Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Caen
The capital of Basse-Normandie, Caen is a lively, cultured university town
with a compact historic centre. Although devastated in 1944, it was carefully
restored, and today successfully blends modern with old, dominated still by
William the Conqueror's Château Ducal and his two great abbeys. The
presence of a colourful marina in the heart of the town is a reminder that
Caen is also a proud seaport. Equidistant from Cherbourg, Mont-St-Michel
and Rouen, it makes an excellent base for exploring Normandy.
Top 10 Sights
1 Abbaye-aux-Hommes
2 Abbaye-aux-Dames
3 Château Ducal
4 Musée des Beaux-Arts
5 Musée de Normandie
6 Le Mémorial de Caen
7 Église St-Pierre
8 Rue St-Pierre
9 Marina
0 Quartier Vaugueux
Abbaye-aux-Hommes,
façade
There's a wide range
of eateries in the
Quartier Vaugueux.
Park at the Côte de
Nacre car park north
of the city for just
€2.50 per day; then
travel free by tram to
the city centre.
Abbaye-aux-
Hommes
William and Matilda were
cousins; at first, the pope
opposed their marriage.
He relented, and they
atoned by each founding
an abbey: in William's
case, the Abbaye-aux-
Hommes
(see pp46, 87).
• Map D3
•
Office de Tourisme:
pl St-Pierre. Map M2.
02 31 27 14 14
• St-Étienne: Map L2.
Open 8:15-noon,
2-7:30pm daily. Free
•
Abbaye-aux-Hommes:
Map L2. Guided tours
from 9:30am daily.
Admission €2
•
Abbey-aux-Dames:
Map N1. Guided tours
2:30 & 4pm daily. Free
• Musée des Beaux-
Arts: Map M1. Open
9:30am-6pm Wed-Mon.
Admission €3.80
• Musée de Normandie:
Map M1. Open 9:30am-
12:30pm, 2-6pm Wed-
Mon. Admission €1.55
(free on Sun)
•
Le Mémorial de Caen:
Map L1. Open 9am-7pm
or 8pm daily. Admission
€16.60
Abbaye-aux-
Dames
Matilda's tomb is marked
by a slab of black marble
in the choir of her abbey
church, La Trinité. Her
beautiful abbey
(below)
,
in creamy Caen stone, is
now the Regional Council
headquarters.
Château Ducal
Built as a royal home,
William's hilltop castle
became a fortress in 1204.
The ramparts
(above)
,
Chapelle St-Georges, and
the great hall of Henri I's
palace are all that remain.
Musée des Beaux-
Arts
Within the castle walls is
this wide-ranging fine-art
collection, strong on 17th-
century French and Italian
painting
(see p53)
.
24
For more on William the Conqueror
See p15
