Caen (Calvados (14))
Situated between land and sea, with beaches just 10 minutes away and 2 hours from Paris, on the Mont Saint-Michel road, Caen is a thriving and dynamic city offering a rare wealth of heritage and culture.
The Abbaye aux Hommes in Caen
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Caen is a fascinating city. It is the capital and largest city of Basse Normandy. It is a thriving commercial and University Centre and has historical roots dating back before William the Conqueror.
The city was rebuilt after the second World war and Caen offers today an extraordinary mix of old and new sights.
Some very old half-timbered houses are still beautiful to see, especially along rue Vaugeux; it has also plenty of well-maintained parks and green spaces.
Various markets are held daily, the main one taking place each Friday.
The main shopping district lies in the modern part of the city with numerous cafes and restaurants. The pleasure port is where most of the action takes place in the summer.
William the Conqueror, who loved Caen, built two fantastic abbeys and a castle in the mid 11th century on the bank of the river Orne. All the buildings survived the destruction of the bombardments in 1944. The Ducal Castle, built around 1060 by William as a home for him and his wife Matilda, is one of the largest fortified fortresses in Europe. It contains a wealth of mediaeval treasures.
Caen War Memorial and Battles of Normandy
One cannot go to Caen and not visit the thought provoking "Caen War Memorial". The first museum devoted to the 20th century, from the World War 2 to the fall of the Berlin Wall, and to the world of the cold war. It is a unique place with the wealth of the collection exhibited and the innovation of its presentation. It also proposes a debate on the future of the planet.
Guided tours of the D-DAY Landing beaches with all the interesting and fascinating sights of our recent history. Monuments, museums, bunkers and cemeteries are a living commemoration to the Battle of Normandy.
Other attractions
Park Festyland: Theme park on 7 hectares of greenery and flowers combining culture and leisure on the ever-present theme of Normandy.
Boat trip on board the "Hastings"
Caen has numerous interesting Museums and places and gardens to visit, among them, Le Jardin Botanique, which is worth a visit, the Museum of Normandy, the Museum Des Beaux Arts and the Model of Rome.
Guided tours of the D-DAY Landing beaches with all the interesting and fascinating sights of our recent history. Monuments, museums, bunkers and cemeteries are a living commemoration to the Battle of Normandy.
Caen (Calvados (14)) mini guide
| Guide point | Details |
|---|---|
| Location: | Caen is a commune of northwestern France. It is the préfecture of the Calvados département and the capital of the Basse-Normandie region. It is located 15 km inland from the English Channel.Caen is known for its historical buildings built during the reig |
| Public Transport: | Caen has a recently built, controversial guided bus system and a very efficient network of city buses, operated under the name Twisto. The city is also connected to the rest of the Calvados département by the Bus Verts du Calvados bus network. Caen - Carpiquet Airport is the biggest airport in Lower-Normandy considering the number of passengers that it serves every year, and offers commuting possibilities to the whole of Europe. Caen is connected to the rest of France by motorways to Paris (A13), Brittany (A84) and to Le Mans (A28). |
| Tourist information website: | www.tourisme.caen.fr/anglais/ |
| Tourist information contact email: | tourisminfo@ville-caen.fr |
| Tourist information switch board number: | 33 (0) 2 31 27 14 14 |
| Tourist information address: | Caen Tourist OfficePlace Saint Pierre14000 Caen |