La Vélomaritime : de Courseulles-sur-Mer à Ouistreham

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Situated on the beach at Courseulles-sur-Mer, the Juno Beach Centre is the only Canadian museum on the D-Day beaches. Founded by Canadian veterans in 2003, this memorial pays tribute to the 45,000 Canadians who lost their lives during the Second World War, including 5,500 during the Battle of Normandy and 381 on D-Day. Visitors are welcomed by young, bilingual Canadian guides, who passionately share the history and legacy of Canadian soldiers. Combining history, immersion and emotion, the permanent exhibition traces Canada’s civilian and military war effort during the Second World War through five exhibition rooms and two films. It also offers a window onto Canada today. Artefacts, photographs, archives and personal accounts offer a moving experience, placing people at the heart of the exhibition. At the heart of this space, the ‘Explore Juno’ exhibition for young visitors invites families to discover Canada through specially adapted displays and educational digital games. New: Audio guide in six languages (FR, EN, NL, DE, IT and ES) available on your mobile for €2. Average duration of visit: 1 hour 30 minutes. The temporary exhibition ‘My Childhood, 1939–1945’ explores the daily lives of children in Normandy and Canada during the Second World War. Average duration of visit: 30 minutes. From April to October, a guided tour of the bunkers, led by a young Canadian guide, offers an insight into the evolution of the Atlantic Wall defences and the history of the Canadian landings at Juno Beach. The tour includes a command post and an observation bunker built during the German occupation. Tour duration: 45 minutes. The Juno Beach Centre combines remembrance, sustainable development and more responsible tourism.

This jetty used to have a twin. But both jetties were destroyed at the beginning of the war by the Germans. The materials were mostly reused to build the fishermen’s pier in Luc-sur-mer.

Cross measuring over 18 metres in height, erected facing the seafront in commemoration of General de Gaulle's return to French soil on the 14th of June 1944. Open site - unaccompanied visit.

The Platon marsh (small meadow) was formed behind the dune ridge, around the old bed of the Seulles river when it moved its mouth from Bernières to Courseulles. It is home to a wide variety of plant species and an abundance of wildlife (fish, amphibians and insects), including two rare species: the Natterjack Toad and the Maritime Ruppia, an aquatic plant. The Friends of the Platon and the CPIE organise guided or storytelling outings several times a year. Cycling is prohibited in the marshes and dogs must be kept on a lead.

There is one house in Bernières sur mer that is simply part of our collective memory, a large villa built at the entrance to the beach. Closely linked to the D-Day Landings, it is its true symbol. Visits by appointment only. This villa, very much in the style of neo-Norman seaside architecture, with its thatched roof and half-timbering, was built in 1928 on the seafront, on the very recent seawall at the entrance to the beach for Léon Enault, director of the Louvre department stores, then the Hôtel Crillon, Place de la Concorde and the Hôtel Terminus, Gare Saint-Lazare in Paris. 6 June, D-Day At 7.15am, the Queen's Own Riffle of Canada landed in front of Bernières, with the mission of reducing the casemate at La Cassine. By 8.05am, its men were on shore. The state of the sea prevented the landing of artillery and heavy equipment, and they suffered very heavy losses. More than a hundred dead and wounded. Nevertheless, they silenced the Cassine casemate, took over L'Étrille and Les Goélands and used grenades to dislodge several German soldiers who had taken refuge in the cellars. These were immediately taken prisoner in the south courtyard, then taken shortly afterwards to the beach where the survivors of the Queen's Own, joined by men from the Chaudière regiment, rounded up the German prisoners. The house was then occupied by British Admiral Cooper, who made it his headquarters until September 1944, with the onerous task of coordinating all supply operations for Allied troops advancing inland. Every day, a noria of flat-bottomed barges arrived from England and unloaded their cargo on the beach at Bernières, leaving at the next tide. Thus L'Etrille et les Goélands, certainly the first house liberated on French soil, went down in history. It features in many of the photos and film footage taken on D-Day by both Canadian and British war correspondents, broadcast in the early hours of the Liberation - it even appears on a Canadian stamp issued on 7 November 1994! Since then, it has become the true symbol of the D-Day Landings for the people of Bern and our Canadian and British friends alike. And every year, the Hoffer family opens the Étrille to them. Many friendships have been forged with veterans and their families, who see this Famous House as Canada's House. Today, the left-hand side of the house is run by the "Maison des Canadiens" association, which offers free guided tours all year round, booking by e-mail. The right-hand side of the house is managed by the Town Hall, which will be hosting exhibitions.

This paleontological site has been known and studied since the 19th century. It consists of a cliff and a rocky plateau uncovered at low tide. The geological history told by the rocks and fossils evokes a warm sea under a tropical climate in the Jurassic, with remarkable colonies of fossil sponges, followed by the cold steppes populated by large mammals of the Quaternary. This site has no equivalent in the Anglo-Paris basin, nor in any other European coastal region. All sampling is prohibited. Climbing the cliff is forbidden due to the sensitivity of the soft, fossiliferous rock to trampling.

Rocky beach bordered by the ‘Confessionaux’ cliffs - the ideal spot for shellfish gathering and for collecting fossils. It offers a unique view over the Côte de Nacre and Côte Fleurie coastlines.

From Lion-sur-mer to Hemanville-sur-mer, the elegant villas built by wealthy families in the 19th century offer an impressive diversity of styles. Don't miss La Bluette, listed as a Historic Monument. To find out more, take a look at our digital tours of the villas.

On the east side of the seawall, the fishermen’s pier is an extension to the Brèche Marais Street. It was brought from Ouistreham’s outer harbour in 1971. It has become a popular fishing spot for anglers.

It will be closed for renovation work during 2027. It is due to reopen in 2028 with a new museum space. The Tourist Office will be temporarily relocated to a room in the park, behind the municipal police station. On the night of 14–15 January 1885, a 40-tonne whale, 19 metres long, washed up on the shores of the Côte de Nacre at a place known as ‘Brèche du Moulin’. Today, the whale is the pride of Luc-sur-Mer, where we are lucky enough to be able to get up close to its immense skeleton in the Municipal Park, much to the delight of young and old alike. At the same spot, come and discover the Maison de la Baleine, which tells the incredible story not only of this whale that washed up in Normandy, but also of this species of cetacean. Inside, you’ll find a section on legends and anecdotes about whales, a fact sheet on whaling and whale conservation, a scientific section detailing the anatomical and physiological characteristics of these mammals, a film recounting the story of ‘Luc’ the whale, a retrospective on the stranding of the ‘Lutine’ whale featuring period documents, and finally a shop selling souvenirs, postcards, books and more… The Maison de la Baleine houses the tourist information centre

3.6 m x 1.10m scale model. Landing site and recapture of the casino by the French commandos (Kieffer). Unaccompanied tour time: 50 minutes. Video on the German invasion in 1940, Free France, the liberation of Ouistreham and of Normandy.

Established inside a former Atlantic Wall firing command post, this museum presents a reproduction of what the post looked like back in 1944. On the top level, the telemetry post overlooks the entire Orne estuary. Unaccompanied tour time: 1h15.

Set off and conquer the town’s red and white guardian: Ouistreham lighthouse! Take a deep breath and defy the 171 steps of its spiral staircase. Your efforts will be duly rewarded. From a height of 38 metres, marvel in the 360° panorama over the town and the horizon - as far as the eye can see. Make sure you take home a panoramic picture. And don’t forget, you can see them, but the boats out at sea can also see you, from 16 nautical miles away! You’ll probably see the Mont Saint-Michel or the Normandy - the Brittany Ferries car ferries that link Ouistreham Riva-Bella with Portsmouth - pass by. Open on Saturdays and Sundays from 2.30 to 6pm in July and August. Unaccompanied tour: €3

Located between Colleville Montgomery, Ouistreham and St Aubin d'Arquenay, and stretching over 75 hectares, the great wealth of the Bois du Caprice resides in the many natural environments it comprises. The "pilgrims' path" that meanders through the wood offers a step-by-step discovery of this wooded area (car park near the stadium of Ouistreham).

Your bike rental in Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer. For your family outings, multi-day trips or seminars, there's a Juno bike to suit you. With electric assistance or by calf power, discover our sightseeing tours. Juno vélo offers a wide range of accessories to enhance your experience. Book on site or in just a few clicks on our website. Secure online payment and 0? deposit. We'll deliver your bike to your vacation destination, or you can collect it from our store. Anti-theft locks, children's helmets (under 12) and anti-puncture kits supplied. We don't forget 4-legged pets, with the possibility of renting a trailer. Juno vélo, quick and easy bike rental.