Batterie de Longues (15) - 15 Mai 2018

The thing which unites the Normandy sites I have visited is their notable tranquillity and beauty today, a contrast to the violent history of the recent past. Nowhere is this more true than at Batterie de Longues, a stark part of Germany's Atlantic Wall in WWII and now a protected natural site.

Four gun emplacements remain today, a little inland above the cliffs, together with other, lesser structures closer to the sea. This is the second in line when walking from the car/coach park; the first is closed but the others are open to explore with care. A simple and fading plaque is attached to this structure. Its simplicity cannot convey all that took place between the 6th and 7th of June 1944, events which should never be forgotten. I recommend a circular walk to take in all four, continuing clockwise along the cliff line to return to the parking areas.

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