PRE-POST CONGRESS

Prepare your stay in Caen la mer

• To prepare your stay, our Caen la mer website is the ideal toul. It offers the possibility to book online visits, activities and shows, but also to book your hotel or find good places to eat & go out, a shopping trip, bring back souvenirs…
• To get good deals and personalized advice for a successful stay, do not hesitate to contact The Tourism advisors at the Caen la mer Touriste Office (12 Place Saint Pierre – 14000 CAEN Tél : +33 (0)2.31.27.14.14 – info@caenlamer-tourisme.fr)
• You don’t know Caen la mer and you don’ have much time ? We recommend our destination magazine as well as our pratical guide and our routes in Caen (2 walking tours of 2 hours and 3 hours 30 minutes to discover the historic center of Caen).
• And what if you visit differently by adding a little originality and event adventure to your visit?

Caen la mer in 10 places

Caen la mer is a destination rich in promise. We have selected for you 10 places not to be missed in Caen la mer.

Caen, the City of William the Conqueror

William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy who became king of England, shaped the city of Caen in the 11th century. The three flagship sites of the city, the Abbaye aux Hommes (Men’s Abbey), the Abbaye aux Dames (Ladies’ Abbey) and the Caen castle, are a reminder of this period and give the city its emblematic identity.

1. Men’s Abbey  is an architectural masterpiece of medieval and 18th century art. Founded in 1063 by William the Conqueror on the occasion of his marriage to Matilda, and still housing his tomb, the abbey church was consecrated in 1077. It is now the town hall of Caen.

2. Ladies’ Abbey : Consacreted in 1066, the church is a true masterpiece of Norman Romanesque art. Like the Abbaye aux Hommes, the conventual buildings were rebuilt in the 18th century. All that remains of the original abbey is the entrance hall, the refectory, the stairs and the cloister.

3. Caen Castle, right in the heart of the city, is one of Europe’s largest fortified strongholds. From the castle, you can see right across the city center. The remaining walls and its interpretation center in Saint George’s Church, bring it tolife as it stood through centuries past.

The historical center of Caen

Head for the city center of Caen to discover its monuments dating from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance but also its museums : the Normandy Museum et Fine Arts Museum ! Caen, is also “the city of a hundred steeples”. We quickly understand why when we see the number of churches (saint-Pierre, Saint-Sauveur…) in the city.

4. The historical center of Caen. Here, medieval houses rub shoulders with private mansions ! Among these bourgeois houses, don’t miss the Escoville hotel, de Than et de Colomby. The medieval district of the Vaugueux is the place to go for a meal and a drink, in the middle of half-timbered houses. As you stroll through the historic district, stop at Place Saint-Sauveur, the oldest square in the city. It is the ideal place to do some shopping on the market on Fridays.

The second World War and its relics

Caen la mer has been deeply marked by the Second World War. By visiting the Landing Beaches such as Sword Beach, the famous Pegasus Bridge, the Caen Memorial and other museums about he war, you will understand how the fate of the world was played out in 1944.

5. The Memorial de Caen is a must-see for any visitor interested in WWII histrory. It revisits 20th century histrory from the end of the First World War to the fall of the Berlin Wall, with the Second World War and the Battle of normandy at the heart of the narrative.

6. Sword Beach, one of the 5 D-Day Beaches where 177 French marines led by commander Kieffer arrived on Jone 6, 1944. The site Hillman was a command center for the coastal defense system including 20 bunkers and gun emplacements at Colleville-Montgomery. The Grand Bunker in Ouistreham housed the german headquarters.

The beach and the waterfront

How to discover Caen la mer whithout going to the beach! Walk along the seafront along the magnificient villas typical of seaside resorts, clim the 177 steps of the Ouistreham lighthouse to observe a panormaic view of the city and the port or enjoy the sand and the sea.

7. Seaside resort : Located 15 km from Caen on the Cote de Nacre, Ouistreham Riva-Bella is the seaside resort of Caen. There are also 3 other authentic resorts with typical charm : Colleville-Montgomery, Lion-sur-mer and Hermanville-sur-mer.

8. The Villas of the Seaside : While walking on the Cote de Nacre, ont the dike between Lion-sur-mer and Hermanville-sur-ville, you can admire magnificent villas of Art Nouveau or eclectic inspiration.

Stroll along the Orne River

For a stroll along the Orne, two choices are possible. Follow the canal via the towpath on foot or by bike or take part in water sports (canoeing, kayaking, electric boats, pedal boats…), from April to October, starting from the Caen water sports center and heading towards the Orne valley and its former mining basin.

9. Le Port de Plaisance de Caen et les Berges de l’Orne : Le quartier du port est très animé avec de nombreux restaurants et bars et propose un vaste marché tous les dimanches matin. Dans le paysage Caennais, voies d’eau et voies vertes ne font souvent qu’un. Aller du port de Plaisance à la prairie avec son hippodrome, est une vraie coulée verte et bleue en plein cœur de ville.

10. The Canal : Starting from the marina right in the heart of the city, the canal path takes you past ” Little Lourdes“, Benouville castle, the Ornavik park or the Pegasus bridge.

For excursions in Normandy

• Our guides and receptive agencies are there to organize your stay and guide you in French, English (…), on the D-Day landing beaches, Mont Saint-Michel, Pays d’Auge…
• Héliévenements offers tourist tours by helicopter (up to 5 people) : helicopter flight over the D-Day landing beaches , Mont-Saint-Michel, Etretat cliffs…
• The Nomad Car 14 allows you to travel in the heart of Normandy by bus and to discover the emblematic sites that have marked the history and identity of our region : the D-Day landing beaches, the Côte Fleurie, the Falaise region, la Suisse Normande...