Arromanches & Mulberry Harbour
Arromanches-les-Bains / Port Winston
A seaside town on Gold Beach where the giant concrete caissons of the Allies' Mulberry artificial harbour still lie scattered in the sea.
Arromanches lies at the western end of Gold Beach. After the landings, the Allies assembled the Mulberry B artificial harbour here, also known as Port Winston, from prefabricated concrete caissons, floating piers and pontoon bridges. Without a deep-water port, it delivered hundreds of thousands of soldiers and vast quantities of supplies to the front, a logistical miracle of D-Day. Rows of huge caisson wrecks still stand in the sea, and at low tide you can walk out to them along the sand. The Musée du Débarquement in the town centre explains how the harbour was built, using models and films. The Arromanches 360 circular cinema on the hill to the east shows footage of the landings and the Battle of Normandy and overlooks the whole bay. Both attractions charge admission, about €8 to 12. The town has seaside restaurants and souvenir shops and is good for lunch. Juno Beach to the east has a Canadian memorial. Getting there: buses from Bayeux take about 20 minutes but run infrequently. Most visitors come on D-Day tours or by car. It is about 10 km from Bayeux and about 20 km from Omaha Beach.
Opening hours
Town open all day; museum about 9:00/9:30 am–5:00/7:00 pm, shorter hours in winter
Nearby sights
- Longues-sur-Mer Battery
- British Normandy Memorial
- Bayeux Old Town & Aure Mills
- Bayeux Tapestry Museum
- Musée d'Art et d'Histoire Baron Gérard (MAHB)
- Bayeux Cathedral
- Memorial Museum of the Battle of Normandy & Bayeux War Cemetery
- Port-en-Bessin