Sword Beach Map

Sword Beach was the easternmost landing beach. Nearby, British airborne troops captured Pegasus Bridge in the first minutes of D-Day.

SectorBritish 3rd Infantry Division
From CaenAbout 20 minutes by car
Pegasus BridgeCaptured just after midnight
FerryOuistreham to Portsmouth

What to see

Just after midnight on 6 June 1944, glider-borne British troops captured the bridge over the Caen Canal at Bénouville, now known as Pegasus Bridge. The original bridge is displayed at the Pegasus Memorial museum next to it. Further east, the Merville Battery preserves the casemates taken by paratroopers before dawn.

At Ouistreham, the Atlantic Wall Museum occupies a five-storey German bunker. Ouistreham is also the ferry port for Portsmouth.

Visiting

Sword Beach and Pegasus Bridge are about 20 minutes from Caen, which makes them easy to combine with the Caen Memorial.

Plan Your Trip

🎖️ British sector toursPegasus Bridge, Merville and Sword Beach

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why is it called Pegasus Bridge?

It was renamed after the emblem of the British airborne forces, a winged Pegasus, which the troops who captured it wore.

Can you take a ferry to Ouistreham?

Yes. Ferries sail between Portsmouth and Ouistreham, the port for Caen.

Related Maps

Juno BeachThe Canadian beach and the Juno Beach Centre.CaenWilliam the Conqueror's castle and abbeys, and the Caen Memorial.Gold BeachArromanches and the remains of the Mulberry harbour.