The best MTB trails around Fontenay-Le-Pesnel

be careful this time

The still well-preserved bunkers of the Atlantic Wall.

Nice beach town with bars and restaurants facing the sea

Four of the gun turrets with cannons are still preserved. They were initially bombed unsuccessfully during the invasion in 1944 and then knocked out by warships a day later. This again shows the senselessness of war.

This Churchill tank belonged to the British 79th Armored Division. This unit was commanded by Major-General Sir Percy C. S. Hobart who was the initiator, among others, of this special armored division. It was almost entirely equipped with special armored vehicles, which were of great use on the day of the Normandy landings. This one was a Churchill Avre (Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers), its turret was equipped with a 290 mm projectile launcher. This charge was intended to destroy fortifications or obstacles. This machine was donated by General Ian Harris who commanded the 2nd Battalion Royal Ulster Rifles on June 6, 1944.

The German gun battery at Longues-sur-Mer was perfectly positioned to withstand the landings of June 6, 1944. The guns were aimed at Omaha and Gold Beach. On D-Day the battery fought a duel with the Allied fleet. At sunrise it was finally silenced. The German gun battery at Longues-sur-Mer may not have been the strongest, but it was one of the best positioned to withstand the landings of June 6, 1944 in Normandy. The guns were positioned slightly behind the edge of the 60 meter high cliff and were aimed at Omaha and Gold Beach, directly opposite the Allied fleet. The coastal battery at Longues-sur-Mer was part of the coastal defense, the Atlantic Wall. It was built in four months by the German Navy in the first half of 1944. It consisted of one 120mm and four 150mm guns in concrete bunkers. The battery was operational in May 1944. But the fire control post on the edge of the cliff was not yet equipped with the necessary equipment to properly hit ship targets. On D-Day, the Longues-sur-Mer battery fought a fierce duel with the Allied fleet. This forced a number of ships to withdraw. In any case, the five guns were shut down one by one. Some were hit by direct hits. Finally, the British troops, who had landed on Gold Beach, took over the position on June 7, capturing the garrison of 180 men. Now the battery is one of the best preserved in France and the only place where the original guns are still located, which were then capable of firing 45 kg shells up to 22 km. The view from the fire control post, dug into the cliff, gives a great view over the Bay of the Seine.

Pleasant sandy beach, Special atmosphere when you arrive via Ouistreham with this gap between tourists on the beaches and people trying to cross the channel a few steps away. A mixture of two worlds in contradiction.

Pretty little roadside church!