Arromanches-les-Bains – the Normandy landings up close

Writer: Helena Bergström

Updated: September 2026 | It's one thing to read about the Normandy landings and another to stand on the beach where history still lies out in the sea. We visited Arromanches-les-Bains during our motorhome trip through Normandy and were deeply moved by the place.

Arromanches-les-Bains in Normandy

Arromanches-les-Bains is located on the Normandy coast in northern France. Today it is a small seaside resort with a sandy beach, restaurants and houses that climb up the surrounding cliffs.

But Arromanches is above all known for the role it played during the Normandy landings in 1944. If you look out over the sea from the beach, you can still see large concrete structures out in the water. They are the remains of the enormous artificial harbor that the Allies built here after D-Day. For us, it was a special encounter with history.

The Normandy landings on June 6, 1944

The Allied landings in Normandy began on June 6, 1944. The operation was part of Operation Overlord, the grand plan to establish a bridgehead in France and then continue the liberation of occupied Western Europe.

The landings were carried out along five different parts of the Normandy coast, which were codenamed Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword.

Arromanches is located in the area around Gold Beach, where mainly British forces landed. But getting the soldiers ashore was only the beginning. In order for the offensive to continue, enormous quantities of vehicles, ammunition, fuel, food and other equipment had to be transported across the English Channel. And then there was a problem: they needed a port.

Why did the Allies build a port in Arromanches?

The Allies could not count on quickly capturing and using any of the major ports along the French coast. The experience of the failed raid on Dieppe in 1942 had shown how difficult it was to capture a heavily defended port.

The solution was spectacular to say the least: If you couldn't capture a port, you simply had to bring your own. In Britain, huge sections were built into two prefabricated ports, codenamed Mulberry. The sections were towed across the English Channel and assembled off the coast of Normandy after the landings.

One of the ports, Mulberry A, was built in the American sector at Omaha Beach. It was badly damaged by a storm later in June and abandoned. The other was built here at Arromanches and was named Mulberry B, also called Port Winston.

Mulberry B – the artificial harbor at Arromanches

The work on Mulberry B was a huge logistical and technical project. Old ships were sunk to help protect the harbor, and large concrete caissons were placed out to sea to form breakwaters.

Within the protected area, floating piers and causeways were built, making it possible to bring vehicles and supplies ashore despite Normandy's large differences between high and low tides.

The port played an important role in supplying the Allied forces in the first months after the landings. And the strangest thing for those of us visiting Arromanches today is that parts of it still remain.

The remains of the port still exist.

If you stand on the beach in Arromanches you will see the large concrete structures lying out in the sea. At low tide even more parts become visible. It is truly fascinating to stand here and look and at the same time try to understand what once took place in this place.

In one way it is very recent and in another way an incredibly long time ago. When you are there, the history becomes very concrete. You think of all the people who were here and all the misery they had to endure during the war. For us it was difficult not to be moved.

Museum of Débarquement in Arromanches

Right next to the beach is the Musée du Débarquement, the D-Day landing museum in Arromanches. When we visited the town, we toured the museum that was there at the time, with models, objects and films that told the story of the landing and the artificial harbor.

We were affected by the visit. Perhaps the experience would not have been quite the same if the museum had been located anywhere else in the world. But here we could go out and see the remains of the Allied port still lying out in the water. Then everything became incredibly real.

Since our visit, the museum has completely changed. The old museum closed in 2022 and in the spring of 2023 a new Musée du Débarquement opened on the same historic site.

The new museum tells the story through original artifacts, archival footage, models and large digital presentations. A particular focus is on how the two artificial Mulberry harbours were constructed and their significance during the Battle of Normandy.

See Arromanches from above

For a better perspective of the beach and the artificial harbour, you can climb the cliffs above Arromanches. From here you can see how Arromanches is sheltered between the cliffs and how the remains of the Mulberry Harbour lie scattered in the sea beyond.

Also located on the hill is Arromanches 360, a circular cinema that shows a film about the hundred days that followed from the preparations for D-Day until the liberation of Paris. Even if you don't visit the cinema, the view from the area is worth experiencing.

Stroll along the beach in Arromanches

It's also nice to simply walk along the beach. Normandy's tides change the landscape quickly and the difference between high and low tide can be huge. On our visit we walked along the water and looked at the large remains of the Mulberry Harbour out to sea.

The contrast is special. Today Arromanches is a seaside resort with a sandy beach and beautiful houses along the coast. At the same time, you only have to look out over the sea to be reminded of what happened here in 1944. It is an ordinary beach and at the same time anything but an ordinary beach.

Arromanches by motorhome

We came to Arromanches by campervan and stayed overnight at a campsite near the centre. When we made our trip the site operated differently than it does today, so our old information about prices and service is no longer up to date.

Today, there are two municipal motorhome sites in Arromanches-les-Bains. One is located on Avenue de Verdun, near the Musée du Débarquement. The other is located along the D514, near Arromanches 360. Both have access to fresh water and emptying facilities, and the sites are open all year round.

Good to know: Prices, service and rules for motorhome pitches are subject to change, so always check the latest information before your trip.

When we were here, we had a problem with the camper. The engine's coolant leaked out through a hole in a hose, and to solve the problem we went to a workshop in Caen. The guys at the workshop didn't speak any English, but good will, gesticulation and Google Translate go a long way. Thanks to good help at the workshop, we were able to move on again.

Is Arromanches worth a visit?

For anyone interested in the history of World War II, Arromanches is definitely worth a visit. But we think the place is moving even if you are not particularly interested in military history.

We had of course read about the Normandy landings before. But standing on the beach in Arromanches and seeing the remains of the artificial harbor still lying out in the water was something else entirely. Suddenly the story became concrete. It was no longer just black and white pictures and dates in a history book. It had happened right here.

See more in Normandy

Want to see and experience more during your trip to Normandy? Here you will find more tips and reports:

• Sainte-Mere-Eglise
• Veulettes-sur-Mer
• Things to do in Honfleur
• Mont-Saint-Michel