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Arromanches-les-Bains is situated approximately 25 km northwest of Caen. Neighbouring towns include Port-en-Bessin and Courseulles-sur-Mer.
The town lies along the stretch of coastline designated as Gold Beach during the D-Day landings, one of the beaches used by British troops in the allied invasion. Arromanches was selected as one of the sites for two Mulberry Harbours built on the Normandy coast, the other one built further West at Utah BeachUtah beach was the codename for one of the invasion beaches during the World War II D-Day Normandy invasion, 6 June 1944. Despite being substantially off course, two divisions of the US First Army landed there with relatively little resistance, in contras. Sections of the Mulberry Harbour at Arromanches still remain today with huge concrete blocks sitting on the sand, and more can be seen further out at sea.
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.