Many tours of Normandy’s D-Day Beaches and battlefields include a stop at La Cambe, where 21,245 German WWII soldiers are buried. The visitor center at the entrance offers insight into the cemetery’s design by architect Robert Tischler. Walk around the gravestones and visit the adjoining La Cambe Peace Garden, where 1,200 maple trees were planted to symbolize reconciliation and lasting peace. At the center of the cemetery, the single cross atop a grassy hillock marks the site of a mass grave for 296 soldiers, 207 of whom are unknown.
A visit to La Cambe German War Cemetery is often combined with a visit to Omaha Beach nearby, one of the D-Day Beaches.
The cemetery is free to visit, and there is free parking on site.
There’s provides barrier-free access for wheelchairs and strollers.
There are restrooms at the Visitor Center.
La Cambe German War Cemetery is in La Cambe, about 18 miles (29 kilometers) west of Bayeux or about a 20-minute drive. It’s about a 15-minute drive from Omaha Beach. There’s no public transport to the cemetery, so you’ll need a car, to take a taxi, or to join one of the many Normandy WWII tours.
La Cambe German War Cemetery is open to the public every day, year-round. Summer opening times, from March 1 through November 14, are weekdays from 8:30am to 5pm, and weekends from 9am to 5pm. In winter, from November 15 through the end of February, it’s open from 8:30am to 5pm.
As the location of the D-Day Landings—one of the most significant offensives of WWII—Normandy is dotted with WWII sites, including battlefields, memorials, and museums. The region is also home to 27 military cemeteries, housing the Allied and German soldiers who fought and died on Norman soil. Some of the most visited cemeteries are the British Military Cemetery of Bayeux, the American Cemetery of Colleville sur Mer, the French Les Gateys National Cemetery, and the Bény-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery.