Arromanches-les-Bains (; or simply Arromanches) is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region of north-western France.

Geography Arromanches-les-Bains is 12 km north-east of Bayeux and 10 km west of Courseulles-sur-Mer on the coast where the Normandy landings took place on D-Day, 6 June 1944. Access to the commune is by the D514 road from Tracy-sur-Mer in the west passing through the town and continuing to Saint-Côme-de-Fresné in the east. The D87 road also goes from the town south to Ryes. The D65 road goes east to Meuvaines. About a third of the commune is the urban area of the town with the rest farmland.Google Maps

History Arromanches is remembered as a historic place of the Normandy landings and in particular as the place where a Mulberry harbour artificial port was installed. This artificial port allowed the disembarkation of 9,000 tons of materiel per day.

It was on the beach of Arromanches that, during the Invasion of Normandy immediately after D-Day, the Allies established an artificial temporary harbour to allow the unloading of heavy equipment without waiting for the conquest of deep water ports such as Le Havre or Cherbourg. Although at the centre of the Gold Beach landing zone, Arromanches was spared the brunt of the fighting on D-Day so the installation and operation of the port could proceed as quickly as possible without damaging the beach and destroying surrounding lines of communication. The port was commissioned on 14 June 1944.

This location was one of two sites chosen to establish the necessary port facilities to unload quantities of supplies and troops needed for the invasion during June 1944, the other being built further west at Omaha Beach. The British built huge floating concrete caissons which, after being towed from England, then had to be assembled to form walls and piers forming and defining the artificial port called the Mulberry harbour. These comprised pontoons linked to the land by floating roadways. One of these ports was assembled at Arromanches and even today sections of the Mulberry harbour still remain with huge concrete blocks sitting on the sand and more can be seen further out at sea.

Some key figures: by 12 June 1944 more than 300,000 men, 54,000 vehicles, 104,000 tons of supplies had been landed. During 100 days of operation of the port 2.5 million men, 500,000 vehicles, and 4 million tons of materiel were landed. The best performance of the port was in the last week of July 1944: during those seven days the traffic through Arromanches exceeded 136,000 tons or 20,000 tons per day.

Today, Arromanches is mainly a tourist town. Situated in a good location for visiting all of the battle sites and war cemeteries, there is also a museum at Arromanches with information about Operation Overlord and in particular, the Mulberry harbours.Arromanches D-Day Museum homepage

On 21 September 2013 Bradford-based sand sculpting company Sand in Your Eye created a tribute called "The Fallen 9,000". It was a temporary sculpture project—a visual representation of 9,000 people drawn in the sand which equates the number of civilians, German forces and Allies that died during the D-day landings. It coincided with Peace Day, and was washed away with the tide at the end of the day.The Fallen 9000 info page

In June 2026 a commemorative plaque to honour the contribution of the Dutch merchant navy and Royal Netherlands Navy personnel to the Allied landings of 6 June 1944 was unveiled in Arromanches-les-Bains.

Heraldry

Administration

List of Successive MayorsList of Mayors of France From To Name Party Position 1995 2020 Patrick Jardin Optician 2020 2026 Marcel Bastide

Demography The inhabitants of the commune are known as Arromanchais or Arromanchaises in French.Le nom des habitants du 14 - Calvados, habitants.fr

Culture and heritage

Civil heritage The commune has many buildings and sites that are registered as historical monuments:

Houses (19th century)Ministry of Culture, Mérimée The Notre-Dame-des-Flots Monument at Rue du Calvaire (1911)Ministry of Culture, Mérimée The Grand Hotel at 22 Rue du Maréchal Joffre (20th century)Ministry of Culture, Mérimée The old Radar Station at Le Callouet (20th century)Ministry of Culture, Mérimée The Château du Petit Fontaine (1764)Ministry of Culture, Mérimée An Orientation table (20th century)Ministry of Culture, Mérimée The Artificial Harbour and Winston Churchill Harbour (20th century)Ministry of Culture, Mérimée The 6 June 1944 Museum (1954)Ministry of Culture, Mérimée A Lavoir (Public laundry) (1896)Ministry of Culture, Mérimée The Town Hall and Boys' Primary School (1884)Ministry of Culture, Mérimée The Village (Antiquity)Ministry of Culture, Mérimée Houses and Hotels (18th-20th century)Ministry of Culture, Mérimée

Other sites of interest The Museum of the Landings Arromanches 360 degrees

Religious heritage The commune has several religious buildings and sites that are registered as historical monuments:

A Presbytery at 4 avenue de l'Amiral Mountbatten (1836)Ministry of Culture, Mérimée

A Monumental Cross at Rue du Calvaire (1901)Ministry of Culture, Mérimée

A Cemetery (1857)Ministry of Culture, Mérimée

The Parish Church of Saint Peter (19th century)Ministry of Culture, Mérimée The Church contains many items that are registered as historical objects:

Stained glass windows (19th-20th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy Ciboria (19th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy A Paten (19th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy A Monstrance (19th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy A Chalice (19th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy A Box for Oil for the sick (20th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy An Ex-voto Painting: Fishermen in danger (19th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy A Painting: Saint Peter (19th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy A Painting: Saint Paul (19th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy A Cross: Christ on the Cross (19th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy A Table (17th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy 34 Pews (19th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy The Choir bench and wood panelling (19th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy A Pulpit (19th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy A Baptismal font (19th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy An Altar, Tabernacle, and Retable (19th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy An Altar (1976)Ministry of Culture, Palissy An Altar (1) (18th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy The Furniture in the ChurchMinistry of Culture, Palissy

Picture gallery

Notable people linked to the commune Jules Carpentier, French inventor. A main street is named in his honour. François Carpentier, son of Jules Carpentier, French architect and mayor of the commune. He created the Museum of the Landings in Arromanches. Sylvie Joly owned a villa in the commune. Her father was mayor of the commune from 1947 to 1963. The Boisgelin family owned a large part of the commune and still have a large house.

See also Communes of the Calvados department Mulberry harbour French aircraft carrier Arromanches (R95)

References

External links

Arromanches Tourist office website Photos and information on the Musée du Débarquement at Arromanches The Battle of Arromanches of 1811 on the History of Normandy website. Aromanches on the 1750 Cassini Map