Howdy all. I will be travelling to Normandy in November for a few days. We'll be touring the beaches, but I'd love some ideas/suggestions/must-sees of other things in the area. For instance, I'd love to see Brecourt Manor but is that possible? Wouldn't want to upset the current residents after all. If anyone could send some thoughts my way I would appreciate it.
Thanks,
P2

P2, I have a number of suggestions buried in the boards. Please try a search, and if that doesn't work, I'll repeat. Good luck, Doug

Was there this time last year.

The museums go without saying. St Mere Eglise has a great surplus store called "The Static Line". A memorable view is to be had at the Longues Sur Mer Battery at twilight. It was peaceful watching the sun go down while in one of the bunkers overlooking the channel.

I recommend eating in the little restaurants and bakeries off the side streets of towns like Arromanches, St Mere, etc...friendly people, and great sights.

Don't forget to take a "BofB" picture in front of the memorial in Ste Marie Du Mont. This is across the street from the entrance to the church.

The Longues sur mer battery is a definite must see. Make sure you take the walk down to the observation post on the cliff edge. That really is something else.

The American cemetary also requires a visit. If you are in a car then as you leave the cemetary there is a road immediatly to the left which leads to a car park. Leave the car there and on the beach side of the car park is a road. Follow it downhill for about 50 metres and you will come to a track on your left. You should be able to see a memorial infront of you. Walk towards it and a quick scout around will reveal various underground bunkers which you can access. (Take a torch!) From here you will see evidence of trenches leading down the hill towards Omaha beach and another big memorial. Head to that one.

You will now be standing on a huge concrete bunker overlooking the whole of Omaha beach. From here it's fairly simple to continue down the bluff through a few more bunkers and around the remains of a few Tobruks. Keep following the track down to the beach, through a car park and you will find yourself by the remains of the sea wall, looking up at the bluff and all the gun emplacements you have just passed.

Brecourt is fairly simple to get to. From the Utah beach museam follow the road inland, At the first major crossroads, turn right towards Le Grand Chemin and then take the first left. This will be signposted for Brecourt. Follow the road to a bend where there will be a farm entrance on the left and a field entrance on the right. This is the field where the battle took place. 105's in the hedgerow on the right, MG's in the hedgerow on the left.

At this point it's up to you if you wish to enter the field. If you can get permission then great if not then probably don't bother as there is not a lot to see that you cant see in any other field any where else in the world and I'm really not sure about French trespass laws. You can see all you need to see from the road.

Pegasus Bridge is well worth a visit and the Merville battery is just up the road but if you're pushed for time forget Merville and go to Longues sur Mer instead.

I hope you let us know your experiences too, because I will be visiting Normandy in june next year.

So many places and so little time, Point Du Hoc, Id recommend to folks, check out the craters around the tops of the cliffs, you almost dissapear.

And then you have so many cemeteries to visit, Ranville is a must if your British and interested in the Brit airborne landings.

Andy

This might be a silly question to ask but I wanted to know if it's possible to visit some of the battle sights such as Bastogne and St Mere du Mont etc.Excuse my lack of knowhow here!
Miriam

There's no such thing as a silly question so don't worry about that.

The whole of Normandy is a battle site, if you researched in enough detail you would find actions on nearly every road and in every field. You need to be a little more specific.

Bastogne is in Belgium about 700km away, however the area is riddled with remnents of war, fox holes up in the woods being the most obvious.

Are you looking for anything in particular or just battlefields in general? If so then try Pegasus bridge and the Merville battery or just take a walk along Omaha beach.