The visit

The 360° cinema

Located on the Arromanches clifftops, the Arromanches 360 Circular cinema dominates the remnants of one of the two artificial Mulberry harbours set up by the Allies.

To improve the visitor experience, our reception area has been fully redesigned: maps, the chronology and the outcome of the Battle of Normandy are now presented. Several British military artifacts from the Caen Mémorial collection are also on display.

A film into the heart of the Battle of Normandy

"The 100 days of the Battle of Normandy"

The images projected on nine screens stem from British, Canadian, German, American and French archives.

On both sides of the Channel, one was preparing for this longawaited moment. Then, in spite of unfavorable weather conditions, came the morning of June 6, 1944, the fi rst step towards the liberation of Western Europe. From the landings on the 5 beaches of the Manche and Calvados departments to the tragic bombing of Le Havre on September 12, the Battle of Normandy lasted 100 days. Experience 20 minutes of pure historical intensity!

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The Arromanches artificial harbour

Located on the Arromanches clifftops, the Arromanches 360 Circular cinema dominates the remnants of one of the two artificial Mulberry harbours set up by the Allies.

On 8th June 1944, two days after the liberation of Arromanches, the first Phoenix blockships were sunk. They formed a dike that sheltered the ships from the swell when they unloaded their cargoes. Some "whale" floating roadways and some platforms following the movements of the tide completed the deployment.

On 14th June, some ships started to unload their cargo. In 100 days, "Port Winston" permitted to land 400 000 soldiers, 4 million tons of equipment and 500 000 vehicles. It remained active until 1st December 1944.

A few dozen "Phoenix" blockships are still visible today and continue to keep the waters of Arromanches smooth.

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