These Are The Best WWII Tours And Museums In Europe
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ONE OF MY FAVORITE WILLIAM FAULKNER QUOTES SAYS, “THE PAST IS NEVER DEAD. IT’S NOT EVEN PAST.”
I love history and learning about incredibly different historical periods, but that old Faulkner quote always makes me think of World War II.
This May will mark 80 years since the end of World War II in Europe, but we’re still living in the international order established by the outcome of that conflict.
(VE Day, for Victory in Europe, is on May 8th.)
So many visitors to Europe want to learn about the history of World War II during their trips, but might be unsure of the full scale of sites and museums available.
From the battlefield achievements of Normandy to stories of resistance and uprising against the Nazis, there is so much World War II history to discover in Europe.
MY LIST OF THE BEST WORLD WAR II TOURS AND MUSEUMS IN EUROPE OFFERS A WIDE RANGE OF HISTORIC EXPERIENCES THAT WILL CONNECT TRAVELERS TO THIS WORLD-ALTERING ERA.
These Are The Best WWII Tours And Museums In Europe
D-Day Landing Beaches of Normandy, France
ON JUNE 6, 1944, ALLIED FORCES LAUNCHED THE D-DAY OPERATION TO LIBERATE WESTERN EUROPE FROM NAZI OCCUPATION.
The United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada spearheaded the assault on the beaches of Normandy, facing fortified German positions along the Atlantic Wall.
The invasion was divided into five landing zones — Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword Beach — strategically selected to cover a 50-mile stretch of coastline to enable rapid inland advances.
Each beach was assigned to a specific Allied nation, with operations planned to secure key towns, link forces together, and disrupt German reinforcements.
Omaha Beach, Utah Beach, and Pointe du Hoc 🇺🇲
OMAHA AND UTAH BEACH WERE THE TWO DESIGNATED AMERICAN SECTORS ON D-DAY.
At Omaha Beach, U.S. troops faced steep cliffs, well-defended bunkers, and heavy machine-gun fire, resulting in one of the bloodiest battles of the invasion.
The Normandy American Cemetery is located just above the beach, a solemn site where more than 9,000 American soldiers were laid to rest.
On the beach itself the Les Braves Memorial honors the bravery and sacrifice of these American forces with abstract metal sculptures rising from the sand.
The Normandy American Cemetery, where more than 9,000 American soldiers were laid to rest.
The Les Braves Memorial, an abstract metal sculpture, commemorates the bravery of American forces.
AT UTAH BEACH, LOCATED FURTHER WEST, THE LANDINGS WERE MORE SUCCESSFUL DUE TO MISLANDINGS THAT PUT TROOPS IN A LESS-DEFENDED AREA.
The Utah Beach Landing Museum commemorates the campaign with displays of landing craft, uniforms, and personal accounts.
Between Omaha and Utah, Pointe du Hoc is a cliff site which was scaled by U.S. Rangers who neutralized German artillery positions.
Today, it remains dotted with bomb craters and crumbling bunkers.
Gold Beach and D-Day Museum at Arromanches-les-Bains 🇬🇧
GOLD BEACH WAS ASSIGNED TO BRITISH FORCES WHO SOUGHT TO CAPTURE THE TOWN OF BAYEUX AND JOIN WITH CANADIAN TROOPS TO THE EAST.
Arromanches-les-Bains became vital to the Allied operation because it was the site of one of the artificial Mulberry Harbors — floating, temporary harbors used to rapidly unload supplies and reinforcements.
The D-Day Museum in Arromanches showcases models, video footage, and machinery used in the harbor's construction and operation, and viewers can see remnants of the Mulberry Harbor still visible offshore.
Just inland, the British Normandy Memorial pays tribute to the more than 22,000 service members under British command who died in Normandy.
THIS MEMORIAL COMBINES ETCHED NAMES, SCULPTURES, AND A PANORAMIC VIEW OF THE COAST THEY HELPED LIBERATE.
Juno Beach 🇨🇦
JUNO BEACH WAS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF CANADIAN FORCES, WHO ENCOUNTERED HEAVY RESISTANCE UPON LANDING IN THE SMALL TOWNS OF COURSEULLES-SUR-MER AND BERNIÈRES-SUR-MER.
Despite initial losses, Canadian troops made significant progress inland by the end of the operation’s first day.
The Juno Beach Centre is both a museum and a memorial dedicated to Canada’s role in WWII.
Inside, visitors can explore interactive exhibits on Canada's military contributions, wartime society, and post-war impact.
THE CENTER INCLUDES OUTDOOR REMNANTS OF THE ATLANTIC WALL, AS WELL AS GUIDED TOURS OF ORIGINAL GERMAN BUNKERS AND TRENCHES.
These are the best WWII Tours in Normandy:
Anne Frank House, Amsterdam, Netherlands
The Anne Frank House Museum is the preserved secret annex where Anne Frank, her family, and four others hid for over two years during the Nazi occupation.
Visitors can walk through the cramped quarters and view original artifacts, including Anne’s actual diary.
THIS IS A MASSIVELY POPULAR ATTRACTION IN AMSTERDAM, AND IT IS VERY OFTEN SOLD OUT.
Ticketing to the Anne Frank House opens thirty days prior to each ticket date — I recommend that you set a calendar reminder so that you can purchase tickets as soon as they become available.
If you miss out on tickets to the Anne Frank House, there is a fantastic walking tour that takes visitors through Amsterdam’s Jewish Cultural Quarter and provides insight into the lived experience of the Frank family during the war.
These are the best WWII Tours in Amsterdam:
Topography of Terror, Berlin, Germany
THE TOPOGRAPHY OF TERROR IS AN OUTDOOR AND INDOOR MUSEUM LOCATED ON THE SITE OF THE FORMER GESTAPO AND SS HEADQUARTERS.
It presents a sober look at the development and implementation of Nazi terror policies throughout Europe.
Exhibitions include chilling photographs, documents, and stories of persecution and resistance, both indoors and along the in situ portion of the Berlin Wall outside
The museum offers free guided tours in English each Saturday and Sunday.
BERLIN WAS ALSO THE SITE OF THE DRAMATIC FINAL DAYS OF WORLD WAR II.
The Third Reich Berlin walking tour takes visitors on a journey through the city’s war sites, from Hitler’s bunker and Goebbels’ propaganda headquarters to memorials to Nazi opponents and the somber Holocaust Memorial.
These are the best WWII Tours in Berlin:
Museum of the Second World War, Gdańsk, Poland
Opened in 2017, the Museum of the Second World War is one of the most comprehensive WWII museums in Europe.
Its permanent exhibition spans over 5,000 square meters, featuring immersive multimedia displays and artifacts from both the European and Pacific theaters.
The Museum of the Second World War in Gdańsk, Poland.
THE MUSEUM PLACES SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON CIVILIAN EXPERIENCES AND THE WAR'S GLOBAL REPERCUSSIONS.
It has received especially high praise from history fans and World War II experts, making it worth the trip to Gdańsk.
These are the best WWII Tours in Gdańsk:
Warsaw Rising Museum, Warsaw, Poland
The Warsaw Rising Museum commemorates the 1944 Warsaw Uprising, when Polish resistance fighters launched a major operation against the occupying German forces.
The Uprising was fought for 63 days with little outside support, and was the single largest military effort taken by any European resistance movement during World War II.
THE MUSEUM FEATURES INTERACTIVE EXHIBITS, AUTHENTIC WEAPONS, AND A REPLICA OF THE CITY’S SEWER SYSTEM TO BRING THE UPRISING TO LIFE.
It offers a powerful reminder of Warsaw's destruction at the hand of the Nazis and the determination of its citizens.
These are the best WWII Tours in Warsaw:
Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site, Dachau, Germany
Dachau was the first Nazi concentration camp, established in 1933, and became a model for later camps.
Visitors can explore the original barracks, crematorium, and memorials dedicated to the victims.
EXHIBITS DOCUMENT THE SYSTEMATIC BRUTALITY OF THE REGIME AS WELL AS THE CAMP’S LIBERATION IN APRIL 1945.
The exterior of the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site.
Most tours of Dachau depart from Munich, a city that was a Nazi stronghold throughout the war.
The Munich Third Reich Walking tour explains how the Nazi party came to power, visits the beer halls where its supporters first gathered, and explains the history of locations where Hitler made key speeches in his rise to power.
These are the best WWII Tours from Munich:
Oskar Schindler's Enamel Factory, Kraków, Poland
THE STORY OF OSKAR SCHINDLER AND HIS EFFORT TO SAVE HIS JEWISH EMPLOYEES FROM THE HOLOCAUST WAS IMMORTALIZED IN THE FILM “SCHINDLER’S LIST.”
Today, visitors to Kraków can explore this museum in Schindler’s former factory.
The Oskar Schindler's Enamel Factory museum tells the broader story of Krakow during WWII, including the lives of Jewish residents, the Nazi occupation, and the resistance.
Multimedia exhibits and preserved rooms add emotional depth to the experience, though the small rooms can make it difficult to navigate.
Pairing a visit to Schindler's Factory with a tour of the wider Kazimierz Jewish Quarter provides a full portrait of the history of Jewish life in Kraków and the devastating impact of the war, and its aftermath.
These are the best WWII Tours from Kraków:
Churchill War Rooms, London, UK
THE CHURCHILL WAR ROOMS ARE AN UNDERGROUND COMPLEX THAT SERVED AS BRITAIN’S COMMAND CENTER DURING THE BLITZ AND BEYOND.
Visitors can explore the preserved Cabinet War Rooms where Winston Churchill and his team made strategic decisions.
The complex includes map rooms, offices, and sleeping quarters that remain almost exactly as they were left in 1945, offering an immersive experience of wartime life underground.
Interactive displays, personal items, and audio recordings help bring Churchill's leadership and the British wartime effort to life.
The statue of Winston Churchill stands in Westminster, not far from the Churchill War Rooms.
The Colossus computer, at Bletchley Park, was used to decipher coded messages between Hitler and his generals.
THE ADJACENT MUSEUM TRACES CHURCHILL’S LIFE, INCLUDING HIS SPEECHES, LEADERSHIP STYLE, AND ROLE IN WWII.
Those interested in wartime intelligence should also consider a visit to the National Museum of Computing at Bletchley Park.
There, codebreakers like Alan Turing cracked sensitive Nazi communications, helping to shorten the war, while also contributing to the fledgling field of computer science.
These are the best WWII Tours from London:
Conclusion
EUROPE'S WWII SITES OFFER MORE THAN JUST HISTORY — THEY PROVIDE A WINDOW INTO HUMAN COURAGE, TRAGEDY, AND RESILIENCE.
The war had so many facets, and that variety is reflected in the sites and museums that help us to remember the conflict.
From personal stories of civilians facing impossible choices and top-secret code-breaking work, to the very places where Churchill led and the Nazis schemed, this list is full of exceptional WWII historic sites to add to your next trip to Europe.
Until next time,
Angela
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