Caen is the capital of the Basse-Normandie region and Calvados département of northern France. Population 115,000.
Caen is a college city, very active. In summer, tourists (mainly British and German) gather in Normandy for WWII remains and the Memorial for peace. Caen is a modern city, 80% leveled in 1944 and rebuilt in the 50s and 60s. However, some old buildings remain, especially churches.
By car
- from Paris, by A13 motorway (2 hours).
- from Cherbourg by N13.
- from Rouen, by A13 or N175.
- from Rennes by A84.
- from Tours and Le Mans, by N138, via N158 at Sées.
By train
- trains leave every 2 hours from Saint-Lazare station in Paris to Caen and Cherbourg. 2 hours long, 25 €.
Note that the train posting in Paris St-Lazare can be confusing to the first time traveler. The train line number (“la voie”) is not posted unil 15-20 minutes before the departure, so do not panic if you arrive earlier than that. Look for the train heading to Cherbourg. Caen will not be the listed destination, as it is a stop along the way. Do not forget to punch (“composter”) your ticket in one of the yellow machines before boarding. This will validate your ticket.
By ferry
Ferries cross the Channel from Portsmouth (UK) to Ouistreham, 15 km north of Caen.
- Memorial for peace: a modern museum focusing on second world war and the Cold War: http://www.memorial.fr
- L’abbaye aux Hommes (Men’s abbey) and l’abbaye aux Dames (women’s abbey), wonderful example of romanic architecture
- Fine arts museum
- Museum of Normandy, within the Castle
- Caen Castle / Château ducal de Caen – William the Conqueror’s castle, one of the largest medieval castles in Europe
- Saint-Pierre church
- Saint-Nicolas church and cemetery
- Escoville mansion
- Saint-Jean church
- Vaugueux district
- rue Froide and Saint-Sauveur church
- Caen is 10 km away from the D-Day beaches
bus verts will get you around Normandy pretty easily. Within Caen and its close suburbs, use the bus and tramway network, called twisto.
- L’abbaye d’Ardenne
- Les plages du Débarquement
- Les villes balnéaires de la côte Fleurie : Cabourg, Houlgate, Deauville, Trouville…
- Les petites stations balnéaires de la côte de Nacre
- Le pays d’Auge
- La Suisse normande
- Le Bessin
- Le Bocage virois
- Le Mont Saint Michel
Have a look at the list of the hotels in CaenÂ
Restaurants :
Organic food : Jonathan 1ter rue Denis Papin 14200 Héroiuville-st-clair