Mont Canisy Battery, German artillery battery on Mont Canisy, Benerville-sur-Mer, France.
Mont Canisy Battery is a fortified position with six gun emplacements, twenty-five ammunition bunkers, and underground tunnel networks beneath the hilltop. The installation uses the site's elevation to command a wide stretch of coastline.
The position evolved from an older French coastal defense into a major fortification between 1941 and 1944. It received six 155mm cannons and became part of the defensive line stretching along the Atlantic coast.
The battery shows how occupying forces repurposed existing French coastal defenses for their own military needs. Walking through reveals how the site was transformed into a key part of their defensive strategy.
The terrain is hilly and requires sturdy footwear, with many bunkers accessed by stairs and steep paths. Tours operate during warmer months and help visitors navigate the tunnel networks and understand the layout.
The site sits at roughly 110 meters elevation and offered occupying forces one of the farthest-reaching viewpoints along the Norman coast. From this vantage point, forces could monitor the Seine estuary and the harbor of Le Havre.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
