Caen is a busy university city in northwestern France, located 15 km’s inland from the English Channel. It is the capital city of lower-Normandy and city of William the Conqueror. Much of the city was destroyed during the Battle of Normandy in WWII. Some old buildings remain, however most were rebuilt in the 50’s and 60’s.
Caen is reknowned for its Norman architecture built during the reign of William the Conqueror. These include William’s Castle and the Men’s and Women’s abbeys. Other highlights include the Memorial for Peace, the Normandy Fine Arts Museum and the city theatre.
Things to See & Do
* Caen castle
* L'abbaye aux Hommes (Men's abbey) and l'abbaye aux Dames (Women's abbey)
* Memorial for Peace
* Saint Etienne Cathedral
* Normandy and Fine Arts Museum
General information
Cruise Season – Feb - Dec
Currency - Euro (€)
Language - French
Land Area – 25.7 sq km’s
Population – 118,000
Electricity – 2 round pins European style
Time - GMT + one hour
International Country Telephone Code + 33
Port Location – The port of Caen is located at Ouistreham, 15 kilometres north of Caen. There are taxis and a shuttle service available from the port to the city centre.
Transport Links – Caen-Carpiquet Airport is the biggest airport in Lower-Normandy offering commuting possibilities to the whole of Europe. The city is also connected to the rest of the Calvados département by the Bus Verts du Calvados bus network. Trains leave every 2 hours from Saint-Lazare station in Paris to Caen and Cherbourg. Ferries cross the Channel from Portsmouth (UK) to Ouistreham, 15 km north of Caen.
Bus verts will get you around Normandy pretty easily. Within Caen and its close suburbs, use the bus and tramway network, called twisto.