Gold Beach

Gold Beach stretches east from the port of Arromanches and includes the villages of Asnelles and Ver-sur-Mer. Action in Arromanches was deliberately avoided on D-Day. This meant it could be kept clear for the floating pre-fabricated Mulberry Harbour that was put in place after the invasion. Aerial and naval bombardments before the troops landed had successfully knocked out some of the strongest German defences. British troops were tasked with attacking Gold Beach and advances around Ver-sur-Mer were generally rapid. At nearby Asnelles the German resistance was stronger. By the end of the day, the Allied forces had practically met the objectives set for them and they were closing in on Bayeux. As a result the troops took control of Bayeux on the morning of 7th June.

Must-See Sites

America Gold Beach Museum (Musée America-Gold Beach) at Ver-sur-Mer

One part of this museum is dedicated to the D-Day Landings on Gold Beach. Another part of the museum commemorates an event in 1927. The first mail-carrying flight from the USA to Europe crash-landed in the sea off Ver-sur-Mer. The aircraft was named America. For more information, you can visit the museum’s website.

Arromanches 360 circular cinema

The cinema is set on the cliffs above Arromanches and looks down onto the remains of the artifical Mulberry port. Here, visitors can watch the film ‘100 Days of Normandy’ on 9 screens including archive footage of the Battle of Normandy. Check out their website and also TripAdvisor reviews for more information.

Arromanches Landings Museum (Musée du Débarquement)

The museum is built on the site of the Mulberry port built by the British. Here you can learn about the challenges of building the port and how it contributed to the victory. The remains of the Mulberry harbour are a few meters offshore and can be seen from inside the museum. Visit the Arromanches Landing Museum website for more information. There is also a memorial to the Royal Engineers who built the harbour. You can visit the memorial on Rue du Calvaire.

Longues-sur-Mer German gun battery

The battery is located between Omaha and Gold beaches and offers a panoramic view over the landing beaches. It formed part of the Atlantic Wall but was subjected to intense air and sea bombardment. It was taken by British troops on 7th June. There’s more information from the Baeyeux Tourist Office here.

Ryes, Bazenville war cemetery

There are over 600 Commonwealth graves in the Ryes War Cemetery.

D-Day Garden in Arromanches

The garden comprises six sculptures and was installed just prior to the 75th anniversary commemorations for D-Day. There’s a story to two of the sculptures that really does make you reflect. Read about my visit here.

British Normandy Memorial

The memorial was officially opened in June 2021. Although the memorial was completed by June 2020, it didn’t open due to the pandemic. The site is in Ver-sur-Mer and overlooks Gold Beach. 22,442 men and women who were under British command are honoured here. It’s therefore a very fitting tribute to those who perished on D-Day and in the Battle of Normandy. You can read more about the British Normandy Memorial.

More Information

For more information you can read the article for an overview of D-Day. Once you’ve done that, you can clicks on the following links for each of the beaches.

Must-See Sites