Omaha Beach and the Colleville American Cemetery

What it is

Omaha is one of the two beaches of the American sector on 6 June 1944. On the cliff that overlooks it, in Colleville-sur-Mer, stands the Normandy American Cemetery, built where the US First Army opened the first American cemetery of the war on European soil on 8 June 1944. It is run by the ABMC, the American Battle Monuments Commission, and more than a million people visit it every year. Entry is free.

Allow about two hours for the cemetery and the beach. It is a place of silence: go in discreet clothing and unhurried.

What you see

• The visitor centre, opened in 2007 in a wooded area east of the cemetery, with the exhibition that explains D-Day. Start here.
• The memorial: a semicircular colonnade with maps and accounts of the operations, and at the centre the bronze statue The Spirit of American Youth Rising from the Waves. An orientation table on the cliff shows the landings.
• The Garden of the Missing, behind the memorial, with almost 1,600 names engraved on the walls; a rosette marks those who were later found and identified.
• The graves: almost 9,400 graves in rows over about 70 hectares, with a pond, a circular chapel and, at the far end, granite statues representing the United States and France.

The flag lowering

Every day, an hour before closing, the flag is lowered to the sound of a bugle. People stand still until it ends. If you want to see it, arrive with time to spare.

Opening hours

Open every day from 9:00 to 17:00, except 25 December and 1 January; entry ends at 16:30. It is open on French public holidays. Staff at the visitor centre are on hand to answer questions and to accompany relatives to a grave. In summer there are guided tours. For now you do not need to book, although the ABMC has announced changes to the reservation system: check its website before you go.

Omaha Beach

Since 2016 the path from the cemetery to the beach has been closed for safety reasons. To get down to the sand, drive to Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer, a few minutes to the west, where the sculpture Les Braves stands on the beach. At low tide the beach is enormous and you can understand the distance the soldiers had to cross under fire.

Getting there and parking

From Bayeux, follow the N13 towards Formigny and then the D517 towards Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer and the D514 to Colleville-sur-Mer; the entrance is signposted. The cemetery car park is free, next to the visitor centre.

Without a car, the Nomad 120 bus links Bayeux station with Colleville with only a few journeys a day; the ABMC recommends sorting out your return transport before setting off. The alternative is the minibus tours from Bayeux.

With children

The cemetery is a place of reflection and is better understood from about 10 years old. With small children, make a short visit to the memorial and then go down to the beach at Saint-Laurent.

Where to eat and sleep

Beside Omaha, the La Sapinière restaurant is open from March to early November, and La Sapinière has rooms by the beach. To continue the route, Pointe du Hoc is about 11 km to the west.