Caen is the capital and largest city of the Calvados department in Normandy. Situated a few miles from the coast, the landing beaches, the bustling resorts of Deauville and Cabourg, as well as Norman Switzerland and the Pays d'Auge, Caen is often considered the archetype of Normandy. Of its population of 108,000 (2022), about one third are students at the University of Caen, the school of fine arts, or the business school.
Caen is a modern city; four-fifths of it was demolished in 1944 and rebuilt in the 1950s and 1960s. However, some old buildings remain, especially churches. In summer, tourists (mainly British and German) gather in Normandy for Second World War memorials and the Memorial for Peace. Caen is an excellent base for visits to the D-Day beaches. There was intense fighting in Caen and the surrounding area starting shortly after the D-Day landings on June 6, 1944. The village of Carpiquet, which is a bit west of Caen near the ring road and the E46 highway, has the Caen airport so it was strategically important and also saw heavy fighting.
The bus verts will get you around Normandy easily. Within Caen and its close suburbs, use the bus and tramway network, called twisto. The tram system consist of 3 lines, two of which pass the SNCF railway station. The tourist information centre in central Caen provides timetables and excellent maps of the city's public transport network.
1 Memorial for peace (Mémorial de Caen), Esplanade Général Eisenhower, ☏ +33 2 31 06 06 45, contact@memorial-caen.fr. 09:00-18:00. A modern museum focusing on Second World War and the Cold War. €19.50, 65+ and 10-18 €17.50, under 10 free. (updated Jul 2024) 2 Abbey of Saint-Étienne (L'abbaye aux Hommes - Men's abbey), abbayeauxhommes@caen.fr. A wonderful example of Romanesque architecture. Houses the tomb of William the Conqueror (updated Dec 2020) 3 Abbey of Sainte-Trinité (l'abbaye aux Dames - women's abbey), Place Reine Mathilde, ☏ +33 2 31 06 98 45, +33 6 48 37 99 80, abbayeauxdames@normandie.fr. A wonderful example of Romanesque architecture.
D-Day beaches. Caen is close enough to the D-Day sites to act as a base from which to explore the D-Day sites. It is a short train ride from Caen to Bayeux. From Bayeux train station, you can catch a bus to some of the D-Day beaches but services are infrequent; if you want to see more than one of the beaches you should rent a car or join a guided tour. On the bus website there is a map of the bus route to the D-Day beaches. Bus No. 70 takes you to Omaha beach, the American cemetery, and to Pointe Du Hoc. Bus No. 74 takes you to Arromanches beach, the location of the Mulberry harbours. Buses are few and far between.
Caen's local delicacy is called tripes à la mode de Caen - tripe and vegetables stewed in cider - and is nicer than it sounds. The official recipe, closely guarded by a guild of tripe butchers, is written in the form of a poem. The Vaugueux is full of restaurants. 1 Le Diplomate, 28 Rue Guillaume le Conquérant. Brasserie (updated Feb 2023) 2 Au Double Blanc, 7 Rue Caponière. Down home cooking (updated Feb 2023) 3 La Ficelle, 47 Rue de Bernières. (updated Feb 2023) 4 La Brioche Chaude, 25 Rue Neuve Saint-Jean. (updated Feb 2023) 5 Bar Brasserie L'Azur, 27 Rue Prairies Saint-Gilles. Brasserie (updated Feb 2023) 6 Restaurant Les Quatre Bouchons, 10 Rue Gaston Lavalley.
The Rue Ecuyère, near to the Rue Saint Pierre is famous for its bars. If you are looking for a pub, you will find some at the harbour located Quai Vendeuve. 1 Le Vertigo, 14 Rue Ecuyère, ☏ +33 2 31 85 43 12. Open M–Sa: 11:30–01:30. (updated Oct 2017) 2 L'Orient Express, 24 Rue du 11 Novembre, ☏ +33 2 31 72 81 64. M&ndashW: 18:00–03:00; Th, F: 18:00–05:00; Sa, Su: 16:30–05:00. (updated Oct 2017)
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
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In Sep, Caen typically sees ~20°C daytime highs and 11 rainy days.
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