Things to do in  Caen

Located a short drive from the D-Day Landing Beaches, the Caen Memorial Museum (Mémorial de Caen) puts one of the most significant battles of World War II into historical context. The museum gardens serve as a poignant tribute to the international soldiers that lost their lives on Norman soil.

Discover the captivating story of Sainte-Mère-Église, a once little-known village that gained notoriety during World War II. It was here that American troops made their mark on June 6, 1944, liberating the village from Nazi occupation as part of Operation Overlord. You can learn about the fascinating history of this town in Normandy, while admiring the tranquility of rural France.

The tiny village of Arromanches-les-Bains played a big role during the Second World War, when Allied troops installed a prefabricated marina just off the coast here. The remains are still visible, and the town’s fascinating Musee du Debarquement explores that wartime history. Now, the village is a key stop for travelers exploring D-Day sites in Normandy.

The Juno Beach Centre (Centre Juno Beach) is a museum dedicated to the heroism of Canadian troops in the D-Day landings and the entirety of the Second World War. Located in Normandy, the center draws visitors from Canada and across the world wanting to remember their fallen patriots and learn more about France’s role in the Allied victory.

Located on the coast of Normandy, Cherbourg is both a seaside retreat and a bustling port. Immortalized by Catherine Deneuve in the classic 1964 filmThe Umbrellas of Cherbourg, the city has deep connections with French naval history.

D-Day troops arriving in Normandy crossed the Caen Canal as they sought to liberate occupied France. The bridge they used was later renamed Pegasus Bridge to honor the British Parachute Regiment. Now, the bridge is part of the Pegasus Memorial Museum, alongside exhibits featuring Second World War artifacts and soldiers’ personal effects.

Famously painted by artists, such as Claude Monet, Gustave Courbet, and Eugene Boudin, the picturesque waterfront and colorful harbor of Honfleur are among the most memorable in Normandy. The historic port is renowned for its architecture, especially Vieux Bassin harbor’s 16th-century buildings and the wooden church of Sainte Catherine.

Mulberry Harbour at Arromanches-les-Bains is not a place as much as a feat of engineering. A “Mulberry harbour” was a temporary mobile harbor constructed and transported during World War II for unloading troops, vehicles, and supplies during the Normandy landings in June 1944. The remains of the Mulberry Harbour at Arromanches can still be seen today.

Honfleur’s St. Catherine’s Church (Église Sainte Catherine) is the largest surviving church of its kind in France. In the 15th century, following the destruction of the church’s original stone structure during the Hundred Years’ War, St. Catherine’s was rebuilt entirely from wood. The ceiling looks like two upturned boats, a homage to the seafaring people who lived in this town.

Founded by William the Conqueror, this former Benedictine monastery is one of the most important Romanesque buildings in Normandy, inspiring many churches on the other side of the Channel to adopt its style. Also known as Abbey of Saint-Étienne, the Abbaye aux Hommes (Men’s Abbey) is now the city hall (Hôtel de Ville).

One of the largest medieval enclosures in Europe, the massive walls of William the Conqueror's 11th-century Caen Castle thwarted invaders until the French swept in and recaptured not only the castle but the whole of Normandy in the mid-13th century. On a hill in what is now the city center, castle houses the Museum of Fine Arts and the Museum of Normandy.

The easternmost beach of the five landing areas of the Normandy Invasion of World War II, Sword Beach in Ouistreham was assaulted on D-Day by units of the British 3rd Division, with French and British commandos attached. In and around town, visit myriad monuments, museums, and remnants from the war including the essential Musée No. 4 Command.

Trouville-sur-Mer, nicknamed “Queen of Beaches” in the 19th century, is slightly less flashy than its famous neighbor Deauville, but it is nonetheless polished. With half-timber buildings, a long, wooden boardwalk, and a plethora of upmarket hotels and restaurants, it’s popular with Parisians looking for sand between their perfectly pedicured toes.

Abbaye aux Dames in Caen (also known as the Abbey of Sainte-Trinité, or the Holy Trinity Abbey) is a Benedictine convent nearly one thousand years old. A bit worse for the wear, the abbey survived the Hundred Years War, during which it lost its original spires, and is now home to the Regional offices for Lower Normandy.

Nestled in the village of Ranville near Caen, Ranville War Cemetery contains the graves of 2,235 World War II Commonwealth soldiers killed on D-Day on June 6 1944, when the Allies landed on Normandy’s beaches. The cemetery is open to those wishing to pay their respects and is a stop on several WWII battlefield tours.