History school trips to Normandy

Created for the 50th Anniversary of the D-Day Landings, the Arromanches 360 circular cinema sits atop the Arromanches clifftops, dominating the remnants of one of the Allied harbours. Here, students can watch the universal memory of the liberation of Western Europe projected on nine screens, and gain an in depth understanding of what happened and why.

School groups can discuss the fragility of peace at this memorial, which is dedicated to the history of the 20th century and reflects upon the Second World War, looking at the causes and course of the conflict. Here, students can also explore a gallery dedicated to the Nobel Peace Prize and pay tribute to allied soldiers lost in the memorial’s three gardens. A touching a contemplative excursion we recommend for older children.

Overlooking the Omaha D-Day Landing Beach, Colleville American Cemetery honours 9,388 of the American troops that died in the Second World War, and is located on the site of the former battlefield cemetery of Saint Laurent. Here, school groups can learn about the Normandy landings and military operations through the site’s maps and details, as well as the meaning of Operation Overlord at the adjoining visitors’ centre.

Transport your student group back to the Middle Ages with a visit to this iconic tidal island, which rises dramatically from the sea at high tide to the majestic Mont St-Michel Abbey. Here, students can view Europe’s highest tidal variations as they walk the fortifications, wander around the isle’s narrow alleyways, and take a break in the local creperies, before purchasing a souvenir in one of its many shops to remember their journey to the Mont.

Follow the heroic story of the flight to Normandy and the capture of the Caen canal and Orne river bridges on this fascinating excursion. At the Pegasus Memorial Museum, students can walk across the original bridge, peek into a replica of the Horsa glider, and pay tribute to the men who captured this important area. A key event of the Second World War that’s not to be missed.

There’s no better place to encourage your students to learn about D-Day than on one of the event’s several landing beaches, where Allied forces came by air to fight against German soldiers. From the remains of the coastal defences to shrapnel which is regularly found in the sand, remnants from the war remain at Omaha to give your group an idea of what the former battlefield may have looked like almost 80 years ago.

As the only battery in Normandy to retain all of its original features, the Longues-sur-Mer artillery battery is an excellent stop on your tour of the Allied landing beaches. Give your students a first-hand view of military technology in the Second World War, and help develop their understanding of Germany’s Atlantic Wall defences and their efficacy in the Battle of Normandy.

Boasting a stunning and picturesque port where artists flock to paint and photograph, Honfleur offers an idyllic day trip where groups can explore and sample traditional cuisine. Within Honfleur, you can also find Naturospace – a stunning tropical butterfly house that’s home to around a hundred species from South America, South-East Asia and Africa.

The location of a series of German bunkers and artillery guns during the Second World War, La Pointe du Hoc was a prominent part of the D-Day landings as it overlooked both Utah and Omaha beaches. Today, the site looks much as it did after battle, giving students the opportunity to explore German bunkers scarred by bullet holes, while large bomb craters still mark the earth.

Located at the gateway to the D-Day beaches, the Memorial Museum of the Battle of Normandy is the only museum to present all of the military operations which took place on Norman soil over the summer months of 1944. Here, students can gain a full, contextual understanding of the battle through the museum’s exhibits, scale model and film.

An attractive market town, Bayeux is proud of its ancient religious heritage, which is immediately evident as you wander its Norman-Romanesque cathedral. A national monument, and the original home of the Bayeux Tapestry, the cathedral offers a great learning opportunity for your school group to learn all about the Norman Conquest and the Battle of Hastings.

With almost 4,000 British soldiers buried here, the Bayeux War Cemetery is the largest military cemetery of the Second World War in France, representative of the close ties that exist between Normandy and Great Britain. Nearby, students can visit another memorial commemorating the unidentified Commonwealth soldiers who fell during the Battle of Normandy.

A focal point in the Normandy landings, Sainte-Mere-Eglise was one of the first French towns liberated in the invasion, and is therefore an excellent stop on any history school trip. Nearby, you’ll find several smaller museums and gift shops commemorating the Second World War. Don’t miss the dummy paratrooper hanging from the church spire – a reference to the story of WWII paratrooper John Steele.