Normandy, land of freedom
Normandy has a unique history, marked by many wars, the last of which still leaves its mark on many sites today.
From Ouistreham to Sainte-Mère-Église, via Arromanches and Colleville-sur-Mer, Normandy boasts many memorial sites linked to the fighting during the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944 and the Battle of Normandy that followed. The landscape still bears many traces, including blockhouses and other remnants of the Atlantic Wall on the beaches, as well as military cemeteries and memorial monuments.
Normandy for Peace
The region still bears the scars of this history, and for the past 80 years has been remembering and paying tribute to the men who lost their lives here, and who are often buried here.
On the eve of the 80th anniversary of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy, and through its "Normandy for Peace" strategy, the Normandy region is positioning itself more strongly each year as an internationally recognised area for issues relating to Peace, Freedom and Reconciliation.
As the bearer of these values that unite us, more than ever in the current international context, Normandy is a land of remembrance and history, where visitors from all countries and all generations come to discover and share the memory of those who worked for peace and freedom.
Remembrance tourism
Commemorative tourism has also developed around these historic sites, attracting several million visitors to the region every year.
The event of 6 June 1944 continues to be celebrated on an annual basis throughout the region.
In 2024, Normandy will commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy. The region will once again be mobilised to welcome our liberators on the occasion of this important anniversary. This will be an opportunity to reinforce the imperative of intergenerational transmission and, more than ever before, offers a glimpse of a transition from memory to history.