The ghost of William the Conqueror roams the streets of Caen, like the symbol of a city that has been martyred for centuries. Its strategic position, so close to the English Channel, gives Caen its charm. The beaches of the Côte Fleurie are a short drive away, with their romantic seaside resorts, from Cabourg to Trouville. But its position also led to the misfortunes of the Calvados capital, culminating in the Battle of Normandy. The tons of bombs dropped by newly-landed Allied troops to stop the German advance turned it into a martyred city, with a sad toll of more than 10,000 civilian victims and a town that was 80% destroyed.

Flashback. The place the Romans called Cadomus began to flourish in the 11th century, when a certain William, still known as the Bastard rather than the Conqueror, built his castle there to keep a better watch over the nearby coast. Together with his distant cousin Matilda, whom he married, the Duke of Normandy and future King of England made Caen into a lively city, and built churches and abbeys. Merchants were drawn to it from all over the region, bringing prosperity to the Norman city and arousing envy. The city was invaded by the English several times during the Hundred Years' War, embellished by Louis XIV, settled by the Girondins after the French Revolution, before being attacked by the Americans, English, Canadians and Germans.

When peace finally came, Caen didn’t just drift into slumber. On the contrary, it is increasingly vibrant. While reconstruction was carried out rather hastily, it has retained some wonderful vestiges of its noble past, located in the pedestrian heart of the city, where a few surviving medieval streets intermingle (rue Froide, rue de Vaugueux...) as well as along the quays of the Bassin Saint-Pierre, a real urban port linked to the sea by a canal. The surrounding countryside is also a feast for the eyes. The red, white and black cows, and the white cherry blossom, celebrated in the song by Stone & Charden, are part of this colourful Normandy which inspired the greatest impressionist painters. The wooded countryside and limitless beaches invite you to stroll around, singing "chabadabada", the theme tune from Claude Lelouch's film "Un Homme et une Femme" (A Man and a Woman) shot in Deauville. 

And that's all it took to make Caen a great place to live. At least that seems to be the view of the 30,000 students who storm the city each year, peacefully this time. They liven up the bars and restaurants for much of the year. Tourists take over during the long spring weekends and in summertime, making the city a cultural and tasteful stopover (there’s no shortage of local specialities, from camembert to cider!) along the holiday route. Many only stop for a few hours to visit Caen Memorial, which bears witness to the violence of the Second World War, and to meander through the castle grounds. But Caen deserves a longer visit. Better still, the city can be the home base for a Norman holiday, halfway between the delicacies of the Pays d'Auge and the wild landscapes of the Cotentin.

Sites & monuments

• The château: the castle was built by William the Conqueror, and the thick walls surrounding a botanical garden and two museums still remain. There’s also a beautiful view from the walkway. 
• Men's Abbey: built by William to obtain a papal pardon after his marriage to his cousin. Curving around the Anglo-Norman Abbey of Saint-Etienne, which houses the tomb of the Conqueror, the 18th century conventual buildings now house the Town Hall.
• Ladies' Abbey: the counterpart to the Men's Abbey, this time built by William the Conqueror's wife, Matilda. Around its Romanesque Trinity Church, which hosts a lovely crypt, you will find attractive buildings with sober lines, and a French garden in the cloister courtyard. 
• Hôtel d'Escoville: built in the 16th century, this is one of the most beautiful vestiges of the Renaissance style, right in the heart of the town. It was largely rebuilt after the 1944 bombings.
• Place Saint-Sauveur: formerly Place du Pilori, this elegant square lined with private mansions is dominated by Saint Sauveur church, which was completely rebuilt after the war. It hosts temporary exhibitions. 
• The streets in the centre: rue Froide, rue du Vaugueux, rue aux Fromages or rue Ecuyère... their names and the rows of beautiful stone houses bear witness to Caen's rich past.

Museums

• Caen Memorial Museum: inaugurated in 1988, this is a must-see. From the rise of Nazism to the Cold War in the 1950s and 1960s, via the Battle of Normandy in 1944, it has a wealth of objects and testimonies that are often poignant. The scenography is subtle, never boring.
• Musée de Normandie: in a 17th century building within the castle walls, the museum’s collections bear witness to the historical and cultural heritage of the region, particularly in the rooms displaying costumes and customs.
• Musée des Beaux-Arts: also in the castle grounds, but in a contemporary building, this fine arts museum is dedicated to paintings from the 15th to the 20th centuries, featuring the artists who captured Normandy on their canvases, notably those of the Barbizon school. 

Parks and gardens 

• Jardin des Plantes: this botanical garden laid out in the 18th century is an ideal spot to chill out or revise your botany, with more than 5000 species, notably in the exotic greenhouse or in the orange grove. 
• La Prairie: this green space at the gates of the racecourse, is a natural, protected area for walking, especially along the Orne.
• Chemin de halage: this towpath is now a hiking trail (GR 36) running along the Orne canal that links Caen to the sea (at Ouistreham), a 15 km walk or bike ride. 

• 6 June: every year, the towns and villages of the region celebrate the 1944 landings, with re-enactments, vehicle processions, etc.... Every 5 years, the commemorations take on a special dimension. See you in 2024 (80 year anniversary)! 
• July: Beauregard Festival, in the park of the Château de Beauregard in Hérouville-Saint-Clair, in the Caen area. A variety of concerts... 
• July: RéciDives, the puppet theatre festival in Dives-sur-Mer, a delightful village with many craftsmen.
  July/August - the Eclats de Rue festival brings Caen to life every Thursday and Friday evening, with a host of street performances.  
• August: medieval festivals in Falaise (birthplace of William the Conqueror), south of Caen. Horse shows, costume parades, craft market...  
• September: the American film festival in Deauville, an essential venue for lovers of the 7th art, which has enlivened the seaside resort since 1975.
• October: Shrimp festival in Honfleur, with a fleet of old sailing ships to celebrate the traditional fishing that forged the reputation of the small port. 
• October: Nordik Impact festival in Caen, featuring electronic music.

• Remembering D-Day: Calvados is home to four of the five D-Day beaches and many remembrance sites: Omaha Beach and the American cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer, the Overlord Museum with its collection of armoured vehicles, the sleek Visitor Centre at Pointe du Hoc and the Falaise Memorial which pays tribute to the 20,000 civilian victims of the Battle of Normandy. A history lesson and an fundamental duty of remembrance...  

• Meet the Belles of Houlgate: on the seafront and up on the hills, hundreds of Belle Epoque villas and manor houses give the seaside resort on the Côte Fleurie a delightfully retro atmosphere. From Napoleon III to Sacha Guitry and Zola, people once flocked here before neighbouring Deauville became fashionable. The tourist office offers a city tour to make sure you don’t miss the most beautiful buildings, from elegant half-timbering to extravagant turrets. 

• A fisherman’s pace: nestled between two 70m high cliffs, the small fishing port of Port-en-Bessin contrasts with the chic resorts of the Normandy coast. As the third largest port in Normandy, life still follows the pace of the choreography of boats and the unloading of crates of scallops and fish on the quays. To get the whole picture, climb up the few steps of the Vauban Tower which watches over the port.
   

Dishes

• Flatfish: sole, flounder and turbot are the best known fish in the Channel. 
• Scallops: this is one of the shellfish stars of the Normandy coast. 25,000 tonnes are caught each year, i.e. 2/3 of French production.
• Tripe: Caen style of course! Made from the four parts of the cow's stomach (the rumen, reticulum, omasum and abomasum), and accompanied by carrots, onions and leeks.
• Andouille: this sausage is the speciality of the small town of Vire, in the very south of the Calvados department. It is smoked over beech wood. Veal escalope à la Normande - a cutlet prepared with mushrooms, mustard and fresh cream. 

Desserts

• Cheeses: Pont l'Evêque, Neufchâtel, Camembert and Livarot are the AOP (controlled designation of origin) cheeses of Normandy. In the village of Livarot, you can visit the E.Graindorge cheese factory.
• Apples: Melrose or Reine de Reinette, for cider or cooking, tart or bitter, the star fruit of the Normandy meadows.
  La tarte normande - an apple pie with a filling of flour, eggs, cream, sugar and a little calvados.
• Teurgoule: a sweet rice pudding, usually flavoured with cinnamon (sometimes vanilla), and baked in a very low oven. 

Drinks*

• Cider: the star drink! The Cider Route, which explores the Pays d'Auge (east of Caen), leads from villages to manor houses, on a discovery of the producers (18) and the local area.  
• Calvados: the famous Norman brandy (37.5° minimum), first introduced in the 16th century, is obtained by distilling cider or perry. Ideal for a "trou Normand", or a "café-calva" (a quick nip of spirits during or after the meal)! 
• Benedictine: made up of 27 ingredients, this was a health potion before it became a liqueur, and was developed by a Benedictine monk in 1510.

* l'abus d'alcool est dangereux pour la santé, à consommer avec modération

• Caen Tourist Office
• Caen Airport
• Calvados Tourist Office
• Normandy Tourist Office