Caen is a city of about 113,000 people. It is considered to be a college town as it has the University of Caen which has about 25,000 people, and a Fine Arts school. It is located in the Lower Normandy region of Northern France.
The region contains cave paintings from prehistoric times. In historical times, it was conquered by the Romans, was separated from them by the barbarians in the third century A.D., endured various Scandinavian invasions, before gaining some stability. However, it was virtually obliterated (80% of the city) during World War II. It was also the focus of the D-Day Landing.
From the Caen Ferry Port, you can hire a car to see many of the city’s famous sights
- This being France, there is the requisite castle. The one here was built by William the Conqueror. Within a few decades from now, it will celebrate its first millenium. It now houses the Museum of Fine Arts of Caen and the Museum of Normandy.
- This being France, there are also churches and abbeys. Two abbeys, formerly known as the Men’s Abbey and the Women’s Abbey, were also constructed on William the Conqueror’s orders and were built at about the same time as the castle.
- There is also a historic botanical garden called Jardin botanique de Caen, and even a modern shopping center in the nearby town of Mondeville, for which you will need your car hire,
- Perhaps most appropriately and pertinently is the Memorial of Peace, having an exhibit honoring Nobel Peace Prize winners and another exhibit extolling conflict resolution.
There are a few distinct advantages for travellers. The first is that of the beaches. It must be kept in mind, though, that these were the places where the Allied Forces repelled the German Army during World War II, causing thousands of people to die before going further than the beach. Thus, you can enjoy the beach, as long as you keep the proper perspective and respect. They are slightly further from the city of Caen so you will need a car hire for this.
Because of the beach, many veterans and descendents of veterans come to the region each Summer, many of whom are from the United Kingdom. Thus, you can find people speaking English. However, this may not necessarily help you in reserving a hotel room or ordering food from a restaurant, so you still ought to speak at least some French.
