the time to visit and read the inscriptions on the many monuments in the area.

Please pay attention to the tide schedule when it is published. Basically the tides work on 4 six hours cycles.  At high tide the water comes up to the road and there is

no beach. The tide also comes in very fast and not in a straight line. One should not hike either 90 minutes before nor after the published high tide schedule.

There is a Normandy Historic Trail Patch available for purchase for those who complete the trail. The patch costs $4.00. Patches can be pre-ordered so they are at Normandy (use link to order from Scout Shop) and can be presented to those who complete the trail. (this is done by the unit and not at the campfire).

Note about Normandy Historic Trail

When one reads the word "trail" one of course thinks of hiking. For most of the morning on Saturday (and Friday) the trail from Vierville to Colleville is covered by the tide. There is a sidewalk from Vierville to St. Laurent (not far) and towards Colleville (US Cemetery), that one can walk. The trail was originally designed when one could walk the cliffs overlooking the beaches. Those have been closed since 2001 due to erosion. The Normandy Historic Trail is completed by visiting Omaha Beach, the American Cemetery and Pointe de Hoc. This can be done by foot where possible and by vehicle. It is prohibited to walk on the road from Vierville to Pointe de Hoc. Two cars can barely pass on the road and it is the scene of several pedestrian and vehicle accidents (buses, and cars driving too fast). The important part is the history and learning about what happened on D-Day,

Link to this external website for information on what to do and see in Normandy

MUSEUMS

Arromanches   Landing Museum: The permanent landing exhibition is located in front of the very remains of the ordinary artificial port. Models, diorama, film, etc.... Open all year, except from the St. of January to the 22nd of January. Hours are from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (doors close 30 minutes before closing time). Telephone for group rates 0033 231 22 34 31 & fax 0033 231 92 68 83

Bayeux   1944   Memorial Museum   Battle of Normandy   Boulevard Fabian Ware: Retraces the military and human history of the Battle of Normandy, from 7 June to 22 August 1944. Open from 16 March to 31 May and from 1 August to 15 October from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm and from 2:00 pm to 6:30 pm. In June, July and August, from 9:00 am to 7:00 Pm without interruption, from 16 October to 15 March 10:00 am to 12:30 pm and from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm. For information please call: 0033 2 31 92 93 41.

Benouville   Museum of Airbonre Troops: The "Pegasus Bridge" Museum retraces the Historic hours of D Day (6 June 1944) and of the capture of Benouville bridge. Open in March, April, May from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm and from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm; in June, September, and October from 9:30 to 12:30 pm and from 2:00 pm to 7:00 pm; in July and August from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm. Tel:+33 231 4462 54.

Cherbourg   Liberation Museum. Fort du Roule, Tel: +33 233 20 14 12.

Fakause   Museum of the Poche de Falaise Battle, route de Bretagne, chemin des Roches. Open every day from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm and from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm except on Mondays and Tuesdays. Every day in June, July and August. Closed from 1 December to 28 February. Tel: +33 23190 37 19.

Quistreham   Commando 4 Museum, place Alfred Thomas. Tel:+33 231 96 63 10. Open the weekend from Easter to 31 May and October from 9:30 am to 5:30 pm; from 1 June to 30 September, from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm.

The Bunker   Avenue du 6 Juin.

Sainte Marie du Mont   Landing Museum. Tel: +33 233 71 53 35.

Sainte Mere Eglise Museum of Airborne Troops. Tel: +33 233 41 41 35.  (The town of Sainte Mere Eglise is where the Airborne troops liberated the town in the early hours of 6 June). The church was made memorable by having a soldier portrayed by Red Buttons hanging from the roof. (the paratrooper did survive).

Tilly sur Seulles   Museum of the Battle of Tilly. Open every day in June, July and August from 9:00 am to 12:00 am and 2:30 pm to 7:00 pm and in September every day from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm. Tel: +33 231 80 80 26.

Vierville sur Mer   Omaha Exhibition. Open daily from April to September from 10:00 am to 12:00 am and from 2:00 pm. To 7:00 pm. Tel: +33 231 22 43 66. This museum was completely refurbished in 1994 and has become one of the premier museums in the area.

Avranches (the Percee Museum). Hermanville sur Mer, Mervilie Saint Martindes Besaces ("Percee du Bocage" Museum) Surrain.

Memorial, a Museum for Peace , Caen:   An original idea, the history of our century, from 1918 up till today. This trip through history is followed by three audiovisual shows which invite the visitor to reflect upon peace. a completely documented centre completes this museum which is unique of its kind in France. Opening hours from 15 January to 13 December, from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm; in June, July and August from 9:00 am to 10:00 pm. Tel: +33 231 06 06 44.

This is an excellent museum.

Information:

Comite Departemental du Tourisme du Calvodos

Place due Canada

1400 Caen

Tel: (0033) 231 86 53 30

Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Rue Angele Richard

62217 Beaurains

American Cemetery Colleville

St. Laurent

Tel: 0033 231 22 40 62

Must see:  (not in order, in fact I would reverse the order starting with Pointe de Hoc)

1. Longues Battery   very impressive (Easy drive toward Arromanches) Scouts will love the bunkers/observation post with guns intact.

2. Arromanches   British harbor of mulberry (artificial harbor made by concrete boats/old ships).

3. Pointe de Hoc - The Rangers landed at the base of this sheer cliff, scaled it and overcame the defenders. This was an important element to the success at Normandy as the guns from the Pointe de Hoc could easily reach both Omaha and Utah beaches. You will never forget what courage, bravery, teamwork and training to scale the cliff. There is a wonderful visitor center that opened in 2005.

More things to do:

Bayeux Tapestry

From a different era and a different battle, the Bayeux tapestry is perhaps the most famous in the world. The 230 foot long tapestry depicts the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Woven by the women of the Norman court, it is a wonder of early medieval Europe. There is an audio guided tour in 6 languages. The center is located at Centre Guillaume le Conquerant, rue Nesmond in Bayeux. The phone number is 0033 231 51 25 50.

Arromanches 360

This is a 360° theater in Arromanches. You will be plunged into the middle of the D Day action. This theater has received great reviews from visitors to the Normandy area.  I took my two kids when they were nine to it as they really wanted to go (and they should be local experts for the number of times they have been dragged to museum to museum). They thought this one was much too loud and they did not like it and were scared (lots of cannon noise).

Hours: From 10:10 a.m. until 16:40 p.m. with 2 shows per hour at 10 and 40 minutes past the hour.

Utah Beach                        Ste. Marie du Mont

The Normandy Landing Museum opened in 1994. It is an outstanding museum that captures the essence of the D Day landings. This museum also has an excellent reputation. For information about this museum contact Musée du Débarquement Utah Beach (0033 233 71 53 35)

CEMETERIES

American

Saint James (Montjoie-Saint Martin) between Avranches and Fourgères)

Colleville sur Mer (This is the Cemetery where we will be doing the Memorial Service on Sunday). There is a visitor center that opened on D-Day in 2007 that is excellent. If you cannot visit on Sunday with time restraints, it is well worth a visit during your stay.

British

Banneville-Sannerville

Bayeux

Brouay

Cambe en Plaine

Chouain

Douvres la Délivrande

Fontenay le Pesnel

Hermanville sur Mer

Hottot les Bagues

Ranville

Ryes-Bazenville

Saint Manvieu

Secqueville en Bessin

Tilly sur Seulles

St. Charles de Percy

St Désir de Lisieux

French

Le Nécropole des Gateys

Canadian

Bény sur Mer

Cintheaux

Polish

Urville-Langannerie

German

La Cambe  (near Isigny)

St Désir de Lisieux

Marigny

Orglandes

Huisnes sur Mer

Many of these cemeteries are spread throughout Normandy & Brittany

CAR/BUS TOURS

These tours are recommended by the Normandy Tourist Bureau, and are sign posted along the route.

Overlord-L'Assaut  (Overlord-The Assault)  72 kms

This route is designed to help you discover a great many places that marked the 6th June 1994 in the Anglo-Canadian sector from the right bank of the Orne Estuary to Bayeux.

The visitor will first cross the famous Pegasus Bridge at Bénouville, then carry on along the coast following the Sword, Juno, and Gold landing sites as far as Arromanches and the Longues Battery&ldots;finally reaching Bayeux, the first French town to be liberated.

D-Day-Le Choc (D-Day the Onslaught) 130 km

Starting out from Bayeux, this route covers the entire length of the Omaha Sector as far as Carentan. Taking in places like Colleville sur Mer and the Pointe du Hoc, it gives an idea of the violence of the battle and the scale of the American casualties which earned Omaha Beach the nickname, "Bloody Omaha."

The route then follows the hard fought advance of the American troops towards the town of Saint Lô, badly scarred by intensive bombing raids, and then takes the visitor through the marshlands to Carentan where the linkup took place with the troops coming ashore from Utah Beach.

Objectif-un Port (Objective- a Port)  95 kms from Carentan to Cherbourg

This route lets you relive the parachute drop by the American 82nd and 101st Airborne Division around Sainte Mère-Eglise and the landing on Utah Beach at Sainte Marie du Mont. It then invites the visitor to move on to Cherbourg along the route taken by the Allies to cut off the Cotenin Peninsula and capture the deep water port of Cherbourg.

Other car/bus tours that are designated but are further away from our area

L'Affrontement (The Confrontation) 207 kms.   Bénouville-Caen-Vire & return

Cobra-La Percee (Cobra-the Breakout) 174 km  Cherbourg to Avranches

La Contre-Attaque (The Counter-Attack)  209 km  Avranches to Alençon

L'Encerclement (The Encirclement) 162 km. Alençon to Aigle

Le Dénouement (The Outcome) 128 km. Caen to L'Aigle.

Mont St. Michel

Between Brittany and Normandy near the town of Avranches is a world wonder. The peninsula becomes an island during high tide. A famous cathedral dominates the landscape.