Best Things To Do In Caen, France

Caen is a charming city located in the Calvados department in the Normandy region. In the XI century, Caen was the capital of the Duchy of Normandy under William the Conqueror, who ordered the construction of the town’s medieval château and two magnificent abbeys.

Caen is a must-stop for any WW2 Landing Beaches tour, but also an excellent base to explore other stunning places in Normandy on day trips.

Are you curious to know all the best things to do in Caen, France? Then keep reading! This Caen things to do list is good for two days, three days if you want to visit Bayeux.

William the Conqueror and Matilda of Flanders

William the Bastard – later William the Conqueror (1027-1087) – died nearly a millennium ago, but his presence is still very visible in Caen and in the region in general. Born in Falaise, Duke of Normandy and then King of England, it is possible to retrace his entire life through a visit to various monuments in Caen and the Calvados department.

In 1049, a marriage was arranged between the young Duke and Matilda of Flanders, the daughter of the Count of Flanders, who was also the niece of King Henry I of France. But Pope Leo IX forbade it because of too high a rate of consanguinity. The Church finally approved the marriage in 1053 in exchange for the promise to build four hospitals and two monasteries (future Abbaye-aux-Hommes and Abbaye-aux-Dames).

With this marriage, the Duke secured his power, as the North of France and present-day Belgium became allies. William had a sincere love for Matilda, who, in his absence during the conquest of England, governed the Duchy of Normandy alone.

What to Do in Caen, France

Is Caen worth visiting? Unfortunately, part of the city was ravaged during WW2. However, there are still old districts and beautiful monuments to admire, plus the city is an excellent base camp for exploring other places in the department on day trips.

1. Visit the Caen Memorial

An unmissable thing to do in Caen is visiting the Mémorial de Caen. The French city was heavily bombed during the Liberation, and the Memorial was opened in 1988 to commemorate this horrific event.

The Caen Memorial is also a war museum featuring two permanent exhibits, one dedicated to the world before WW2 and the other focusing on the history of the Cold War up to the fall of the Berlin Wall. There are also three Memorial Gardens dedicated to the three leading allied nations involved in liberating France.

What’s great about this museum is that the exhibits are mostly interactive, with multimedia displays and of-the-period artifacts. To properly see the memorial gardens and the museum, you should dedicate at least two hours to the Caen Memorial – Click here to buy your skip-the-line tickets

Address: Esplanade Général Eisenhower, Caen; Opening Times: daily from 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

2. Caen’s Castle and Medieval Ramparts

In the very center of the city, you will find the Château de Caen. Built by William the Conqueror in 1060, it is the biggest medieval fortress in Europe.

Heavily damaged during WW2, the castle has been restored and now hosts a bar-restaurant and two museums, the Musée de Normandie and the Musée des Beaux-Arts.

The Musée de Normandie displays archaeological and ethnographic collections explaining the culture of the Normandy region.

The Musée des Beaux-Arts boasts numerous paintings from the XIV to the XX century, including pieces from Monet and Boudin.

The Castle is free to access, but there’s an entrance fee for the museums.

The Château de Caen is surrounded by impressive ramparts, which are free to access. You can climb them to admire a vast panorama and spot the city’s main monuments.

Opening Times: daily from 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.

3. A stroll around the Quartier Vaugueux

The Quartier Vaugueux is a beautiful pedestrian-only neighborhood in Caen’s center. It is one of the few neighborhoods that survived the 1944 bombings.

While strolling up and down the Quartier Vaugueux, you will feel like you are stepping back in time! The look of the neighborhood is particularly medieval, with the narrow streets lined with beautiful and of-the-century half-timbered houses.

There are three places not to miss in the Old Town: Rue Froide, Rue de Vaugueux, and Rue Saint Pierre.

Rue Froide is the oldest street in the city, and its name is said to have come from Queen Matilda exclaiming, “What a chilly street!” This is the best spot in the city to be immersed in the medieval atmosphere.

Rue de Vaugueux is an excellent spot for a drink and a meal. Flanked by beautiful half-timbered houses, this cute little street has a very cool vibe and great bars and restaurants.

If you are looking for a shopping spree, Rue Saint Pierre is the place to go. Here, besides historical houses, you will find high-end stores and cool independent shops.

4. Abbaye-aux-Hommes and Eglise Saint-Etienne-Le-Vieux

Another of Caen’s architectural wonders is the Abbaye-aux-Hommes, a former Benedictine monastery. Founded by William the Conqueror in the XI century, it was built using Caen stone, a peculiar light-yellow limestone.

The Church attached to the abbey is built in Romanesque style and houses the tomb of William the Conqueror. There’s no entrance fee to visit the Church.

Today, the Abbey is the place of Caen’s Town Hall. Since it is a governmental building, only some areas can be accessed by the general public. By paying an entrance fee, you can self-tour the cloister and some of the abbey’s rooms, including the beautiful chapter room, which is used to celebrate weddings and temporary exhibitions.

With a guided tour, you can visit even more rooms, plus you will have interesting explanations from the tour guide.

Address: Espace Jean-Marie Louvel, Caen; Opening Times: Monday to Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, from 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Just in front of the Abbaye-aux-Hommes are the ruins of Saint-Etienne-Le-Vieux, today partly ruined. This other church was founded in the X century and features a Romanesque façade and nave, while the choir is Gothic-style due to its later rebuilding in the XIII century.

Incredibly gorgeous, it is unfortunately not possible to get inside Saint-Etienne-Le-Vieux.

5. Abbaye-aux-Dames

A counterpart to the Abbaye-aux-Hommes, the Abbaye-aux-Dames was commissioned by Queen Matilda, William the Conqueror’s wife, in the XI century.

The complex includes the Church of Sainte-Trinité, a fine example of Norman architecture, which houses the Queen’s tomb. A formal garden known as Parc d’Ornano completes the complex.

The Abbaye-aux-Dames’ monastic buildings changed usage over time, and it was used as a workhouse, a hospice, and a hotel (the former Hotel-Dieu). Today, it hosts the headquarters of the Normandy region.

The buildings and the garden are free to visit. There are also guided tours for a small fee.

Address: Place Reine Mathilde, Caen; Opening Times: Monday to Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and from 1:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

6. Saint-Pierre Church

If you like religious buildings, you will surely enjoy your time in the Saint-Pierre Church. Built between the XIII and XVI centuries, this church’s style is mainly Norman Gothic, with a touch of Renaissance elements that makes it particularly interesting to visit.

The Saint-Pierre Church stands out in the city’s landscape since it is located in a new neighborhood with modern buildings and with the Château de Caen in the background.

Admiring the church from the outside, you will see a tall, XIV-century bell tower and the lace-like stonework and soaring spires of the front facade.

Stepping inside, don’t miss the splendid flamboyant ornamentation in the choir and the late-gothic ambulatory chapels.

Address: Place Saint-Pierre, Caen; Opening Times: Monday to Friday, from 7:15 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, from 9:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

7. Visit Caen’s Cimetières Dormants (Sleeping Cemeteries)

Away from the hustle and bustle of the city, there are small green spaces that are quiet and peaceful: the Cimitières Dormants (sleeping cemeteries). One of the most unusual things to do in Caen, the name Sleeping Cemeteries refers to cemeteries for which all the concessions have been taken in perpetuity and which do not receive new burials while remaining open to the public. They are also called “ivy cemeteries” because, most often, nature has largely reclaimed its rights on these plots.

In number six, each cemetery has a peculiarity that makes it worth visiting. For instance, the Cemetery of Saint-Pierre has strange pious scriptures engraved on the tombs.

The Quatre-nations Cemetery is the most romantic, dominated by lush and abundant vegetation. The numerous engraved tombs, chapels, and funerary art made this cemetery the setting of Truffaut’s movie “The Green Room.”

Another unmissable sleeping cemetery is the one of Saint-Jean. It is located inside the former quarry where Caen stone was extracted. So this cemetery is half-buried, with some tombs protected behind huge stone walls. Aristocrats and notable figures used to be buried here, which explains the richness of its funerary heritage.

• The Cimetière Saint-Jean is on Rue Canchy
• The Cimetière Saint-Nicolas is on Rue Saint-Nicolas
• The Cimetière des 4 Nations is on Rue Desmoueux
• The Cimetière de l’Université is on Rue du Magasin à Poudre
• The Cimetière Saint-Ouen is on Rue Saint-Ouen
• The Cimetière Saint-Pierre is on Rue du Doyen Morière

8. Explore the Jardin des Plantes

Labeled a “remarkable garden” for its botanical diversity and the quality of its facilities, the Jardin des Plantes is one of the best things to see in Caen.

It was established in the XVII century by Gallard de la Ducquerie, a professor at Caen’s Faculty of Medicine. Today, the garden is home to over 2,000 different plant species. Stroll through regional flora, horticultural and medicinal plants, and a rock garden for a lovely couple of hours in total relaxation.

While at the Jardin des Plantes, you will also spot a giant sequoia, one of the best pieces inside. Also make sure to visit the park’s greenhouse, the best part of this garden in my opinion, which hosts plants from different climate types.

Address: Place Blot, Caen; Opening Times: Monday to Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

9. Parc de la Colline aux Oiseaux

Next to the Memorial is the Parc de la Colline aux Oiseaux, a charming 17-hectare floral park built on a former landfill site. The park’s name translates to “Bird Hill” to indicate its main characteristic: it climbs up a hill, offering a bird’s eye view over Caen and its surroundings.

From the park’s belvedere, it’s also possible to see a miniature representation of Normandy and the lake forming the English Channel.

The Colline aux Oiseaux’s main highlight is its superb rose garden, which houses 570 varieties of rose bushes bearing about 15,000 roses in summer.

Inside the park, visitors can also find an animal farm, a playground, and a labyrinth.

Free to visit, the Parc de la Colline aux Oiseaux is the perfect place to take part in the art of a French picnic!

Address: Avenue de l’Amiral Mountbatten, Caen; Opening Times: Monday to Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, from 10:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

10. Apéritif along the Canal de l’Orne

Why not end your visit to Caen with an apéritif on the banks of the Orne Canal?

Inaugurated by Napoleon III and Empress Eugénie, the Canal de l’Orne was built to link the Port of Caen to the Ouistreham Estuary.

Today, along the canal’s banks, you will see locals jogging and enjoying time with their friends in one of the many bars and restaurants ideal for a casual apéritif and some tapas.

If you like to do sporty activities during your vacation, you will be excited to know that the Canal de l’Orne houses the Au Fil de l’Orne Water Sports Center (10 Quai de l’Amiral Hamelin), which offers different ways to explore the Canal from the water (electric boat, sailboat, or jet ski).

11. Take a Day Trip to Bayeux

If you have a spare day during your holiday in Caen, you should take a day trip to Bayeux. Easy to reach by train, in just 40 minutes, a visit to this lovely Medieval town is one of the best things to do near Caen.

Bayeux is dominated by cobblestone streets, small canals, and the beautiful Notre Dame Cathedral of Bayeux, a masterpiece of Norman-Romanesque and Gothic architecture.

But Bayeux is mainly known for its Bayeux Tapestry, telling the story of William the Conqueror’s invasion of England in 1066. This exquisitely embroidered cloth is 70 meters long and 50 centimeters tall, and it is housed in the Bayeux Tapestry Museum. If you like art pieces, you can’t miss it!

TIP: For the perfect visit to the Tapestry and zero waiting lines, try to arrive at the Museum before 10 a.m. After 10 a.m., the museum is fully packed!

And there you have it, what to do in Caen, Normandy for a cultural and relaxing holiday. So, what are you waiting for? Book your getaway trip to Caen today!

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