CAEN

Caen is a lively, thriving metropolis that combines a wealth of heritage and culture with a wide variety of top-class tourist facilities.

Ravaged by terrible fires during the Second World War, the town has nonetheless retained some of its famous buildings, including a number of castles and the Abbaye-aux-Hommes built by William the Conqueror and the Abbaye-aux-Dames founded by his wife Matilda.

Explore Caen as you tour the Normandy Landing beaches, you will appreciate its many parks and gardens, its pedestrian centre and the Caen Memorial Peace Museum.

Though there is no documentation to support it, the accepted theory is that Caen was first and foremost a Gaulish military encampment. The troubled times of the Middle Ages left few vestiges of the Saint-Martin church.

The town of Caen was, in the 11th century, the second most important city for the dutchy of Normandy - this led to the construction of ramparts, a château and two abbeys under duke William the Conqueror. The city was taken into the fold of the French kingdom in the 14th century which led to a period of prosperity. Yet opposition to the British during the Hundred Years' War brought about retaliation the 16th century; the city suffered terrible damages.

Caen was an important metropolis in the early 20th century and was almost completely destroyed during the Second World War; in particular, the great fire of 1944 lasted 11 days and caused extensive damages.

After the great fire of the Second World War, a number of impressive edifices in Caen survived among which is the famed château built by William duke of Normandy.

Expanded in the 13th century, the castle was damaged after the war and underwent extensive renovation programs. Within its fortified walls one can find the Fine Arts museum and the Normandy museum.

Two other impressive and historically significant buildings are the two abbeys (the Abbaye-aux-Hommes and the Abbaye-aux-Femmes) that stand facing each other. The first abbey, for women believers, was built by Dutchess Mathilde in 1066 and today is home to the Lower Normandy Regional Council. Its counterpoint the "Abbey-for-Men", destined to be the home of numerous monks, comprised the Saint-Etienne church and conventual buildings established by William around 1060 - it is now the town hall of Caen.