Tourist information on Caen, France

Caen is the capital of the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie (Lower Normandy) region of northern France. An inland port on the Orne River, it is situated 15 km from the English channel. The town was mostly laid to waste during the invasion of Normandy in 1944 but was subsequently rebuilt (more imaginatively than many other war-scarred towns in the region) and is now a thriving industrial centre. Whilst much of Caen's historical architecture was destroyed by Allied bombardment in the Second World War, some old buildings remain, including several churches that date from the time when William the Conqueror resided in the town. Its university, founded in 1432, is one of the most important educational establishments in northern France. Nearby are the popular seaside resorts of Deauville and Cabourg, and the D-Day Landing beaches and memorials are within easy reach.

Caen originated in the first century AD as a small town near to an important Roman road connecting Bayeux and Lisieux. Inhabited predominantly by craftsmen, this town was frequently invaded by barbarian tribes until the arrival of the Normans. In the 10th and 11th centuries, Caen grew in size and stature, acquiring political importance when the Duke of Normandy, William the Conqueror, and his queen Matilda chose to reside here. Caen featured prominently in the 100 Years War. In 1346, the town was invaded by King Edward III of England, but its inhabitants fought back and offered fierce resistance against the occupying English armies, retaking the town in 1450. Shortly afterwards, Normandy became part of the kingdom of France. Caen underwent a period of significant urban expansion in the 17th century, during which time the town was largely rebuilt. About seventy per cent of Caen was destroyed in the course of the Normandy Landings in June 1944. The reconstruction took place over a long period (from 1947 to 1963), with buildings built from Caen stone to a uniform design. Today, Caen is a modern industrial town which is home to call centres and many high-tech industries.

Caen's principal tourist attractions are the Abbaye aux Hommes (Men's Abbey, dedicated to St-Etienne) and Abbaye aux Dames (Ladies' Abbey, dedicated to the Holy Trinity), situated respectively to the west and east of the town centre. These were founded by William the Conqueror to appease the Church for marrying his cousin Matilda of Flanders, and also to strengthen his claim to the Dukedom of Normandy. Both abbeys date from the 1060s and represent Romanesque architecture at its most severe. The Abbaye aux Hommes is the more impressive of the two abbeys. Its 56 metre long nave is a perfect example of Norman Romanesque design, although the Gothic spires (80 metres in height) were added in the 13th century. The abbey contains the tomb of William the Conqueror (actually the third tomb, since the original was destroyed by the Huguenots in 1562 and its first replacement wrecked during the French Revolution). After the Lanterne Tower collapsed and ruined the chancel, the abbey was renovated in the 17th and 18th centuries, in the classical style. It served as a school in the 19th century and now houses the Hôtel de ville (Town Hall)

Caen is known as the town of a hundred spires, since it has around forty churches. After the two Norman abbeys, the grandest of these is the Église St-Pierre, a beautiful Gothic church which dates back to the 14th century. With its lavish Renaissance adornments (a 16th century addition), it is very different to the austere abbeys and is often mistaken for a cathedral. Near to the Abbaye aux Hommes are the ruins of L'Église St-Etienne-le-Vieux, an old church with an unfortunate history. Having been wrecked during the English sieges of the 100 Years War, it was rebuilt in Gothic style, only to be used as a stable during the French Revolution and partially destroyed by bombing in 1944. Another interesting church is the deconsecrated 11th century church of St-Nicolas.

At the very heart of the town is the Château de Caen, built by William the Conqueror in around 1060. One the largest medieval fortresses in Europe, it covers an area of 5.5 hectares and now houses a Fine Arts Museum (le Musée des Beaux-Arts de Caen) and a museum dedicated to the region's history (le Musée de Normandie). Within its walls there is also a garden with plants cultivated in the Middle Ages. Dotted around the town centre there are a surprising number of old mansions, mostly built in the 17th and 18th centuries, although some date back to the Renaissance. A good example would be the Hôtel d'Escoville, a handsome Renaissance-style merchant's house. One historically important part of Caen to escape the bombs of WWII is the Place de Saint-Sauveur, an elegant 18th century square which is one of the oldest public spaces in the town. To the east of the ramparts, between the two abbeys, is the rue Vaugueux, a lively area with terrace cafés, restaurants and shops.

Caen offers 500 hectares of green space with its numerous parks and gardens. These include: the Jardin botanique de Caen, a botanical garden and arboretum with a remarkably diverse collection of plants, the Parc floral Colline aux oiseaux (situated close to the Caen Memorial) and Parc Festyland, a popular amusement park to the west of the town, in nearby Carpiquet. The Caen Memorial Museum (Mémorial pour la Paix) lies just outside the town centre, to the northwest. Dedicated to peace, this traces the events leading up to D-Day and its aftermath, and is arguably the best museum in France devoted to WWII.

There are good rail connections from Caen to Paris and several other towns in Normandy (including Deauville, Bayeux and Cherbourg). Caen-Carpiquet Airport is served by Brit Air and Airlinair and offers flights to Paris, Nice and Lyon. A ferry service operates from the port of Ouistreham (15 km from Caen) to Portsmouth in England. A shuttle bus runs between the ferry port and Caen town centre.