A Memorable Day in Normandy

Nearly 3,000 Allied servicemen, most of them soldiers, lost their lives on D-Day. Every year, millions of people come to see where and how the conflict unfolded. The D-Day landing beaches have since become a symbol of the price of peace throughout the world.

With Parisi Tour, take advantage of a full-day excursion departing from Paris, with lunch on site. Here is a preview of what you can see during this unforgettable day.

Located in the immediate vicinity of the D-Day landing beaches, the Caen Memorial visitor centre is one of the key sites in the history of the Battle of Normandy and the 20th century.

From the origins of World War II to the end of the Cold War, the museum exhibits recount these dark chapters of 20th-century history. Caen, bombed during the summer of 1944, a city liberated but marred by suffering, deserved a tribute commensurate with the hardships endured.

That is the purpose of the Caen Memorial, aiming for perpetual action in the perspective of reconciliation.

During your visit, you'll learn about the historic events that marked the Second World War, from the onslaught of Nazism to the Normandy landings and the Shoah. A number of films ensure that your visit is comprehensive and varied. A special museum area is devoted to the Cold War and press illustrations.

Omaha Beach is infamous for the most devastating and glorious moment in the invasion of Normandy that marked the beginning of the end of the Second World War.

This very long sandy beach stretches as far as the eye can see and remains a silent tribute to D-Day and its victims. Omaha beach is essential to understanding the American invasion of Normandy.

Omaha Beach is home to an impressive war memorial and a museum displaying artillery equipment from the battle. The American cemetery at Colleville sur Mer, just behind Omaha Beach, is a reminder of the importance of the Battle of Normandy.

The nearby town of Bayeux has a larger and even more impressive war museum, with more information on the history of the battle, photos, artillery and other war artefacts.

The Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in France is located in Colleville-sur-Mer, on the site of the temporary American cemetery of Saint-Laurent, established by the First U.S. Army on June 8, 1944, as the first American cemetery on European soil during World War II.

The cemetery site contains the graves of 9,386 of our military personnel who died, most of whom lost their lives during the D-Day landing and the subsequent operations. On the Walls of the Missing, in a semicircular garden located on the east side of the memorial, 1,557 names are inscribed. Rosettes mark the names of those who have been found and identified since then.

The memorial consists of a semi-circular colonnade with a loggia at each end containing large maps and accounts of military operations; in the centre is the bronze statue "Spirit of American Youth Rising from the Waves".

An orientation table overlooking the beach describes the Normandy landings. Looking west from the memorial, you can see the reflecting pool in the foreground; beyond it is the burial area with a circular chapel and, at the far end, granite statues representing the United States and France.

As you can see, this excursion will immerse you in the heart of our history. With Parisi Tour, you will have the opportunity to visit all the essential monuments in the region. For more information, please don't hesitate to contact us.