The four casemates
Each houses a 150 mm gun with a range of twenty kilometres, aimed towards Gold Beach and Omaha. Three were hit by Allied naval fire on 6 June; the impacts are still visible in the concrete.
Bessin · Calvados
DiscoverThe Longues-sur-Mer batteriesThe only Atlantic Wall battery with its guns, ten minutes away
Four casemates, their 150 mm guns still in place, and the sea below: Longues-sur-Mer is ten minutes from the campsite.
It is the only Atlantic Wall battery in Normandy to have kept its original artillery pieces. Four concrete casemates, a fire-control post overhanging the cliff (the one from "The Longest Day"), and a site with free access, in the middle of a field, facing the Channel. Thirty minutes is enough, and you can go on to Arromanches, five kilometres further on.
Good to know
The route
From the campsite- 6 kmaway
- 10 mindriving
- D514the route
On the road to Arromanches: the site is signposted, with a free car park at the start of the path.
On site
How long to allow- 30 minthe four casemates
- 20 minthe fire-control post
- 15 minthe cliff path
Free access all year round. Guided tours in season, starting from the Longues tourist office.
Useful to know
Planning your visit- Freeaccess to the site
- In seasonguided tours
- 30 minself-guided visit
The site is open all year round, with free access. Guided tours leave from the Longues-sur-Mer tourist office in July and August.
On site
Four stops
The fire-control post
On the cliff edge, a two-level observation bunker, open-roofed, with its original sighting slits. A scene from "The Longest Day" was filmed here.
The cliff and the view
From the post, you can see Arromanches and its caissons on one side, Port-en-Bessin on the other. In clear weather, the coast unfolds for thirty kilometres.
The site as a family
Free access, in the open air, with no ticket office: the children go into the casemates, you take your time, and the visit costs nothing.
Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions about the Longues-sur-Mer batteries
Which campsite should I choose to visit the Longues-sur-Mer batteries?+
Camping Portland, a five-star Yelloh! Village, is in Port-en-Bessin-Huppain: 6 km and 10 minutes' drive. You sleep facing the Channel, between Bayeux and Omaha Beach, in a fully equipped cottage, with a heated water park on site.
How much time should I allow for the Longues-sur-Mer batteries?+
30 minutes for the four casemates. 20 minutes for the fire-control post. 15 minutes for the cliff path.
How do I get to the Longues-sur-Mer batteries from the campsite?+
D514: 6 km, a 10-minute drive. On the road to Arromanches: the site is signposted, with a free car park at the start of the path.
Also worth seeing
Our other day trips
Visiting Bayeux
10 km · 12 min from the campsite
Visiting Caen
40 km · 40 min from the campsite
Visiting Mont-Saint-Michel
130 km · 1 h 45 from the campsite
The D-Day beaches
5 km · 10 min from the campsite
Discovering Port-en-Bessin
1.5 km · 5 min from the campsite
Visiting Arromanches-les-Bains
10 km · 15 min from the campsite
The American Cemetery at Colleville
10 km · 15 min from the campsite
The Pointe du Hoc
20 km · 25 min from the campsite
Omaha Beach Golf Club
2 km · 5 min from the campsite
Your base camp in Normandy
5-star cottages and a 2,020 m² heated water park, in Port-en-Bessin facing the Channel.
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