Autour de Sword Beach

Located on the southern exit of the town on the road to Biéville-Beuville, this 24 hectare site, comprised of 18 casemates and underground fortifications built by the Germans between 1942 and 1944, was the command post of the German defences along the Côte de Nacre coast. Memorial to the 1st Battalion, Suffolk Regiment, which liberated the site on the 6th of June 1944 – open in July and August, every day except Tuesday and Sunday, from 10am to 12 noon and from 2.30pm to 6.30pm. Outdoor site open all year. Guided tours on Tuesdays at 3pm from July to September.

1,005 graves.

The bridges of Ranville and Bénouville were recaptured in the early hours of the night of the 5th to the 6th of June 1944 by the British 5th Parachute Brigade, whose emblem was Pegasus. The bridge over the canal was renamed Pegasus Bridge in memory of this great military feat. Free access to the site, visit free of charge.

The Pegasus Memorial Museum, located between Caen and the sea, tells the story of when the very first liberators from the British 6th Airborne Division landed on Norman soil on the night of the 5th to the 6th of June 1944. Period documents, films and objects. Guided tours of the museum, of Pegasus Bridge and of the reproduction of a WWII glider. Guided tour in French or English lasts: 1h30. Novelty: you can now access all museum information on your smartphone via QR Codes on the panels inside the museum grounds. Available in 10 languages: French, English, German, Dutch, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Swedish, Danish and Czech.

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.

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.

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