Le Grande Bummer ... I mean Bunker

Le Grande Bunker (The Atlantic Wall Museum) gave me a much different perspective of D-Day – that of the German soldiers that defended “their” Atlantic coast in the 1940s. The museum is set inside an actual German concrete tower from the war, so in effect, the greatest artifact of the museum is the museum itself. The five floors had a few highlights, like the observation tower at the top, the description of the obstacles placed by the Germans (and pushed for by Rommel), and the depiction of the various components of the tower, from first aid to communications to ammunition. While many of the artifacts were awesome, the presentation left something to be desired. The mannequins didn’t quite cut it for me, and the multiple photos and text were deteriorated, some to the point where you just couldn’t understand them. I learned more about life in a German bunker, for sure, but I wouldn’t say it was the greatest museum I have ever seen.