OUR BEAUTIFUL REGION
CAEN

Discover Caen

The Caen Memorial

You can't go to Caen without visiting the Caen Memorial, the museum of peace. Inaugurated in 1988, the Caen Memorial was designed to commemorate the Battle of Normandy.

This museum is above all an international cultural center dedicated to the history of the 20th century and to peace. You will be able to discover a fascinating film on D-Day, shown on a giant screen. This film tells the story of the D-Day landings with a split image, from the Allied and German points of view.

The "Vaugueux" district

In this picturesque neighborhood where Edith Piaf's family lived, you will find many restaurants offering typical and traditional cuisine.

The Escoville Hotel

In this typical mansion of the first renaissance is the headquarters of the Tourist Office.

Saint Peter's Church

This parish church of renaissance style built in the 12th century is striking for the luxury of its ornamentation.

The garden of plants

In 1689, the Professor of the Faculty of Medicine of Caen, Mr. Gallard de la Ducquerie, bought a garden and filled it with rare plants. Today, it allows you to discover more than 2000 different species in a play and relaxation area.

The Castle

Built by William the Conqueror, then damaged by the 1944 bombings and restored after the war, it now houses the Caen Museum of Fine Arts and the Museum of Normandy, the Hall of the Exchequer and the Church of Saint George.

The Men's Abbey

In 1066, William the Conqueror undertook the construction of the Men's Abbey to reconcile himself with the Vatican, which reproached him for having married the princess of Flanders, his distant cousin. Started in the Romanesque style, it was completed in the 13th century in the Gothic style. It houses the tomb of the Duke King. This remarkable architectural masterpiece is striking for the elegance of its lines, combining Romanesque aesthetics, Gothic élan and the classical majesty of the conventual dwellings.

The Ladies' Abbey

Built between 1060 and 1080 by Queen Mathilde, this abbey is the counterpart of the Men's Abbey. Built in the 11th century and reworked in the 12th century, it is a fine example of Romanesque art. One notices in particular the superb crypt whose vaults of edges rest on 16 tight columns. Queen Mathilde lies in the heart of the church.