Caen
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The capital of Basse-Normandie, Caen is a lively, cultured university town with a compact historic centre. Although devastated in 1944, it was carefully restored, and today successfully blends modern with old, dominated still by William the Conqueror’s Château Ducal and his two great abbeys. The presence of a colourful marina in the heart of the town is a reminder that Caen is also a proud seaport. Equidistant from Cherbourg, Mont-St-Michel and Rouen, it makes an excellent base for exploring Normandy.
More on William the Conqueror For nearby wartime sights (see D-Day Beaches)
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1. Abbaye-aux-Hommes
William and Matilda were cousins; at first, the pope opposed their marriage. He relented, and they atoned by each founding an abbey: in William’s case, the Abbaye-aux-Hommes (see Abbaye-aux-Hommes, Caen, Caen).
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2. Abbaye-aux-Dames
2. Abbaye-aux-DamesMatilda’s tomb is marked by a slab of black marble in the choir of her abbey church, La Trinité. Her beautiful abbey, in creamy Caen stone, is now the Regional Council headquarters.
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3. Château Ducal
3. Château DucalBuilt as a royal home, William’s hilltop castle became a fortress in 1204. The ramparts, Chapelle St-Georges, and the great hall of Henri I’s palace are all that remain.
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4. Musée des Beaux-Arts
Within the castle walls is this wide-ranging fine-art collection, strong on 17th-century French and Italian painting (see Musée des Beaux-Arts, Caen).
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5. Musée de Normandie
Also in the Château complex, this museum presents a survey of Norman life, with exhibits ranging from the prehistoric to the industrial.
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6. Le Mémorial de Caen
Northwest of the city, this major museum of remembrance and peace traces the causes and consequences of World War II and the Cold War.
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7. Église St-Pierre
7. Église St-PierreThe church is notable for its impressively ornate Renaissance apse and its much-copied spire, rebuilt after 1944.
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8. Rue St-Pierre
8. Rue St-PierreThis lively shopping street is lined with historic buildings. Turn down rue Froide, full of interesting shops and hidden alleys, then left to reach place St-Sauveur, scene of a Friday market since 1026 (see Caen).
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9. Marina
9. MarinaTour Leroy stands at the entrance to the old harbour. Today, a yacht marina, picturesque in summer, marks the canal that leads to the ferry port of Ouistreham.
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10. Quartier Vaugueux
10. Quartier VaugueuxThis is Caen’s “petit Montmartre”, with a jumble of pretty buildings, old street-lights, and a great mix of restaurants and cafés.
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