Overview

Caen is the third largest city in Normandy, following Le Havre and Rouen. It is one of those Norman cities that was destroyed during the Battle of Normandy in 1944, but never looked back and has been rebuilt to the bustling, modern city it is today. The city is known for its historical buildings built during the reign of William the Conqueror, who was buried here in a noble Romanesque abbey, and for the Battle of Caen.

Things to see and do

There are several historic and cultural attractions throughout Caen, as well as throughout the region, which include various museums, art centers, monuments, the abbeys, and so much more. Below, we highlighted some of the must-see attractions of Caen.

In the center of the city, the Château de Caen, built by William the Conqueror in 1160. In the middle ages Caen’s citadel would have been a monumental landmark; even today it’s easy to get a sense of the dimensions in the park where the donjon and many houses used to be. The Chateau served as a place of assembly for the Dukes of Normandy and Kings of England, and was a major stronghold for the English during the Hundred Years’ War. During WWII, the castle was used as barracks and as a result was heavily damaged. However, there are compelling fragments remaining, like the foundations of Williams’ residence, as well as the walls and two formidable gatehouses, which are still standing. The ramparts boasts beautiful panorama of Caen and is now a place where many locals go to relax with large lawns, two museums and a cafe.

Located in the Chateau de Caen is the Museum of Fine Arts of Caen (Musee des beaux-arts de Caen), which houses 350 pieces through French and European art from the 1300s to the present day. In the permanent collection, you’ll find pieces from renowned artists such as Claude Monet, Eugene Boudin, and Gustave Courbet - all artists famous for their works of Normandy landscapes. The museum also holds temporary exhibitions and artist ateliers. Tickets for the museum can be packaged with entrance to the neighboring museum, the Museum of Normandy.

The other museum at the Chateau de Caen is the Museum of Normandy (Musee de Normandie) which focuses on the history and culture of the Normandy region with features of archeological and ethnological collections. In the prehistory section you can view 7,500-year-old ceramics, as well as tools and arrowheads discovered at a site in Vierville and Neolithic burial items discovered in ecajeul. You will also learn more about how the Vikings came to settle in Normandy in the 10th century, as well as traditional Norman costume and savoire-faire, with interactive exhibits about cider and cheese-making through the years.

Pegasus Bridge crosses the Caen canal just 7 miles north of the city. It’s a major landmark in Normandy from the Second World War, having been one of the first and pivotal operations on D-Day. While the bridge itself is not anything spectacular, the history behind it is intriguing. We recommend visiting with a guide who can provide some history surrounding the importance of the bridge. The path from Caen to Pegasus Bridge that runs alongside the Orne river also makes it an excellent route for a bike ride. Enjoy a coffee break beside the Bridge at Café Gondrée, still run by the Gondrée family, and said to be the first liberated house in France on June 6, 1944.

The Mémorial de Caen was founded in 1988 on the 44th anniversary of D-Day, situated on top of an underground bunker from which the German general Wilhelm Richter. The memorial is described as a “museum for peace,” with a message of hope. A visit brings you through a 229 ft-long tunnel and then heads up for broader exhibits about the Second World. The galleries chart the build-up to the conflict, the French occupation, holocaust and then the post-war era. Every year on June 6, the museum holds a commemoration service in their gardens to honor the fallen Resistance fighters and Allied soldiers.

Just northeast of Caen is the Château de Bénouville, a stately home in the countryside designed by Claude Nicolas Ledoux, an 18th-century neoclassical innovator who created a number of monuments in Paris, particularly the tollgates around the Wall of the Ferme Generale. The Chateau is open June through September to enjoy the rich interiors and see horticulture and landscaping exhibitions.

The Vaugueux District is a lovely pedestrian-only area that’s lined with restaurants and shops housed in buildings that managed to stay intact despite the damages Caen endured during the war. It is one of the few remaining areas of Caen that resembles the city as it were prior to 1944.

The renaissance and Gothic Église Saint-Pierre was built in several stages over many centuries (1200’s to the 1500’s), the original parts being the choir, tower and facades. On the north side is the rose window that is famous for the lightness of its stonework. The interior houses a beautiful gothic vault in the choir and the late-gothic ambulatory chapels.

Situated northwest of the city center, Colline Aux Oiseaux, which translates to “Bird Hill,” a peaceful mosaic of gardens that was once the site of the city dump and waste incinerators. The park was established in 1194 to commemorate D-Day, and the name, “Hill of the Birds” is actually a reference to the mounds of rubbish that attracted flocks of birds. Today, the park is a place of tranquility for families and couples, with a large rose garden, a labyrinth, a scale model of Normandy and a number of small gardens commemorating cities around Normandy and Caen’s twin towns. The park is also home to a small animal farm.

Abbaye aux Hommes (Men’s Abbey) was created by William the Conqueror in 1063 to gain absolution for marrying Matilda of Flanders, who happened to be a cousin. Today the Abbey is part of the city’s Hotel de Ville (city hall) and houses the former Duke of Normandy and King of England William’s tomb. The convent buildings are quite unusual in that they escaped damage in both the revolution and WWII: In the cellar below the refectory is a medieval apple press still in working order.

Abbaye-aux-Dames (Women’s Abbey) was founded in the middle of the 11th century by Matilda of Flanders, who was the wife of William the Conqueror. Matilda’s tomb is in the abbey church and marked by an unassuming black stone with a Latin inscription laid at the time of the death, unlike William’s whose tomb at Caen’s abbaye aux Hommes has been repeatedly updated. The church is the only part of the abbey open to the public as the remainder holds government offices. Tours with a private guide are offered several times a day.

Caen Markets and Shopping

The Friday market starts in the stunning Place Saint-Sauveur and continues up onto Rue Pemagnie and Fosses Saint Julien. It’s mainly a food market, offering up delicious aromas of ripe cheeses, sweet peas, and fresh fish.

On Sundays, check out the even bigger market in Caen. This one runs from Avenue de la Liberation past the 15th-century Guillaume-le-Roy Tower to the port. It offers all the fresh produce of its Friday counterpart, plus everything from shoes to mattresses for sale. Exploring this market is one of the most popular things to do in Caen.

Caen has a fantastic pedestrian shopping district brimming with well-known high street shops, ultra-hip fashion brands and cool independent shops.

Outside of town, Normandy boasts the most exquisite works of arts and crafts. Woodworks, tapestry, pottery, and umbrellas, are all made by local craftsmen. Shops are open to exhibit and purchase these local products. Many of these places not only have their crafts available for purchase, but you can also watch the process by which the craftsmen produce them.

If you are an Antiques shopper, Normandy offers an array of stores, specially in Bayeux. You’ll find those that specialize in porcelain, old lace, and old furniture from the 18th and 19th centuries, or others that offer a variety of antique items including paintings, old weapons, jewelry and glass items. The stores are open every day with the exception of Sundays and they all close for lunch.

Food and Nightlife

Throughout the region, cuisine in Normandy celebrates the 3 main products of the region: dairy, seafood and apples, which are produced in the region’s rich pastures and farmlands.

Specialties from the sea include Dieppe sole and Normandy oysters, along with lobsters, scallops and shrimp on many menus of the region. Don’t miss the opportunity to sample Normandy’s world-famous cheeses: Camembert, Livarot, Pont l’Eveque and the heart-shaped Neufchatel. There is even a Route des Fromages that highlights the four cheeses through stops at museums, farms, towns and restaurants. The cheeses are often served as dessert and pair well with the ever-present apple-based beverages from the region, such as cider, perry, Calvados and Pommeau, made from local apples and pears.

Normandy is renowned for its variety of meats, from the delicate flavor of saltmarsh lamb to creamy chicken "à la Vallée d'Auge" and duck "à la Rouennaise".

Local desserts include "bourdelots" or "teurgoule", or such sweets as Isigny toffees or apple sugars from Rouen.

When it comes to nightlife, Caen is a fantastic place to party. With over 30,000 students, visitors will find plenty of bars, clubs and restaurants to enjoy. A great way to see and experience the city’s nightlife is to head to the Rue Ecuyère for a pub crawl you won’t forget! This street alone is home to 12 bars and pubs which are always lively.

History of Caen and the Battle of Normandy

Caen would be one of the most important sites of the Normandy landings of British and Canadian troops during World War Two. Though the initial intention of the Normandy D day landing in the battle of Normandy had been to take Caen on the day of the landing on the Normandy coast, the Allied forces were held up on the four key beaches of Omaha beach, Juno Beach, Utah beach and Sword beach, so German forces retained hold of the city. Caen became a major battlefield, as Allied forces took the Western suburbs and Germans retained the center, with the city only liberated on August 6, two months after the initial landing. Caen bore huge losses during the battle, with 70% of the city destroyed by Allied bombing – including the spire of Saint-Pierre and the University of Caen – and over 2,000 civilian casualties.

Today, the history of the War is explored at the Mémorial de Caen, one of Europe’s most moving World War Two museums. The memorial museum includes a fantastically designed interactive exhibit telling the story of the Normandy landings. Officially designated a ‘museum for peace’, the message here is one of hope, with substantial exhibits telling the story of postwar peacemaking.