Autour d'Utah Beach

Presentation :
In the footsteps of the U.S. Army..
Like the 135,000 men of the allied forces who landed in June 44, set off from the dunes to cross the flowering marshes and discover the Norman architectural heritage. Return to the Second World War by returning to the beach marked out by blockhouses up to the Leclerc monument.

Remarkable points on the circuit
0- The Leclerc monument was erected in memory of General Leclerc de Hauteclocque, who was in charge of the famous 2nd D.B. of the American army and who landed on August 1st, 44 at Utah Beach before going to liberate Paris, then Strasbourg.
1 - Cross marshes lined with colorful flowers, along a pond, in a landscape of hunting huts.
2 - The church of Saint-Martin-de-Varreville with its 11th and 12th century modillions, has a pointed bell tower unlike its neighbours which have brackets. Magnificent Romanesque portal. One of the most beautiful oak lecterns in the Cotentin region.
3 - The Château de Vaugoubert dates back to the 19th century and houses a pond that welcomes swans and ducks. Nothing remains of the old buildings. In the park, a dovecote has been rebuilt on an old framework. It belonged during the Revolution to François Darot, squire, former gendarme of the king's guards.
4 - In Foucarville, a little off the path on the D14, a stele marks the site of the German prison camp "Continental Central Enclosure n°19".
5 - Back towards the dunes and the seaside, cross "le Grand Marais".
6 - An old blockhouse recalls the massive construction by the German army on the Normandy coast of these buried casemates.
7 - If the tide is low, continue on the beach towards the Leclerc monument, otherwise follow the road if you don't want to get your feet wet
Remarkable points in the vicinity
Utah Beach Landing Museum 50480 Sainte Marie du Mont - Tel : 02 33 71 53 35
History of the landing of 6 June 1944 and its human and technical prowess.
Sainte-Marie-du-Mont: La Réserve Naturelle du domaine de Beauguillot - Located in the Baie des Veys, it is an important stopover and wintering place for more than 20,000 migratory birds, which can be discovered from two observatories well hidden in the dikes.
Church of Saint-Gilles, Ravenoville. Cruciform church, with walls decorated with modillions from the 11th and 12th centuries. It is under the name of Notre-Dame and the Blanchelande abbey has the patronage of it. At the entrance to the choir presides over the Arch of Glory. A monumental stove (curiosity to be seen).
Farm-Manor House of Surville, Ravenoville. Built in the 16th and 19th centuries. A beautiful double door, still with its knocker and a beautiful square tower. Open to visitors.
Les Ponts d'Ouve: 100 hectares of ornithological reserve and bird discovery area in the territory of the Parc naturel régional des marais du Cotentin et du Bessin. Access path to the large observatory overlooking a lake.