One of the largest fortresses in Europe, two abbeys founded by William and Matilda, and a memorial museum that tells the whole of the 20th century: Caen is twenty-five minutes from your cottage.
Caen is William's city: he made it his capital, built an outsized castle there and founded, with Matilda, the two abbeys where they both lie. Three quarters destroyed in the summer of 1944, the city rebuilt itself around the white stone that stayed standing — the castle, Saint-Étienne, La Trinité, Saint-Pierre. It is the nearest large city to the campsite: twenty-five minutes by road, near enough for a full day or simply an evening by the marina. La Capricieuse, a five-star Yelloh Village campsite, is in Luc-sur-Mer: cottages, a heated water park, a restaurant on site and the beach at the end of the lane.
The tram links northern Caen to the centre: parking at a park-and-ride stop avoids both the ring road and city-centre parking.
The castle, the abbeys and the Vaugueux quarter all belong to the same walking loop; the Memorial stands apart, north of the city.
Entry to the castle and its ramparts is free; only the museums inside are ticketed. The abbeys can be visited freely, with free guided tours in season.
Five hectares in the middle of the city, one of the largest fortified enclosures in Europe. William had it built around 1060; the ramparts, the keep and the Exchequer hall are still there. Entry is free, and the walk round the walls gives the best view over the rooftops of Caen.
Founded by William in 1063, it holds his tomb in the church of Saint-Étienne, a masterpiece of Norman Romanesque with its two white stone towers. The 18th-century monastic buildings now house the town hall — and can be visited.
Behind the church, a classical cloister of perfect sobriety and formal French gardens open to all. It is the quietest place in the city centre: you go in through the town hall courtyard, often without meeting a soul.
At the other end of the city, Matilda's answer: the church of La Trinité, where she is buried, and its forest-like crypt with sixteen columns. The convent has become the seat of the regional council; the church and the crypt are free to visit.
The only old quarter spared by the bombing of 1944: a few cobbled streets, half-timbered houses and a run of restaurants at the foot of the castle. This is where you eat when you stay in Caen for the evening.
The Saint-Pierre basin brings boats into the heart of the city, along a fifteen-kilometre canal linked to the sea at Ouistreham. The refurbished quays have become the evening promenade, between terraces and lit-up masts.
Photo credits: Zairon, Renhour48, Andy Li, Johan Allard, DimiTalen, Chabe01, Patrick (Compiègne), François Monier — Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA / CC0).
Photo: François Monier · CC BY-SA 4.0Built on the former German command post, the Memorial does not only tell the story of D-Day: it unfolds the whole 20th century, from 1918 to the Cold War, in a display that set the standard. Two and a half hours at the very least, and a peace garden in which to catch your breath. It is the natural companion to a day on the landing beaches.
Five-star cottages, a heated water park and the beach fifty metres away, in Luc-sur-Mer.
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