In preparation for the landings, the Germans had built a vast system of fortifications, including large war batteries designed to bombard ships.
Today, many German gun batteries in Normandy are still visible, as are other bunkers that formed part of the Atlantic Wall.
Here’s our selection of the best places to visit.
BEFORE OUR TIPS + PHOTOS
HERE ARE OUR favorites
Our favorite car rental platform with great offers: DiscoverCars
Our favorite places to stay:
Hotel Domain de Bayeux, elegant and central – see photos and availability
Hotel Domaine d’Utah Beach, for the north – see photos and availability
Hôtel Ferme de la Rançonnière, the charm of the countryside – view photos and availability
This guide is completely independent, based on our experiences. We visited the region anonymously, making our own choices and paying our bills in full.
Best German gun batteries in Normandy – quick response
If you don’t have a lot of time, we recommend this:
The Longues-sur-Mer battery: one of the best-preserved batteries in Normandy, still equipped with four 155 mm guns. Near Gold Beach and 30min drive from Omaha Beach
The Azeville battery: a complex battery with numerous bunkers and trenches. A fascinating place to visit. Near Utah Beach
1. Longues-sur-Mer battery
The Longues-sur-Mer Battery. It was a key element of the Atlantic Wall. Today, it is one of the best-preserved sites with its original cannons. Despite the air raids of June 5, 1944, the artillery was still operational on the 6th. It was deactivated by the bombs sent by the warships.
The free walking path takes you to the various buildings with sea views. In addition to a fire command post and four casemates, each housing a 150mm artillery piece, you’ll see mortars and an ammunition bunker.
In our opinion, this is one of the best D-Day sites to visit in Normandy.
- Free access
- Year-round access
- allow 30min
- public parking lot a 5-minute walk away
- 15min drive from Gold Beach
- 30min drive fromOmaha Beach
- Driving time from Bayeux: 15min
STAYING NEAR THE D-Day beaches
Option 1: Bayeux
The most practical option, in our opinion, is to base ourselves in the town of Bayeux. We recommend..:
- Hotel Domaine de Bayeux in an 18th century mansion – see prices, photos and availability
- see all top rated accommodations in Bayeux
Option 2: in the countryside
In the countryside around the D-Day beaches, you will find beautiful buildings with a lot of charm: farms, manors…
- Hotel Domaine d’Utah Beach – prices, pictures and availability
- Hotel Ferme de la Rançonnière – prices, pictures and availability
Option 3: next to one of the beaches
If you’re looking for a seaside holiday or are fascinated by one of the beaches, you can choose a more specific hotel:
- Hotel Villas d’Arromanches in Gold Beach Beach – prices, pictures and availability
- Hotel La Sapinière in Omaha Beach Beach – prices, pictures and availability
2. Azeville battery
Located in the commune of Azeville, 4km from the beach, this battery was invisible from the sea. Its cannons covered the east coast of the English Channel, stretching from the Bay of Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue to the Bay of Veys. This complex battery took 2 years to build, and went into action on June 6, 1944. On June 9, the Azeville garrison surrendered to the American soldiers of the 4th Division.
We found this battery very impressive. It comprises four reinforced concrete casemates. 2 anti-aircraft guns can still be seen. But what sets this battery apart from the others we visited is its network of concrete galleries and covered trenches. Measuring 800m, it provided shelter for ammunition and 170 soldiers.
- audio tour available in 7 languages €8 (€4 for children)
- official website here
- allow 1h
- northern part ofUtah Beach, 15min drive from the beach museum
- Driving time from Bayeux: 50min
3. Crisbecq battery – Saint Marcouf cannons
The Crisbecq Battery is the most powerful artillery battery on the D-Day landing beaches. It’s a unique and unmissable site, as it was here that the 1st cannon shot was fired at dawn on June 6, 1944. This underground battery, with its 22 blockhouses and complex network of trenches and tunnels, was garrisoned by 400 soldiers! We found the tour very comprehensive, allowing us to immerse ourselves in the daily lives of German soldiers in this unusual facility.
- allow 1h to 1h30
- Full adult rate: €10.50 / child rate (6-14 years): €6.50
- official website here
- Annual closure from mid-November to the end of March
- northern part ofUtah Beach, 15min drive from the beach museum
- Driving time from Bayeux: 50min
OUR ADVICE FOR RENTING A CAR IN Normandy
- Compare prices on our preferred platform: DiscoverCars – one of the best rated sites.
- Choose a car that is comfortable enough (distances can be long) but compact (some parking lots and villages are narrow).
- Think of thecomplete insurance (some roads are tortuous and narrow).
- There is a lot of demand, book it early.
4. Pointe du Hoc
Pointe du Hoc was one of the key elements of the German fortifications.
The battery was captured on the morning of June 6, 1944.
Today, you can see how the artillery battery was organized (command post, casemates, shelters).
What’s more, the site offers magnificent views of the cliffs and ocean.
- Allow 1 hour
- Free access
- Free access (except for the visitor center, which closes at 5 or 6 p.m.)
- 20min drive fromOmaha Beach
- Driving time from Bayeux: 35min
5. Merville Battery Museum
In Merville-Franceville-Plage, you’ll find a combined battery and museum. The bunkers withstood numerous bombardment assaults, and were captured with difficulty by the British 9th Parachute Battalion. You’ll find bunker scenes, a Douglas C-47 aircraft and other equipment.
- Location: Merville-Franceville-Plage
- Price: 8 euros for adults, 5 euros for children aged 6 to 14.
- Closing days: open daily, closed from November 15th to March 15th
- allow 2h
- official website here
- 20 min drive Sword Beach (Ouistreham)
- Driving time from Bayeux: 45min
USE OUR GUIDE TO PLAN A
DREAM TRIP TO Normandy
All the information you need for your trip:
- 8 maps that make planning easier
- 160+ pre-selected locations
- Practical advice
- 300+ photos to help you choose
Other batteries and bunkers in Normandy
Not all blockhouses were complete batteries.
Here are some other places with bunkers we recommend visiting, if you’re interested in these structures.
Le Grand Bunker Museum
This museum is one of the few authentic blockhouses preserved in France. The centerpiece of the Atlantic Wall (or Atlantikwall in German), the Great Bunker is one of the many fortifications built under the authority of Adolf Hitler to prevent an Allied invasion during the Second World War.
Fascinated by the history of the D-Day landings, the museum’s founders and owners, Fabrice and Brigitte Corbin, have done a remarkable job of retracing the history of the Atlantic Wall and the daily lives of German soldiers up to D-Day on June 6, 1944. In our opinion, this museum is a must-see if you’re visiting Ouistreham. It’s an ideal starting point for discovering the D-Day landing beaches. Official website here.
Allow 1 hour.
Read our article on the Grand Bunker in Ouistreham.
Hillman Fortified Site
Built by Hitler’s army between 1942 and 1944, the Hillman fortification was a major military defense installation during the Second World War in Normandy. The 24-hectare site comprises 18 structures, including a museum housed in a bunker. We were able to walk through the trenches, and explore the estate’s many buildings.
Members of the association Les Amis du Suffolk Regiment have been reconstructing the German site over several years since 1989. On D-Day, this strategic blockhouse was targeted by the Allies. The following day, June 7 1944, it was liberated thanks to the intervention of the Suffolk Regiment.
Allow 30min.
Radar Station 44 Museum
Radar Station 44, like the other radar stations on the Atlantic Wall, played an important role in monitoring and defending the coastline against Allied air and naval attacks. Learn more about radar equipment and its performance, and what life was like for German soldiers in the bunkers. We found this immersion in radar warfare very rewarding.
Official website here.
Allow 1 to 2 hours, depending on your interest in speed cameras.
Maisy Battery
The Maisy battery was buried, which enabled it to withstand Allied bombardment. Built in 1942, it was equipped with four 155 mm cannons designed to bomb the beaches of Utah and Omaha. It was taken by the American Rangers on June 9, 1944, after a fierce five-hour battle.
Long forgotten, it is once again accessible with its 3km of trenches and tunnels.
Allow 1 hour.
WN62 Omaha Beach
If you’re only going to Omaha Beach and don’t have time to make a detour to see the Longues-sur-Mer battery, not far from the cemetery you’ll come across the road to bunker WN62. Perched on a promontory high above the vast expanse of sand, it faces the sea. You’ll see 2 bunkers and machine gun emplacements, shelters and memorials to soldiers.
Free access.
MORE ABOUT THE D-Day sites
- The best landing sites to visit
- Visit the 5 D-Day landing beaches
- Where to stay – best hotels near the beach
- The best D-Day museums in Normandy
- German batteries to visit
- Car rental tips: Caen – Roissy-CDG – Orly – Beauvais
- Visit Omaha Beach
- Visit Utah Beach
- Visit Gold Beach
- Visit Sword Beach
- Visit Juno Beach (coming soon)
