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Caen

Founded by William the Conqueror in the 11th century, Caen – capital of the Basse Normandie region – was massively damaged during the 1944 Battle of Normandy, but considerable history and heritage survives to make it a very good-looking city, especially in its central areas. Visitors will discover the imposing bastions of a superb medieval château, two ancient abbeys and a clutch of excellent museums, including an outstanding and enthralling museum of war and peace, largely dedicated to D-Day, WWII and its aftermath.

With its decent hotels, superb collection of restaurants, atmospheric streets and manageable size, Caen is a terrific place to explore; the easygoing city is also a launchpad to the nearby D-Day sights spread out along the coast.

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Caen.

  • Memorial

    Le Mémorial – Un Musée pour la Paix

    For a very insightful and vivid account of the entire war, with special focus on the Battle of Normandy, Le Mémorial is unparalleled – it's one of Europe’s premier WWII museums. A hugely impressive affair, the museum uses film, animation and audio testimony, as well as many original artefacts, to graphically evoke the realities of war, the trials of occupation and the joy of liberation. It is situated 3km northwest of the city centre, reachable by bus 2 from place Courtonne.

  • Chateau

    Château de Caen

    Looming above the centre of the city, Caen’s magnificent castle walls – massive battlements overlooking a now dry moat – were established by William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy, in 1060. Visitors can walk around the ramparts and visit the 12th-century Église St-Georges, which holds an information centre with a diorama of the castle, and the Échiquier, which dates from about 1100 and is one of the oldest civic buildings in Normandy. The castle affords splendid visuals over the town at sunset.

  • Abbey

    Abbaye-aux-Hommes

    Caen’s most important medieval site is the Men’s Abbey – now city hall – and, right next door, the magnificent, multi-turreted Église St-Étienne (St Stephen’s Church), with its Romanesque nave, Gothic choir and William the Conqueror’s tomb (rebuilt; the original was destroyed by a 16th-century Calvinist mob and, in 1793, by fevered revolutionaries). The complex is 1km southwest of the Château de Caen; to get there by car, follow the signs to the ‘Hôtel de Ville’.

  • Abbey

    Abbaye-aux-Dames

    Highlights at the Women’s Abbey complex in the east of the town centre, once run by the Benedictines, include Église de la Trinité – look for Matilda’s tomb behind the main altar and the striking pink stained-glass windows just beyond. Free tours (at 2.30pm and 4pm daily) take you through the interior, but you can snoop around the courtyard and the church on your own at other times, except during Mass.

  • Gallery

    Musée des Beaux-Arts

    This excellent and well-curated museum takes you on a tour through the history of Western art from the 15th to 21st centuries, including works depicting landscapes and interiors found around Normandy. The collection includes works by Rubens, Tintoretto, Géricault, Monet, Bonnard, Boudin, Dufy and Courbet, among many others. Situated inside the Château de Caen.

  • Museum

    Musée de Normandie

    A handy primer for fathoming the character of the region, this two-part museum situated within the former Logis des Gouverneurs in the Château de Caen displays and illustrates traditional life in Normandy and its history and archaeology.

  • Church

    Église St-Georges

    Doubling as a very useful tourist information centre, this medieval church within the Château de Caen has gorgeous stained-glass works as well as several interactive exhibitions that delve into the past. The church also contains a very handy diorama of the castle and is inscribed here and there with medieval graffiti.

  • Ruins

    Donjon

    The castle's vast 12th-century donjon (keep) was pretty much destroyed after the French Revolution in the late 18th century, so little remains today except its foundations and other vestiges of its once mighty form.

  • Church

    Église St-Jean

    An earlier 12th-century church stood at this site where this 15th-century church stands today, with its beautiful stained-glass windows. The church was badly damaged after D-Day and later restored.