The Originals City Hôtel Caen Mémorial

A strange history for these abbeys, built in the 11th century at 2 locations in the city by William the Conqueror and his wife, Matilda of Flanders. The Pope of the time didn't want them to marry: they were 6th cousins, bordering on consanguinity! The couple stood their ground and, by way of atonement, built these 2 marvels. First an abbey, then a secondary school, the Abbey aux Hommes is now home to the Caen town hall. L'abbaye aux Dames, headquarters of the Conseil Régional de Normandie, was in turn a convent, arsenal and hospital. 

From the top of these ramparts, you can contemplate almost 1,000 years of history! Built around 1060 by William the Conqueror, this edifice is now one of the largest fortified enclosures in Europe. Wars, fires, bombardments, it has escaped all the vicissitudes of Caen's history. Climb the square towers and walkways (free access) and admire the palace of the Dukes of Normandy, the remains of the keep, not forgetting the city that stretches out at your feet.

Located just 2 steps from the Château du Ducal and its ramparts, the Vaugueux district is one of the city's most picturesque. With its historic half-timbered houses and narrow cobbled streets, this pleasant district is also the heart of Caen's lively nightlife, with its succession of restaurants and bars. Do you know who used to run through these alleys as a child? A famous "Môme": Edith Piaf, who came to visit her grandparents, who owned one of the many cafés in the area. 

Caen boasts almost 500 hectares of green spaces throughout the city. These include: the Jardin des Plantes, an elegant green lung; the Prairie; the Colline aux Oiseaux, a former public rubbish dump rehabilitated as a landscaped park; the garden, or rather the Musée d'initiation à la nature, which offers a discovery of the flora and fauna of Normandy; and the surprising Jardin Luna Rossa, which, hidden away in a small courtyard in the Caponière district, serves as a facetious and wacky setting for the works of ten self-taught artists. 

An in-con-tour-na-ble visit. An incredible place to learn about war in general and the Second World War in particular. Occupying the site of the former German general command bunker in Normandy, this "Museum for Peace" recalls the beginnings and consequences of the 39-45 conflict, with a wealth of testimonies, objects and educational tools (for children aged 9-10 and over). A museum with a constantly renewed scenography that invites us on a journey through the collective memory from 1918 to the present day.