The Battle of El-Alamein was by most accounts the turning point of the Second World War. Had the Allied forces fallen here, so too would the nation to the Afrika Korps, who were determined to seize the prized Suez Canal and vast oil reserves of the Middle East. British General Bernard Montgomery held firm, however, stopping the “Desert Fox,” as German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel was often called, in a brutal two-month battle.

It took the Desert Fox months to make his way to El-Alamein, but you can make it there within a couple of hours if you’re staying in one of Sahel’s resrt villages between Alexandria and Marsa Matruh. It might not seem glamorous to pull yourself away from a placid Mediterranean beach for a day of bunkers, war relics, and cemeteries, but it will be a highlight of your North Coast visit.

Along the Alexandria-Marsa Matruh Road, a plaque at kilometer 111 marks the furthest advance of the Axis armies after months of hard campaigning across North Africa. The surrounding area is the final resting place for tens of thousands of soldiers from both sides.

To put the carnage into context, visit the Alamein War Museum (9am – 5pm daily Tel: +2 (046) 410-0031). There is a collection of armored vehicles, tanks and artillery pieces, as well as detailed maps illustrating World War II battle tactics. The museum is in dire need of a makeover, but adults and children will still enjoy the exhibits, which clearly portray both the Allied and Axis perspectives.

The Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery is the largest of the area’s memorials (7,367 British, Canadian, Australian, Indian, African and other Allied soldiers are buried here), and it is perhaps the most moving of them all. A monument inside the cemetery honors an additional 12,000 soldiers whose bodies were never recovered from the battlefield, a solemn reminder of the human cost of war. The grounds are serene and well kept, and a caretaker can assist those searching for relatives buried here.

Perched on top of a breezy hill overlooking the Mediterranean, the octagonal German Memorial holds the remains of 4,280 of the battle’s casualties. Marking the site is an 11.5-meter-high obelisk, and below it is a basement with the remains of unknown dead and a large collection of rusty artifacts from the battles. .

Nearby is the white marble tower of the Sacrario, the final resting place for 4,800 Italians, as well as a list of 38,000 missing in action. All cemeteries are free of charge.

Kidney Hill, Tel El-Issa and other battle sites can be visited on a guided four-wheel-drive tour. Here the remains of bunkers, ammunition dumps and razor wire are still visible. Stay on established roads and trails in the area around Kidney Hill, as it is still a live minefield and unexploded ordnance still claims lives after nearly 70 years.

To see what’s left of the once-mighty Afrika Korps, head to the Graveyard of Panzers at Tel El-Aqaqir, 10 kilometers south of Sidi Abdel-Rahman. The site contains the burned-out skeletons of tanks and armored vehicles. West of Marsa Matruh is a cave used by Rommel as a command post during the battle. It contains a desk, several maps and one of the Desert Fox’s trademark leather greatcoats.

If you’re looking to truly relive history, base your adventure from the Hotel Cecil in Alexandria (now Sofitel Cecil Alexandria). Opened in 1929, Winston Churchill stayed here, and during World War II the British Secret Service used it as their base of operations. et

Charmlife El-Alamein Resort Kilometer 145, Alexandria-Marsa Matruh Road Tel: +2 (046) 419-0060

El-Alamein Hotel Kilometer 129, Alexandria-Marsa Matruh Road Tel: +2 (046) 468-0140

Hilton Borg El-Arab Kilometer 52, Alexandria-Matruh Road +2 (03) 374-0730/40/50

Sofitel Cecil Alexandria 16 Saad Zaghoul Square, Alexandria +2 (03) 487-7173