Planning a visit to Omaha Beach American Cemetery? A must-see when visiting Normandy, we plunged into the heart of the Second World War. We’ll never forget our visit to the site, as we were struck by the intensity of the surroundings.
The cemetery is home to 9387 graves of American soldiers who died during the Second World War, and the names of 1557 missing soldiers are engraved in the Garden of the Missing. Also known as D-Day, the Normandy landings of June 6, 1944 resulted in heavy losses, to which this estate pays tribute.
In this article, we share our experience and photo tips for discovering the area and its memorials.
This review is completely independent, we visited anonymously and paid our entrance tickets in full.
Why visit Normandy American Cemetery?
Is the American Cemetery worth it? Our opinion:
Visiting this cemetery is both a moving and rewarding experience. It’s a solemn, poignant tribute to the sacrifices of the American soldiers who fell on D-Day. We were confronted with the terrible reality when we visited the site. By observing these thousands of tombs, we have humanized these individuals and established a connection with the deceased. It’s a place where we’ve reflected on the values of peace and gratitude to those who gave their lives for freedom. We highly recommend a visit to Normandy American Cemetery, as it will be one you’ll never forget.
Why is the Colleville-sur-Mer American Cemetery famous?
Normandy American Cemetery’s reputation extends worldwide. This historic site is home to 9387 headstones of American soldiers who fell during the Normandy Landings in 1944, and the names of 1557 missing soldiers are engraved in the Garden of the Missing. Faced with the cemetery’s impeccably manicured paths, we became aware of our duty to remember. We stood among the rows of graves and in the memorial garden, and thanked the men who died to liberate Normandy.
Situated at the top of a cliff, the site overlooks Omaha Beach. It offered us a breathtaking view of the D-Day beach, which reinforced its symbolic character. If you’d like to learn more about the history of the 20th century, and in particular the Second World War, we recommend you read our article on the Caen Memorial.
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)
A little history
The Battle of Normandy was one of the most important and decisive military campaigns of the Second World War. It began with the Allied landings on June 6, 1944, and continued until the capture of Le Havre on September 12 (100 days after D-Day). The confrontation was marked by fierce fighting and heavy losses on both sides. In the end, it was a crucial step towards the defeat of Nazi Germany and the liberation of Europe.
The Colleville-sur-Mer American Cemetery opened its doors to the public on July 18, 1956. It has hosted numerous commemorations. Since 1978, every American president has visited the site to commemorate the soldiers who died to liberate Europe.
Useful tips and maps – American Cemetery (Omaha Beach), France
Where is the American Cemetery?
Normandy American Cemetery is located Route du Cimetière américain (14710) in Colleville-sur-Mer, Calvados, Normandy. It overlooks the Omaha Beach landing zone.
- Driving time from Rouen: 2h,
- Driving time from Evreux: 2h15,
- Driving time from Caen: 45min
- Driving time from Alençon: 1h50,
- Driving time from Cherbourg: 1h.
Here is a map to help you find your way:
How to get there
The city is not easily accessible by public transport. There is no railway station on site. If you decide to come by train, we advise you to get off at Bayeux. It’s the nearest Normandy conurbation served by train. However, you’ll have to take the Nomad bus line 120 to get to the cemetery.
See available timetables and book your train and coach tickets now.
If you’re coming from further afield and have decided to fly, we recommend landing at Beauvais airport rather than the huge Paris airports. In this way, you can bypass the hustle and bustle of the capital. You can then rent a car at Beauvais airport. This is the fastest way to reach Colleville-sur-Mer.
We strongly recommend that you drive to the American Cemetery. Whether you’re coming from Caen, Bayeux, Sword Beach or Gold Beach, you won’t encounter any traffic problems. You’ll have to join the N13 main road. The site will then be clearly indicated.
Having a car is a real advantage when visiting Normandy American Cemetery, as it makes it easier to get to the other D-Day beaches, for example. Take a look at our article listing the 10 best excursions from Bayeux.
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.
Would you like to learn a lot about the D-Day landings in as little time as possible? We recommend an organized tour departing from Deauville, Bernay, Le Havre, Rouen, Honfleur or other towns in Normandy.
Consult our organized tours of the D-Day landing beaches.
Parking
The cemetery has a large free dedicated parking lot. However, during busy periods, it can fill up very quickly.
Depending on your vehicle category, you’ll need to park closer to the parking lot entrance.
Best time to visit Normandy American Cemetery
The Omaha Beach American Cemetery is a must-see on any tour following in the footsteps of D-Day. As you can see, if you want to avoid the busiest times of the year, we recommend avoiding the summer period and other school vacations. In summer, peak traffic is between 10 and 11 am and between 3 and 4 pm. It’s best to visit early in the morning or late in the afternoon.
We also advise you to avoid the D-Day anniversary (June 6), as well as other major official events, such as Memorial Day, which takes place on the last Monday in May.
What’s more, most of your visit will take place outdoors. There are very few interiors to visit at the cemetery. You’ll need to take weather conditions into account to get the most out of the experience. The view from the lookout on Omaha Beach is best enjoyed on a sunny day.
Tips: map and directions
To discover the cemetery, you don’t necessarily need to follow a specific route. The main focus will be on exploring the exterior of the estate, as there will be few interiors to see, with the exception of the visitors’ building.
For our part, we started with the visitor center, which gave us a gentle introduction to the history of the Second World War. We then moved on to the viewpoint, which offered a magnificent panorama of Omaha Beach below. After a while, we set off again.
Seized by the vision of rows of white crosses stretching endlessly before our eyes, we slowly crossed the cemetery. We were struck by the sheer number, with over 9,000 gravestones facing us. At the crossroads, we stopped for a moment to admire the chapel and its colorful ceiling.
When we reached the end of the cemetery, we discovered two large granite figures that seemed to be watching over the graves. We then headed up the main thoroughfare to the memorial and its bronze statue. Hidden behind the building, we crossed the Garden of the Missing. Before leaving, we couldn’t resist taking one last look at the view from the belvedere.
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Length of visit and main difficulties
We recommend you allow at least 2 hours to visit Normandy American Cemetery.
Most of the site is open-air, and a lot of walking is involved. The paths and floors are very well maintained, but not ideal for people with reduced mobility. We didn’t find any benches to rest on on the course. We also noted the presence of stairs in the Visitor Center, and small steps in the chapel and memorial.
Schedules and prices
Schedules:
- open from 9am to 6pm from April to September,
- open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from October to March.
Admission to the cemetery is free for all.
Guided tours
Normandy American Cemetery offers a free guided tour, lasting 45 to 60 minutes, in English or French. You’ll need to meet the guide at the lookout, the starting point for the route.
Are you curious and want to learn more about the D-Day landings? We highly recommend a full-day guided tour. Thanks to a qualified guide, you’ll be able to relive this period of history. These tours are a real advantage, as you’ll have the opportunity to discover several historical points of interest, such as the Juno Beach Center.
Whether your starting point is Paris, Caen, Bayeux, Rouen, Le Havre or Cherbourg, you’ll find THE route to suit your needs.
Consult our guided tours of the D-Day Landings.
The American Cemetery (Omaha Beach) with children
The cemetery is not particularly suitable for children. It does not offer any activities for families.
Nevertheless, we think it’s an important place for younger visitors to discover, as it bears witness to a part of our shared history. It’s vital to share with them the values of peace and the duty of remembrance.
Catering
There are no restaurants in the cemetery, but you’ll be close to several Normandy towns where you can find restaurants.
Depending on your tastes, we recommend the following:
- Restaurant L’Embusqué (Vierville-sur-Mer): housed in an old bus, this restaurant offers simple dishes based on local produce in a highly original setting!
- Restaurant La Sapinière (Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer): simple, high-quality cuisine with good flavors in a warm atmosphere.
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
The museum, visitor center and reflecting pool
The first stop on our tour of the American Cemetery was the Visitor Center. It also served as a museum, with exhibitions on the D-Day landings and the Battle of Normandy. We thought this was a very pertinent introduction. As we walked through the building, we gradually immersed ourselves in this historic period.
Divided into 2 floors, the visitor center features exhibits on the subject of the Second World War, and a Gallery of Sacrifice that honors the memory of the war dead. Before being confronted with the sight of rows of graves, we thought it would be interesting to give visitors a little historical background.
We were able to learn more about the transport used on D-Day: landing ships, jeeps, tanks, aircraft and in particular the Douglas C-47 model. The museum features historical objects and a short film. The exhibition also looks at the impact of this event on certain towns in Normandy, which were partially or completely destroyed. We found this immersion enriching, but we were ready to see what would happen next.
As we left the site, we walked along the visitor center pond at the exit of the building. We enjoyed the reflections of the clouds in the water. The scene was full of poetry. On the horizon, we could even make out the sea. Thanks to the knowledge we had just digested, we could imagine the American soldiers landing on Omaha Beach just a few meters away.
The belvedere
We continued our tour towards the belvedere, which we were looking forward to discovering. Once there, we discovered a map of Omaha Beach pointing down to the beach below. We could contemplate it from this promontory, which offered an incredible panorama of the Bloody Omaha . This nickname reflects the harshness of the fighting. We imagined the boats of soldiers arriving on the horizon on June 6, 1944. Bearers of hope and liberation, they could not have known that the battle would be so terrible, and that heavy losses of life would ensue.
Today, the site looks so peaceful that it’s hard to imagine such a tragic period in history. Nature has long since reclaimed its rights and covered up the traces of the past. The cemetery is of the utmost importance, commemorating the soldiers who fought to liberate Europe from the Nazi yoke. The belvedere added a visual and emotional dimension to our visit to the site. We contemplated a landscape that was at once dramatic, poetic and captivating.
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Walk the aisles of the 10 tomb squares
Get ready, because the next stage of your visit is sure to be the most difficult. As we strolled down the aisles of Lasa’s white marble tombstones, we really felt the atmosphere. As we read the names engraved on the graves, we became aware of the individuality of each life lost. We also tried to imagine their lives, and to slip into their shoes. Would we have been so brave?
Precisely aligned and facing west, the graves contain the remains of 9387 fallen soldiers. So many lives sacrificed to liberate Europe from German domination, it terrified us. We learned that the bodies were turned in the direction of their country of origin. The graves are decorated with Latin crosses or Stars of David, depending on the religion of the deceased.
The tragic fate of Theodore Roosevelt’s sons
On June 6, 1944, General Theodore Roosevelt Junior, eldest son of the 26th American President, led the first wave of the assault on Utah Beach in the English Channel. He died of a heart attack on July 12, 1944 at the age of 54. We found that he was buried in the American Cemetery next to his younger brother Quentin, who himself died in the First World War. We were struck by the tragic fate of these brothers, who died one war apart.
Julius and Ludwig Peiper reunited at last
The Normandy American Cemetery welcomed the remains of Julius Pieter in 2018. After 74 years apart, the soldier was reunited with his twin brother Ludwig, who died the same day off Omaha Beach. We discovered that Julius’ body had been found in the wreckage of a ship in 1961. It took several decades before his remains were finally identified. We were inspired by the story’s ending, which has a strong symbolic dimension.
Symbolic statues
At the far end of the cemetery, we discerned two silhouettes perched on pedestals firmly anchored in the ground. As we got closer, we saw that the statues were facing the graves. Their eyes were drawn to the graves, and they seemed to be watching the place.
One represents France, the other the United States. These two Italian granite statues from Baveno stand proudly to the west of the central aisle. They are united in adversity, as were the Allies during the Second World War.
The chapel and its mosaic ceiling
At the crossroads of the cemetery alleys, we spotted the chapel of the American Cemetery. This building, with its circular architecture, appealed to us for its originality. We could see English words engraved on the top. It blended in perfectly with the scenery, and didn’t disturb the tranquillity of the site. We stepped forward to enter the monument.
Once inside, we gazed up at the colorful mosaic on the ceiling. Can you understand what it symbolizes? It represented America blessing her sons who had gone to war, and France laying a laurel wreath over the dead. We were touched by this work of art, which paid tribute to the soldiers in the most poetic of ways.
The memorial and its bronze statue
We walked up the central aisle to the next stage of our visit: the memorial. In front of the building, a pool reflected the sky. We found the scene very beautiful, as it reinforced our sense of calm. It also symbolized the fate of soldiers who died at sea and have now returned to heaven. We then took the few steps that separated us from the memorial.
Impressed by the 7-metre-high bronze statue in front of us, we took our time to reflect. We have another question for you. Can you work out what it symbolizes? She embodies the spirit of American youth rising from the waves. We noticed that it faced west towards the tombs. We were deeply moved by the symbolic significance of this masterpiece.
On the arched walls of the memorial, we discovered maps of the D-Day landing beaches. They made us realize that the configuration of the Normandy region was ideal for launching such an assault, combining sea, sky and land.
The Garden of the Missing
Just behind the memorial, we crossed the Garden of the Missing. The names of 1,557 soldiers who went missing in action are inscribed on the garden walls. These engraved stone tablets pay tribute to the soldiers who lost their lives in the region. A bronze rosette marks the names of those whose remains were subsequently discovered, identified and buried. We put ourselves in the shoes of the families of the missing, which must have been very hard to accept. It’s an important place, because it’s where they can come to celebrate the memory of loved ones who have died in battle.
PLAN YOUR TRIP TO Normandy
Inspiration destinations
- Deciding where to go in Normandy – the best destinations
- Our weekend ideas: best-of, romantic, unusual, seaside, luxury, family
- 16 seaside hotels in Normandy
- The most beautiful charming hotels in Normandy
Best of
Practice
- Where to stay in Normandy – best places and hotels
- See our tips for renting a car at CDG airport, Orly airport, Beauvais airport, Caen, Rouen, Bayeux…
What to do in Omaha Beach, around the cemetery
Looking for your next destination nearby? We can recommend other fascinating sites along the Normandy coast to complete your World War II experience. Coming soon, our article on must-do activities at Omaha Beach.
The beach and its sculpture
Omaha Beach is the largest and probably best-known of the D-Day landing beaches. 34,000 American troops landed here on June 6, 1944. Bloody Omaha is one of the beaches with the highest loss of life, with 2,400 dead. Still, it’s one of the most photographed, along with the sculpture “The Braves”. It is made up of 3 elements: “Wings of Hope”, “Stand Up for Freedom” and “Wings of Fraternity”. Created by Anilore Banon, it was installed in 2004 for the 60th commemoration.
Bunker WN62
Continuing along Omaha Beach towards Colleville-sur-Mer beach, you’ll come across the road to bunker WN62. Perched on a promontory high above the vast expanse of sand, it faces the sea. We recommend a visit to complete your WWII-themed tour. This immersion in the heart of a German defense point that was supposed to counter the Normandy Landings in June 1944 left a lasting impression on us.
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.
And lots of museums
Still not completely satisfied? Don’t worry, we’ve put together a detailed article on the 7 best D-Day museums. To give you a taste, here are our 4 favorites:
- Airborne Museum (Utah) Dedicated to the American airborne troops who parachuted in June 1944, you’ll relive D-Day in total immersion, from its preparation by the Allies to the (re)conquest of freedom.
- Caen Memorial Museum With its interactive exhibits, historical documents and moving eyewitness accounts, the Caen Memorial will give you a deeper understanding of the Second World War and the Cold War.
- the Overlord Museum (Omaha): close to the American Cemetery, this is one of the richest museums in terms of D-Day and war artifacts, with a child-friendly museography.
- Utah Beach Landing Museum: built on a former German bunker, this museum is organized chronologically, covering strategy, preparations, the history of D-Day (routes, liaison between divisions, etc.) and the outcome of the landings.
And the other landing beaches
After seeing Omaha Beach, would you like to discover the other D-Day beaches? Take a look at our article on the 5 D-Day landing beaches, and decide on your next destination. They’re all must-sees on a trip to Normandy. Their story is both heartbreaking and inspiring.
All our tips in this article were put into words with the help of Elisa.
