The Landing Beaches

Our holiday chateau sits behind a coastline that saw many men arrive in June 1944, a lifetime ago. The fact some never left may seem out of keeping with a holiday spirit but not with the spirit they represented. The sculptor who created the beach side memory you see on the right believed they stood for hope, brotherhood and freedom. The installation is at St Laurent-sur-Mer and well worth a visit to share the feeling this holds, much to be gained from a few moments on that beach.

Normandy Remembers

Neither have the people of Normandy, or France forgotten the landings and the ensuing weeks which saw their country liberated. Apart from individual memories and those shared with their children, they have created others we can share.

There are a few well known museums listed on our Normandy guide, and we would also suggest two which lie close together, the Pegasus Bridge museum and the Grand Bunker museum. They are both a few miles north of Caen, offer a fascinating day for visitors of all ages and sit near to the landing beaches themselves.

Around those beaches and in towns or villages throughout the region, you will also come across smaller museums, often just houses that were used for vital tasks. The scale can continue downward in size but not importance, odd plaques set into walls, or preserved documents framed on a cafe wall, they have stories to tell.

Normandy Celebrates

Every now and then, those stories are brought back to life in more detail. The recent 65th anniversary of the landings is a well known example but there are others. June 6th itself is a good day to see local events and every ten years since 1944, France has celebrated liberty on a wider scale.

We hope you do get the chance to be reminded of the men who landed that day whilst you are at our holiday chateau. During our time there, we have become aware of the shared bond those times created, which still contributes to the welcome people from other shores are given in Normandy. We hope you enjoy that warm spirit, wherever you choose to roam in one of France's finest regions.

A day that gave lasting peace

Something well beyond the D-Day landings began that June 6th, the longest period of stability Europe has known in modern history. One area was dragged back into saddening times for some while but for most of us, disagreements are now settled more rationally.

We have lived through an extended period of unrivalled peace, allowing a Europe to be built which could barely be imagined at the time people from so many nations risked all on our behalf. Remembering what they did is not simply a duty, more a pleasure and a privilege.

  Sculpture for freedom and thought.

  An unusual marriage, a tank and a   boat hull made into a submersible.

  Many reminders even on a casual   walk along the Normandy beaches.