9 Best Sights in Caen, Normandy

Caen's finest church, of cathedral proportions, is part of the Abbaye aux Hommes, built by William the Conqueror from local Caen stone (which was also used for England's Canterbury Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, and the Tower of London). The abbey was begun in Romanesque style in 1066 and expanded in the 18th century; its elegant buildings are now part of City Hall, and some rooms are brightened by the city's fine collection of paintings. Note the magnificent yet spare facade of the abbey church of St-Étienne, enhanced by two 11th-century towers topped by octagonal spires. Inside, what had been William the Conqueror's tomb was destroyed by 16th-century Huguenots during the Wars of Religion. However, the choir still stands; it was the first to be built in Norman Gothic style, and many subsequent choirs were modeled after it. Guided tours in English are available weekdays in July and August. 

An imaginative museum erected in 1988 on the north side of the city, the Mémorial is a must-see if you're interested in World War II history. The stark, flat facade, with a narrow doorway symbolizing the Allies' breach in the Nazi's supposedly impregnable Atlantic Wall, opens onto an immense foyer with British Typhoon aircraft suspended overhead. The museum itself is down a spiral ramp, lined with photos and documents charting the Nazi's rise to power in the 1930s. The idea—hardly subtle but visually effective—is to suggest a descent into the hell of war. The extensive displays range from wartime plastic jewelry to scale models of battleships, with scholarly sections on how the Nazis tracked down radios used by the French Resistance and on the development of the atomic bomb. The D-Day landings are evoked by a tabletop map of the theater of war and by a spectacular split-screen presentation of the D-Day invasion from both the Allied and Nazi standpoints. The war's lasting effects are explored in an exhibition on the Cold War, examining a divided Berlin and the social ramifications of the resulting surveillance state. Softening the effect of the modern structure are tranquil gardens, including a British one inaugurated by King Charles III. Fittingly, the museum is located 10 minutes away from the Pegasus Bridge and 15 minutes from the D-Day beaches.

Founded in 1060 by William the Conqueror's wife, Matilda, the Abbaye aux Dames was rebuilt in the 18th century; it then served as a hospital and nursing home before being fully restored in the 1980s by the Regional Council of Lower Normandy, which promptly requisitioned it for office space. The abbey’s elegant arcaded courtyard and ground-floor reception rooms can, however, still be admired during free guided tours. You can also visit the squat Église de la Trinité (Trinity Church), a fine example of 11th-century Romanesque architecture, though its original spires were replaced by timid balustrades in the early 18th century. Note the intricate carvings on columns and arches in the chapel; the 11th-century crypt; and, in the choir, the marble slab commemorating Queen Matilda, who was buried here in 1083.

The ruins of William the Conqueror's fortress, built in 1060 and sensitively restored after the war, loom on a mound ahead of St-Étienne. The château gardens are a perfect spot for strolling, and the ramparts afford good views of the city. Inside, you'll discover two museums—the Musée des Beaux-Arts and the Musée de Normandie—plus the medieval church of St-Georges, which is used as a welcome center.

Across the square, beneath a 240-foot spire, the late-Gothic church of St-Pierre is a riot of ornamental stonework.

A good place to begin exploring Caen is the Hôtel d'Escoville, a stately mansion in the city center built by wealthy merchant Nicolas Le Valois d'Escoville in the 1530s. The building was badly damaged during the war but has since been restored; the austere facade conceals an elaborate inner courtyard, reflecting the Italian influence on early Renaissance Norman architecture (there's no access to the interiors). The on-site city tourist office is an excellent resource.

Set in a mansion built for the castle governor, this museum is dedicated to regional arts such as ceramics and sculpture, as well as local archaeological finds.

Within the castle's walls, the Musée des Beaux-Arts is a heavyweight among France's provincial fine arts museums. Its collection includes works by Monet, Poussin, Rubens, Brueghel, Tintoretto, and Veronese; there's also a wide range of 20th-century art on view.

Early on June 6, 1944, the British 6th Airborne Division landed by glider and captured this bridge, which local residents later named for the division's emblem of Bellerophon astride his winged horse. This proved to be the first step toward liberating France from Nazi occupation, and the bridge itself became a symbol of the Allied invasion. To see it, take D514 north from Caen for 13 km (8 miles) and turn right at Bénouville. The original bridge—erected in 1935—has been replaced by a similar, slightly wider one, but the older span can be seen at the adjacent Mémorial Pegasus visitor center. Café Gondrée, by the bridge—the first building recaptured on French soil—is still standing and still serving rather expensive food and drinks; it also displays wartime memorabilia. A full-size replica Horsa glider is currently on view in the museum's park, with a fully refurbished cockpit.