Best Things to Do in Caen

Caen is a city steeped in medieval history and has suffered the ravages of many wars, especially the Second World War. However, the city managed to remain upright and many of its spaces were rebuilt, becoming monuments.

Among the best things to do in Caen are visiting the historic centre, as it is full of heritage sites. You should also visit the Abbaye des Dames, the Abbaye des Hommes, the Memorial Museum and the Château de Caen, as well as natural spaces such as the botanical garden, the park of the bird hill and much more.

My first recommendation is that you should book tickets for the Caen Memorial Museum, a space that will take you back to 1945.

There, you'll get a pretty complete overview of how the Second World War, the Cold War and much more unfolded.

During your visit to the museum, which opened its doors on 6 June 1988 and has been refurbished and expanded over time, you'll see:

• General exhibitions: covering themes related to World War II, the Cold War, the context before and after the construction of the Berlin Wall and much more.
• American Garden: one of its attractions is the fountain, which was designed and strategically placed to represent freedom.
• Canadian Garden: a space that invites visitors to reflect.
• British Garden: inside you can appreciate different sculptures and some cypresses in homage to the 15 British divisions, as well as to the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force.

Useful information

• Price: from €19.80. The reduced price is €17.50 and applies to seniors over 65, children 10-18, military, teachers and accompanying persons of disabled persons. Students and residents of Caen pay €5 and children under the age of 10 are free.
• Opening hours: from 9.30am to 6pm between October and 7 January, from 9am to 6pm between February and March, and from 9am to 7pm between April and September.
• To find out more... See the article on tickets for the Memorial Museum in Caen: how to buy, prices and discounts.

A visit to the Botanical Garden of Caen is a must during your stay in the city. This is an emblematic place full of history, where you will find a plant collection of more than 8,000 species.

When you arrive at this natural space of 5,000 m2, you will be amazed by the panoramic views, as this garden is located on a hilly area in the centre of Caen. You will also have the opportunity to stroll around and see a variety of botanical species:

• The greenhouses, comprising some 1500 exotic species, including orchids, giant water lily and ephemeral flowers.
• The medicinal plant garden, with approximately 600 plants.
• The typical Normandy vegetation, including about 100 wild species.
• Trees considered natural monuments, as they have survived the centuries. Such is the case of the Cryptomeria japonica, which dates back to 1870 and reaches a height of 20 metres, and the Sequoiadendron giganteum, which is 35 metres high and dates back to 1890.

Useful information

• Price: Admission to the garden is free.
• Opening hours: Access to the garden is from 8:00 am Monday to Friday and from 10:00 am on Saturdays and Sundays.
• Recommendation: don't worry if you are travelling with children, as it offers several spaces for recreation, such as the children's playground and educational activities.

Majestic and imposing are two adjectives that perfectly define the Château de Caen and, during your visit here, you will understand why.

When you arrive at this 11th century fortress, you will immediately notice its vast size (more than 5,000 hectares). You will be able to make a tour without major difficulties while you discover the hidden treasures of this cultural complex, located in the centre of the city. Among the places and monuments that you will be able to visit are the following:

• The Normandy Museum, a building that used to be the governor's residence.
• The Museum of Fine Arts with a variety of exhibitions of national and international artists.
• The Church of St George, which currently also functions as an exhibition space for works of art.
• The Porte Saint-Pierre, which is the southern entrance to the castle and offers beautiful panoramic views of the city centre.
• The Porte des Champs or north gate.
• The garden, which consists of different crops of vegetables, fruit and greens.

Useful information

• Price: Admission to the castle is free, but to enter some specific areas you will have to hire an authorised guide.
• Opening hours: from 9.30 am to 6 pm.

The Church of Saint-Pierre de Ca en is another place you should include in your visit because besides accumulating centuries of history, the building boasts different architectural trends, such as Norman, Italian, Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Romanesque.

In this temple of the Catholic Church built in homage to Saint Peter, you will see:

• The façade, which dates back to the 14th century and displays a large rose window with stained glass.
• The bell tower, which was rebuilt in the years after the war.
• The interiorarches, which are essentially Gothic in style with some Renaissance elements.
• The chancel, in which various decorative features belonging to the Italianate style can be seen.

Useful information

• Price: admission to the site is free.
• Opening hours: Monday to Saturday from 8.30 am to 7 pm and on Sundays until 6 pm.
• Location: 110 Rue Saint-Jean, Caen.
• Curiosity: Caen stone was used for the structure of the church, chosen for its level of resistance but at the same time for its easy handling.

In the north-west of Caen, you will find the 17 hectares that make up the large Parc de la Colline des Aves, an environment full of nature. Here, you can breathe in the fresh air and enjoy the view of endless crop fields.

During your walk through this vast natural complex, you can enjoy the following areas and explore them at your own pace, as there are several signposts:

• The rose garden, which boasts more than 15,000 species of roses, including some 570 varieties preserved since the Middle Ages.
• Children's area, with games for the little ones and an animal park, where you can see some peacocks, cows, ducks and goats.
• Themed gardens, in which crops are classified according to common characteristics, such as perennials, mazes, flower trials, etc.

Useful information

• Price: admission to the site is free.
• Opening hours: Monday to Sunday from 10 a.m., with exceptions on certain public holidays.
• Location: Avenue Amiral Mountbatten, Caen.

Your visit to Caen would not be complete without a visit to the Abbaye des Dames. This is another of Normandy's great treasures, with a long history dating back to its foundation in the 11th century, which you can discover either on your own or with a guide.

This building, which is now a historical monument, was built at the same time as the Abbey of the Ladies. Over time, it has served as a home for Benedictine nuns, but in other centuries it has also functioned as a hospice and military barracks. I recommend a visit:

• The church located inside, specifically the choir area, as it houses the remains of Matilda of Flanders, who was the wife of William the Conqueror.
• The 11th century crypt, with a large forest of columns.
• A painting room called "Painting in Normandy", where various works of religious and local interest are exhibited.
• The Park, which extends over five hectares and from where you can enjoy incredible panoramic views of the city.

Useful information

• Price: Self-guided tours are free of charge, while guided tours cost €4 (€2 for people with special conditions).
• Opening hours: Monday to Friday from 8.30 am to 12.30 pm and from 1.30 pm to 6 pm. Saturday and Sunday afternoons are from 14:00 to 18:00. Closed on 25 December, 1 and 5 January.
• Location: Place Reine Mathilde BP 523 14 035, Caen.

As Caen is a city full of history and architecture, you can take a guided tour to explore the city from a special point of view. For this, you will be guided by a local person who will show you around and show you how to get around the city like a local.

So, once you meet your guide at the hotel where you are staying, your tour will start by exploring the historic centre. This area holds a series of architectural monuments of great value such as:

• The Abbey of Men, an imposing castle where the remains of William the Conqueror rest.
• The Castle of Caen, considered as a historical monument since 1886.
• The Abbaye des Dames, a monastic complex representative of the Romanesque and classical style.
• The Saint Pierre Cathedral, the main Catholic place of worship in the city.

Information of interest

• Price: from 85€.
• Duration: between 2 and 6 hours.
• Advantages of this option: you can customize the length of the tour and the places to visit.
• Recommendation: at the end of the tour, join one of the best tours and day trips from Caen to continue enjoying your travel experience.

If you want to see one of the greatest examples of religious art and architecture in Normandy, then join a tour of the Abbey of Men. In this complex of medieval buildings dating from the 11th to the 13th centuries, you will discover part of the history of the city.

There are several attractions in this immense architectural work that you cannot miss.

The church of Saint-Étienne

This is the oldest building on the site, dating from 1077. One of its attractions is that, in the choir area, it contains the remains of William the Conqueror, who was King of England, Duke of Normandy and the driving force behind the construction of this complex.

The monasteries

These buildings now house the town hall and in the centre of them is the cloister, built in the classical Italian style. The monastic buildings were destroyed during the religious wars and were rebuilt in the 18th century.

The agricultural buildings and medieval houses

These are places where agricultural activities such as apple growing and the bakery of the time were carried out. In addition, there are old dwellings, such as the Salle des Gardes and the Ducal Palace, which serve as a meeting room for the town council and an exhibition hall for contemporary art, respectively.

To explore the site, you have several options:

• The Discovery Tour: this is the most general tour and is open all year round. It passes through main areas such as the cloister, the heating room and the grand staircase, among others. The price ranges from €3 to €5 and you can do it at your own pace.
• The guided tour "An exceptional heritage": you will discover other exclusive areas of the abbey accompanied by a guide. It costs between €6 and €8 and lasts about 50 minutes.
• The guided tour "Journeys through centuries of history": a series of themed guided tours to learn about periods such as the Middle Ages, the Modern Age and the Contemporary Age. It costs between €9 and €8 and lasts approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes.