Hello everyone! I´ve been reading this forum for some time now but now its time to actually post something in hopes that you kind folks will help me and my family out! We´re planning a trip from Sweden to Normandie by car. Our goal is to visit the normandie beaches and surrounding areas, but we are hoping to fill the entire trip with WW2 related stops! This is where you guys come in. I was hoping that some of you maybe could point out some "Must visit" spots along our planned route. The route isnt final yet, but will be very similar if changes are made: The planned trip: Norrköping till Amiens, Frankrike - Google Maps Looking at that planned trip, is there any special WW2 related stops close to our planned route that you guys thinks is a must-visit? Museums, places, special bridges, other WW2 related stuff is what we´re looking for. Any tips are welcome since this is a once in a lifetime trip and although the internet provides one with tons of information, there might be these small jewels when it comes to WW2 museums, places etc. that arnt highly ranked on Google. Please help me and my family plan a great trip!
Hi welcome to the forum. Rather than suggest the usual things like Pointe du Hoc etc.. (which you will find alone) I will suggest some other nice spots between Amiens and Normandy. Near Amiens I suggest the Warluis aviation museum in Beauvais. The while driving towards The Eure department (beginning of Normandie I suggest the Nomrandy Niemen in les Andelys: this is dedicated to the Free French who fough ton the east Front there is even a real Yack aircraft fighter there. I also suggest places like Ouistreham .
Sounds like a great trip. I visited Normandy with my French wife once but tat the wrong time of the summer because the museums were closed and we were on a very limited budget at the time. I would suggest the obvious of visiting the beaches; a simple knowledge of what transpired there while standing in the German positions is museum enough. There are books available with maps of Normandy battles, perhaps they would help. I hear the Airborne museum at St. Mere' Eglise is worth a look. French websites will also be helpful in finding preserved places to see.
Hi and welcome to the forum. If you want some places that tend not to be included on the lists of most visitors to Normandy, then may I suggest: Hill 112, Graignes, and further inland around Mont Ormel. There is a also a museum in Falaise that is well worth a visit (Musée Août 1944), as is the one at Mont Ormel which describes the closing of the Falaise Gap in August 1944. A visit to the Tiger tank on the outskirts of Vimoutiers is also worth a look.
I've been to Caen so many times, even staying in hotels there on a few occasions, but i've never been to the Caen Memorial. It's now added to my list for this years Normandy trip.
Everyone's first stop as part of a trip to Normandy should be one of the cemetaries as suits their nationality. (I went to the American site and cannot recommend it highly enough.) Making that stop first to pay your respects ensures that ALL the other tourist spots are placed in proper perspective.
first of all, thank you everyone for your great and speedy replies! Im going to present these ideas on our scheduled meeting in a couple of weeks so if you think of something please add it! My father is handling the normandy beaches so he´s in charge of learning everything there is to know about those areas. Im in charge of learning everything about market garden, do you have any specific hotspots that are connected to that period? Again, i cant thank you enough for your help on this, like i said, this is probally a once in a lifetime trip and your already helping me improve it!
La Coupole in Saint Omer LA COUPOLE : Musée de la 2nde Guerre mondiale, tourisme, Nord-Pas-de-Calais - St Omer one of my favourite museums
You miss the most important for a Belgian ... the "Battle of the Bulge" area ... and also For Holland "MArket Garden"
