Caen (; ; ) is a commune inland from the northwestern coast of France. It is the

prefecture A prefecture (from the Latin word, "''praefectura"'') is an administrative jurisdiction traditionally governed by an appointed prefect. This can be a regional or local government subdivision in various countries, or a subdivision in certain inter ...

of the department of

Calvados Calvados (, , ) is a brandy from Normandy in France, made from apples and/or pears. History In France Apple orchards and brewers are mentioned as far back as the 8th century by Charlemagne. The first known record of Norman distillation was ma ...

. The city proper has 105,512 inhabitants (), while its

functional urban area The functional urban area (FUA), previously known as larger urban zone (LUZ), is a measure of the population and expanse of metropolitan and surrounding areas which may or may not be exclusively urban. It consists of a city and its commuting zo ...

has 470,000,Comparateur de territoire
, INSEE, retrieved 20 June 2022. making Caen the second largest urban area in

Normandy Normandy (; or ) is a geographical and cultural region in northwestern Europe, roughly coextensive with the historical Duchy of Normandy. Normandy comprises Normandy (administrative region), mainland Normandy (a part of France) and insular N ...

and the 19th largest in France. It is also the third largest commune in all of Normandy after

Le Havre Le Havre is a major port city in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy (administrative region), Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the right bank of the estuary of the Seine, river Seine on the English Channel, Channe ...

and

Rouen Rouen (, ; or ) is a city on the River Seine, in northwestern France. It is in the prefecture of Regions of France, region of Normandy (administrative region), Normandy and the Departments of France, department of Seine-Maritime. Formerly one ...

. It is located northwest of Paris, connected to the South of England by the Caen (

Ouistreham Ouistreham () is a commune in the Calvados department in Normandy region in northwestern France. Ouistreham is a small port with fishing boats, leisure craft and a ferry harbour. It serves as the port of the city of Caen. The town borders t ...

) to

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...

ferry route through the

English Channel The English Channel, also known as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates Southern England from northern France. It links to the southern part of the North Sea by the Strait of Dover at its northeastern end. It is the busi ...

. Situated a few miles from the coast, the landing beaches, the bustling resorts of

Deauville Deauville () is a communes of France, commune in the Calvados (department), Calvados department, Normandy (administrative region), Normandy, northwestern France. Major attractions include its port, harbour, Race track, race course, marinas, con ...

and

Cabourg Cabourg (; ) is a commune in the Calvados department, region of Normandy, France. Cabourg is on the coast of the English Channel, at the mouth of the river Dives. The back country is a plain, favourable to the culture of cereal. The town sits ...

, as well as

Norman Switzerland Norman Switzerland (; ) is a term for part of Normandy, France, in the border region of the departments Calvados and Orne. Its name comes from its rugged and verdant relief, apparently resembling the Swiss Alps, with gorges carved by the river O ...

and the

Pays d'Auge The Pays d'Auge (, literally ''Land of Auge'') is an area in Normandy, straddling the '' départements'' of Calvados and Orne (plus a small part of the territory of Eure). The chief town is Lisieux. Geography Generally it consists of the basin ...

, Caen is often considered the archetype of Normandy. Caen is known for its historical buildings built during the reign of

William the Conqueror William the Conqueror (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), sometimes called William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England (as William I), reigning from 1066 until his death. A descendant of Rollo, he was D ...

, who was buried there, and for the

Battle for Caen The Battle for Caen (June to August 1944) was a military engagement between the British Second Army and the German in the Second World War for control of the city of Caen and its vicinity during the Battle of Normandy. Caen is about inland f ...

, heavy fighting that took place in and around Caen during the

Battle of Normandy Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allied operation that launched the successful liberation of German-occupied Western Europe during World War II. The operation was launched on 6 June 1944 (D-Day) with the N ...

in 1944, destroying much of the city. The city has now preserved the memory by erecting a memorial and a museum dedicated to peace, the

Mémorial de Caen The Mémorial de Caen is a museum and war memorial in Caen, Normandy, France commemorating World War II and the Battle for Caen. More generally, the museum is dedicated to the history of the twentieth century, mainly focused on the fragility of ...

Etymology

The first references to the name of Caen are found in different acts of the dukes of

: ''Cadon'' 1021/1025, ''Cadumus'' 1025, ''Cathim'' 1026/1027. Year 1070 of the Parker manuscript of the ''

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle The ''Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'' is a collection of annals in Old English, chronicling the history of the Anglo-Saxons. The original manuscript of the ''Chronicle'' was created late in the ninth century, probably in Wessex, during the reign of ...

'' refers to Caen as ''Kadum'', and year 1086 of the Laud manuscript gives the name as ''Caþum''. Despite a lack of sources as to the origin of the settlements, the name Caen would seem to be of

Gaulish Gaulish is an extinct Celtic languages, Celtic language spoken in parts of Continental Europe before and during the period of the Roman Empire. In the narrow sense, Gaulish was the language of the Celts of Gaul (now France, Luxembourg, Belgium, ...

origin, from the words ''catu-'', referring to military activities and ''magos'', field, hence meaning "manoeuvre field" or "battlefield". In

Layamon Layamon or Laghamon (, ; ) – spelled Laȝamon or Laȝamonn in his time, occasionally written Lawman – was an English poet of the late 12th/early 13th century and author of the ''Brut'', a notable work that was the first to present the legend ...

's ''Brut'', the poet asserts that

King Arthur According to legends, King Arthur (; ; ; ) was a king of Great Britain, Britain. He is a folk hero and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain. In Wales, Welsh sources, Arthur is portrayed as a le ...

named the city in memory of

Sir Kay In Arthurian legend, Kay (, Middle Welsh ''Kei'' or ''Cei''; ; French: ''Keu''; Old French: ''Kès'' or ''Kex'') is King Arthur's foster brother and later seneschal, as well as one of the first Knights of the Round Table. In later literature h ...

, although the

historicity of King Arthur The historicity of King Arthur has been debated both by academics and popular writers. While there have been many claims that King Arthur was a real historical person, the current consensus among specialists on the period holds him to be a mytho ...

is widely doubted.

History

Early history

Caen was known in Roman times as 'Catumagos', from the Gaulish roots ''magos'' meaning 'field' and ''catu'' meaning 'combat'. It remained a minor settlement throughout the Roman period and began to see major development commence in the 10th century, under the patronage of the Dukes of Normandy. Around 1060,

began construction of the

Château de Caen The Château de Caen is a castle in the Norman city of Caen in the Calvados ''département'' (Normandy). It has been officially classed as a ''Monument historique'' since 1997. History The castle was built by William the Conqueror (William of ...

, which became the centre of the ducal court. Duchess

Matilda of Flanders Matilda of Flanders (; ; German: ''Mechtild)'' ( 1031 – 2 November 1083) was Queen of England and Duchess of Normandy by marriage to William the Conqueror, and regent of Normandy during his absences from the duchy. She was the mother of ni ...

also founded the

Benedictine The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, th ...

Abbey of Sainte-Trinité, Caen The Abbey of Sainte-Trinité (), better known as the Abbaye aux Dames (), is a former Benedictine nunnery in Caen, Normandy, now home to the Regional Council of Normandy. The complex includes the Church of Sainte-Trinité (the Holy Trinity). ...

around the same time, eventually being buried in the abbey. Caen succeeded

Bayeux Bayeux (, ; ) is a commune in the Calvados department in Normandy in northwestern France. Bayeux is the home of the Bayeux Tapestry, which depicts the events leading up to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. It is also known as the fir ...

as the capital of

Lower Normandy Lower Normandy (, ; ) is a former administrative region of France. On 1 January 2016, Lower and Upper Normandy merged becoming one region called Normandy. Geography The region included three departments, Calvados, Manche and Orne, that cover ...

, complementing the second ducal capital of

. Caen fell to

Philip II of France Philip II (21 August 1165 – 14 July 1223), also known as Philip Augustus (), was King of France from 1180 to 1223. His predecessors had been known as kings of the Franks (Latin: ''rex Francorum''), but from 1190 onward, Philip became the firs ...

on 21 May 1204, and was incorporated along with the remainder of Normandy into the Kingdom of France.

Hundred Years' War

In 1346, King

Edward III of England Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377), also known as Edward of Windsor before his accession, was King of England from January 1327 until his death in 1377. He is noted for his military success and for restoring royal authority after t ...

led his army against the city, hoping to loot it. It was expected that a siege of perhaps several weeks would be required, but the army took the city in less than a day, on 26 July 1346, storming and sacking it, killing 3,000 of its citizens, and burning much of the merchants' quarter on the Île St-Jean. Only the castle of Caen held out, despite attempts to besiege it. A few days later, the English left, marching to the east and on to their victory at the

Battle of Crécy The Battle of Crécy took place on 26 August 1346 in northern France between a French army commanded by King PhilipVI and an English army led by King Edward III. The French attacked the English while they were traversing northern France ...

. It was later captured following a siege by

Henry V Henry V may refer to: People * Henry V, Duke of Bavaria (died 1026) * Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor (1081/86–1125) * Henry V, Duke of Carinthia (died 1161) * Henry V, Count Palatine of the Rhine (–1227) * Henry V, Count of Luxembourg (1216–1281 ...

in 1417 and treated harshly for being the first town to put up any resistance to his invasion. In 1450 towards the end of the war, French forces recaptured Caen.

World War II

During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Caen was captured by

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

forces during the

Battle of France The Battle of France (; 10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign (), the French Campaign (, ) and the Fall of France, during the Second World War was the Nazi Germany, German invasion of the Low Countries (Belgium, Luxembour ...

in 1940 and placed under

military occupation Military occupation, also called belligerent occupation or simply occupation, is temporary hostile control exerted by a ruling power's military apparatus over a sovereign territory that is outside of the legal boundaries of that ruling pow ...

. In 1944, Allied forces launched

Operation Overlord Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allies of World War II, Allied operation that launched the successful liberation of German-occupied Western Front (World War II), Western Europe during World War II. The ope ...

, invading German-occupied France and rapidly advancing through

. From 6 June to 6 August 1944, the British Second Army fought the battle of Caen to dislodge German forces from the city. During the battle, Allied bombing raids heavily damaged the city and caused numerous French civilian casualties. After the battle, little of prewar Caen remained, and reconstruction efforts in the city continued until 1962.

Postwar

Postwar work included the reconstruction of complete districts of the city and the university campus. It took 14 years (1948–1962) and led to the current urbanization of Caen. Having lost many of its historic quarters and its university campus in the war, Caen does not have the atmosphere of a traditional Norman town such as

Honfleur Honfleur () is a commune in the Calvados department in northwestern France. It is located on the southern bank of the estuary of the Seine across from Le Havre and very close to the exit of the Pont de Normandie. The people that inhabit Hon ...

. The Canadian Army Film and Photo Unit filmed the D-Day offensive and Orne breakout several weeks later. It returned several months later to document the city's recovery efforts. The resulting film, ''You Can't Kill a City'', is preserved in the

National Archives of Canada Library and Archives Canada (LAC; ) is the federal institution tasked with acquiring, preserving, and providing accessibility to the documentary heritage of Canada. The national archive and library is the 16th largest library in the world. Th ...

Geography

Caen is in an area of high humidity. The river

Orne Orne (; or ) is a département in the northwest of France, named after the river Orne. It had a population of 279,942 in 2019.Channel Channel, channels, channeling, etc., may refer to: Geography * Channel (geography), a landform consisting of the outline (banks) of the path of a narrow body of water. Australia * Channel Country, region of outback Australia in Queensland and pa ...

. A canal (

Canal de Caen à la Mer Canal de Caen à la Mer (; , also called the "Caen Canal") is a short canal in the department (préfecture) of Calvados, France, connecting the Port of Caen, in the city of Caen, downstream to the town of Ouistreham and the English Channel. ...

) parallel to the Orne was built during the reign of

Napoleon III Napoleon III (Charles-Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was President of France from 1848 to 1852 and then Emperor of the French from 1852 until his deposition in 1870. He was the first president, second emperor, and last ...

to link the city to the sea at all times. The canal reaches the

. A lock keeps the tide out of the canal and lets large ships navigate up the canal to Caen's freshwater harbours.

Climate

Caen has an

oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate or maritime climate, is the temperate climate sub-type in Köppen climate classification, Köppen classification represented as ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of co ...

that is somewhat ameliorated due to its slightly inland position. In spite of this, summers are still cool by French standards and the climate is typically maritime in terms of high precipitation, relatively modest sunshine hours and mild winters.

Population

The population data in the table and graph below refer to the commune of Caen proper, in its geography at the given years. The commune of Caen absorbed the former commune of Venoix in 1952.

Main sights

Castle

The castle, the

, built by William the Conqueror, who successfully conquered England in 1066, is one of the largest medieval fortresses of Western Europe. It remained an essential feature of

Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 9th and 10th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norma ...

strategy and policy. At Christmas 1182, a

royal court A royal court, often called simply a court when the royal context is clear, is an extended royal household in a monarchy, including all those who regularly attend on a monarch, or another central figure. Hence, the word ''court'' may also be app ...

celebration for Christmas in the

aula Aula may refer to: *Avola, a city in Sicily (''Àula'' in Sicilian) *Aula, Eritrea, a village in western Eritrea *Aula (river) Aula is a river of Hesse, Germany. The 22.6-km Aula is a 22.6 km long tributary of the Fulda, joining it in Niederau ...

of Caen Castle brought together

Henry II Henry II may refer to: Kings * Saint Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor (972–1024), crowned King of Germany in 1002, of Italy in 1004 and Emperor in 1014 *Henry II of England (1133–89), reigned from 1154 *Henry II of Jerusalem and Cyprus (1271–1 ...

and his sons,

Richard the Lionheart Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic language">Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' and ''*hardu-'' 'strong, brave, hardy', and it therefore means 'st ...

and

John Lackland John (24 December 1166 – 19 October 1216) was King of England from 1199 until his death in 1216. He lost the Duchy of Normandy and most of his other French lands to King Philip II of France, resulting in the collapse of the Angevin Empi ...

, receiving more than a thousand knights. Caen Castle, along with all of Normandy, was handed over to the French Crown in 1204. The castle saw several engagements during the

Hundred Years' War The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a conflict between the kingdoms of Kingdom of England, England and Kingdom of France, France and a civil war in France during the Late Middle Ages. It emerged from feudal disputes over the Duchy ...

(1346, 1417, 1450) and was in use as a barracks as late as the Second World War. Bullet holes are visible on the walls of the castle where members of the

French Resistance The French Resistance ( ) was a collection of groups that fought the German military administration in occupied France during World War II, Nazi occupation and the Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy#France, collaborationist Vic ...

were shot during the Second World War. Today, the castle serves as a museum that houses the ''Musée des Beaux-Arts de Caen'' (Museum of

Fine Arts In European academic traditions, fine art (or, fine arts) is made primarily for aesthetics or creativity, creative expression, distinguishing it from popular art, decorative art or applied art, which also either serve some practical function ...

of Caen) and ''Musée de Normandie'' (Museum of Normandy) along with many periodical exhibitions about arts and history. (See )

Abbeys

In repentance for marrying his cousin Mathilda of Flanders, William ordered two

abbey An abbey is a type of monastery used by members of a religious order under the governance of an abbot or abbess. Abbeys provide a complex of buildings and land for religious activities, work, and housing of Christians, Christian monks and nun ...

s to be built on the

Pope The pope is the bishop of Rome and the Head of the Church#Catholic Church, visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the po ...

's encouragement: * Église St.-Étienne, formerly the ''Abbaye aux Hommes'' (Men's Abbey). It was completed in 1063 and is dedicated to

St Stephen Stephen (; ) is traditionally venerated as the protomartyr or first martyr of Christianity."St ...

. The current Hôtel de Ville (City Hall) of Caen is built onto the South

Transept A transept (with two semitransepts) is a transverse part of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In cruciform ("cross-shaped") cruciform plan, churches, in particular within the Romanesque architecture, Romanesque a ...

of the building. * ''Église de la Ste.-Trinité'', formerly the ''Abbaye aux Dames'' (Women's Abbey). It was completed in 1060 and is dedicated to the

Holy Trinity The Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the Christian doctrine concerning the nature of God, which defines one God existing in three, , consubstantial divine persons: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ) and God the Holy Spirit, three ...

. The current seat of the regional council (''

conseil régional A regional council () is the elected assembly of a region of France. History Regional councils were created by law on 5 July 1972. Originally they were simply consultative bodies consisting of the region's parliamentary representatives plus an ...

'') of

Basse-Normandie Lower Normandy (, ; ) is a former administrative region of France. On 1 January 2016, Lower and Upper Normandy merged becoming one region called Normandy. Geography The region included three departments, Calvados, Manche and Orne, that cover ...

is nearby.

Others

* Jardin botanique de Caen, a historic

botanical garden A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is ...

* Church of Saint-Pierre * Church of Saint-Étienne-le-Vieux * Church of Saint-Jean de Caen * ''Mémorial pour la Paix'' ("Memorial for Peace") built in 1988, a museum charting the events leading up to and after

D-Day The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during the Second World War. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as ...

. It is an emotional presentation inviting meditation on the thought of

Elie Wiesel Eliezer "Elie" Wiesel (September 30, 1928 – July 2, 2016) was a Romanian-born American writer, professor, political activist, List of Nobel Peace Prize laureates#1980, Nobel laureate, and Holocaust survivor. He authored Elie Wiesel bibliogra ...

: "Peace is not a gift from God to man, but a gift from man to himself". The Memorial for Peace also includes an exhibit of

Nobel Peace Prize The Nobel Peace Prize (Swedish language, Swedish and ) is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the Will and testament, will of Sweden, Swedish industrialist, inventor, and armaments manufacturer Alfred Nobel, along with the prizes in Nobe ...

winners and another one on

Conflict Resolution Conflict resolution is conceptualized as the methods and processes involved in facilitating the peaceful ending of Conflict (process), conflict and Revenge, retribution. Committed group members attempt to resolve group conflicts by actively co ...

in different cultures. * Parc Festyland, an

amusement park An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, and events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central theme, often fea ...

to the west of Caen in the nearby town of Carpiquet. The park receives 110,000 visitors every year. * Mondeville 2 is a regional shopping centre in adjoining Mondeville. *Medieval wooden houses * Colline aux Oiseaux, a floral parc located on the former dump of the city of Caen

Administration

Mayors of Caen In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well as ...

have included: *1945–1959: Yves Guillou,

Rally of the French People The Rally of the French People ( , RPF) was a right-wing French political party, existing from 1947 to 1955 and led by Charles de Gaulle. Foundation The RPF was founded by Charles de Gaulle in Strasbourg on 14 April 1947, one year after his resi ...

*1959–1970:

Jean-Marie Louvel Jean-Marie Louvel (; 1 July 1900 – 13 June 1970) was a French engineer and politician. He was born in La Ferté-Macé and died in Caen Caen (; ; ) is a Communes of France, commune inland from the northwestern coast of France. It is the ...

, MRP and Centre Démocrate *1970–2001: Jean-Marie Girault, Republican Party and UDF *2001–2008: Brigitte Le Brethon, RPR and

UMP UMP may refer to: Science * Ultra metal-poor star, refers to a type of star with extremely low levels of heavier elements * Uniformly most powerful test, in statistical hypothesis testing * Uridine monophosphate, a nucleotide * Utility maximizat ...

*2008–2014:

Philippe Duron Philippe Duron (born 19 June 1947) is a French politician. He was the mayor of Caen between 2008 and 2014 and deputy for Calvados's 1st constituency. Philippe Duron received a degree in history in 1975 and was a teacher in Lisieux and the ...

, PS *2014–2024:

Joël Bruneau Joël Bruneau (born 7 September 1963) is a French politician, List of mayors of Caen, mayor of Caen between 2014 and 2024. He was reelected in 2020 Caen municipal election, 2020. He is a Deputy (France), Deputy for the Calvados's 1st constituen ...

, The Republicans *2024–present:

Aristide Olivier Aristide Olivier (born 26 September 1981) is a French politician serving as mayor of Caen since 2024. He has been a member of the Regional Council of Normandy The Regional Council of Normandy () is the executive body for the French Region of ...

, The Republicans Joël Bruneau was re-elected mayor in the 2020 municipal elections. In 1952, the small commune of Venoix became part of Caen. In 1990, the agglomeration of Caen was organized into a district, transformed in 2002 into a ''

Communauté d'agglomération An agglomeration community (, ) is a consortium of communes in France, communes (municipality, municipalities) in France, created as a government structure by the Jean-Pierre Chevènement, Chevènement Law of 1999. It is one of four forms of co ...

'' (''Grand Caen'' (Greater Caen), renamed

Caen la Mer Caen (; ; ) is a commune inland from the northwestern coast of France. It is the prefecture of the department of Calvados. The city proper has 105,512 inhabitants (), while its functional urban area has 470,000,Villons-les-Buissons Villons-les-Buissons () is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France. Population See also *Communes of the Calvados department The following is a list of the 526 Communes of France, communes of ...

Lion-sur-Mer Lion-sur-Mer (, literally ''Lion on Sea'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Calvados (department), Calvados Departments of France, department in the Normandy (administrative region), Normandy Regions of France, region in northwestern Fran ...

Hermanville-sur-Mer Hermanville-sur-Mer () is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy Normandy (; or ) is a geographical and cultural region in northwestern Europe, roughly coextensive with the historical Duchy of Normandy. Normandy comprise ...

, which joined the Communauté d'agglomération in 2004. The population of the "communauté d'agglomération" is around 220,000 inhabitants. In the former administrative organisation, Caen was a part of 9

cantons A canton is a type of administrative division of a country. In general, cantons are relatively small in terms of area and population when compared with other administrative divisions such as counties, departments, or provinces. Internationally, th ...

, of which it was the chief town. These cantons contained a total of 13 towns. Caen gave its name to a 10th canton, of which it was not part. Since the 2015 canton reorganization, Caen is part of the cantons of Caen-1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.

Transport

Public transport

Urban transport network

Twisto is the urban transport network of Caen, including about sixty bus lines and 3 tramway lines. The present tram network officially opened on 27 July 2019 replacing the Caen Guided Light Transit ( but known locally as the "tram"), a guided

trolleybus A trolleybus (also known as trolley bus, trolley coach, trackless trolley, trackless tramin the 1910s and 1920sJoyce, J.; King, J. S.; and Newman, A. G. (1986). ''British Trolleybus Systems'', pp. 9, 12. London: Ian Allan Publishing. .or troll ...

network which operated from 2002 to 2017, which was closed due to reliability issues. The city previously had a tramway which operated from 1860 to 1937.

Rail

Caen also had several main and

branch railway A branch line is a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a Main line (railway), main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line. Branch lines may serve one or more industries, or a city ...

lines linking Caen railway station () to all parts of Normandy with lines to

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

Vire Vire () is a town and a former commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune of Vire Normandie. Geography The town is located on the river Vire. Much o ...

, Flers,

Houlgate Houlgate () is a small tourist resort in northwestern France along the English Channel with a beach and a casino. It is a Communes of France, commune in the Calvados (department), Calvados Departments of France, department in the Normandy (admini ...

Saint-Lô Saint-Lô (, ; ) is a Communes of France, commune in northwest France, the capital of the Manche department in the region of Normandy (administrative region), Normandy.Bayeux Bayeux (, ; ) is a commune in the Calvados department in Normandy in northwestern France. Bayeux is the home of the Bayeux Tapestry, which depicts the events leading up to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. It is also known as the fir ...

and

Cherbourg Cherbourg is a former Communes of France, commune and Subprefectures in France, subprefecture located at the northern end of the Cotentin peninsula in the northwestern French departments of France, department of Manche. It was merged into the com ...

. Now the SNCF operates the Paris-Caen-Cherbourg, Caen-Rouen, Caen-

Le Mans Le Mans (; ) is a Communes of France, city in Northwestern France on the Sarthe (river), Sarthe River where it meets the Huisne. Traditionally the capital of the Provinces of France, province of Maine (province), Maine, it is now the capital of ...

-Tours, Caen-

Rennes Rennes (; ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Resnn''; ) is a city in the east of Brittany in Northwestern France at the confluence of the rivers Ille and Vilaine. Rennes is the prefecture of the Brittany (administrative region), Brittany Regions of F ...

services and some others small lines, while Railcoop will soon open new lines such as Lille-Amiens-Rouen-Caen-Rennes-Nantes and Paris-Caen-Brest making Caen railway station its north-western hub. Caen station is the second busiest in Normandy, after Rouen station.

Air transport

Caen - Carpiquet Airport is the biggest airport in Normandy considering the number of passengers and flights that it serves every year. Most flights are operated by

HOP! Air France Hop, formerly branded HOP!, is a French regional airline operating flights on behalf of its parent company Air France. The airline was founded on 21 December 2012 after the merger of Airlinair, Brit Air and Régional brands. Its hea ...

, Volotea and the French

national airline A flag carrier is a transport company, such as an airline or shipping company, that, being locally registered in a given sovereign state, enjoys preferential rights or privileges accorded by that government for international operations. Histo ...

Air France Air France (; legally ''Société Air France, S.A.''), stylised as AIRFRANCE, is the flag carrier of France, and is headquartered in Tremblay-en-France. The airline is a subsidiary of the Air France-KLM Group and is one of the founding members ...

operates flights to the French cities of

Lyon Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...

, Nice, Toulouse, Montpellier, Marseille, Biarritz, Ajaccio, Figari, Bastia and Calvi.

Water transport

Caen is served by the large port of

, lying at the mouth of the

Caen Canal Canal de Caen à la Mer (; , also called the "Caen Canal") is a short canal in the department (préfecture) of Calvados, France, connecting the Port of Caen, in the city of Caen, downstream to the town of Ouistreham and the English Channel. R ...

where it meets the

. A cruise/ferry service operates between

, England, and Caen/Ouistreham running both standard roll-on-roll-off car ferries and supercat fast ferries, with the latter making crossing from March to November. The ferry terminal is from Caen with a daytime shuttle bus service for foot passengers. There is also a cyclist road from Caen to Ouistreham.

Road transport

Caen is connected to the rest of France by

motorways A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway, and expressway. Other similar terms ...

to Paris ( A13),

Brittany Brittany ( ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the north-west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica in Roman Gaul. It became an Kingdom of Brittany, independent kingdom and then a Duch ...

and Southern France ( A84) and to

and central France ( A88– A28). The A13 and A88 are

toll road A toll road, also known as a turnpike or tollway, is a public or private road for which a fee (or ''Toll (fee), toll'') is assessed for passage. It is a form of road pricing typically implemented to help recoup the costs of road construction and ...

s while the A84 is a toll-free motorway. The city is encircled by the N814 ring-road (Boulevard Périphérique) that was completed in the late 1990s. The N13 connects Caen to

and to Paris. A section of the former N13 (Caen-Paris) is now D613 (in Calvados) following road renumbering. The Boulevard Périphérique includes a

viaduct A viaduct is a specific type of bridge that consists of a series of arches, piers or columns supporting a long elevated railway or road. Typically a viaduct connects two points of roughly equal elevation, allowing direct overpass across a wide ...

called the Viaduc de Calix that goes over the canal and

River Orne The Orne () is a river in Normandy, within northwestern France. It is long. It discharges into the English Channel at the port of Ouistreham. Its source is in Aunou-sur-Orne, east of Sées. Its main tributaries are the Odon and the Rouvre. Geo ...

. The canal links the city to the sea to permit

cargo ship A cargo ship or freighter is a merchant ship that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's List of seas, seas and Ocean, oceans each year, handling the bulk of international trade. ...

s and ferries to dock in the

port of Caen The Port of Caen (French: ''Port de Caen)'' is the Harbor, harbour and port authority of the Normandy, Norman city of Caen, France. The port of Caen is composed of a series of basins on the Canal de Caen à la Mer, linking Caen to Ouistreham, 15 ...

. Ferries which have docked include the ''

Quiberon Quiberon (; , ) is a commune in the French department of Morbihan, administrative region of Brittany, western France. It is on the southern part of the Quiberon peninsula, the northern part being the commune of Saint-Pierre-Quiberon. It is ...

'' and the '' Duc de Normandie''.

Education

*The

University of Caen The University of Caen Normandy (French: ''Université de Caen Normandie''), also known as Unicaen, is a public university in Caen, France. History The institution was founded in 1432 by John of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Bedford, the first rector ...

has around 34,000 students in five different campuses and Caen is ranked 18th biggest student city of France. The University has a good reputation as it is ranked 16th in France. *The University is divided into 11 colleges, called ''UFR'' (''Unité fondamentale de Recherche''), six institutes, one Engineering School, two IUP and five local campuses. The University is one of the oldest in France, having been founded by

John of Lancaster, Duke of Bedford John of Lancaster, Duke of Bedford (20 June 1389 – 14 September 1435) was a medieval English prince, general, and statesman who commanded England's armies in France during a critical phase of the Hundred Years' War. Bedford was the third son ...

, and

Henry VI of England Henry VI (6 December 1421 – 21 May 1471) was King of England from 1422 to 1461 and 1470 to 1471, and English claims to the French throne, disputed King of France from 1422 to 1453. The only child of Henry V of England, Henry V, he succeeded ...

, in 1432. *Caen also has a school of fine arts L'ésam Caen/Cherbourg and ''

grandes écoles Grandes may refer to: *Agustín Muñoz Grandes, Spanish general and politician * Banksia ser. Grandes, a series of plant species native to Australia * Grandes y San Martín, a municipality located in the province of Ávila, Castile and León, Spain ...

'' such as the

École nationale supérieure d'ingénieurs de Caen The École nationale supérieure d'ingénieurs de Caen & Centre de Recherche (ENSICAEN), which translates as ''National Graduate School of Engineering & Research Center'', is one of the French ''grandes écoles'', whose main purpose is to form ch ...

and the École supérieure d'ingénieurs des travaux de la construction de Caen. *A campus of the business school, the

École de management de Normandie The École de Management de Normandie (also known as EM Normandie Business School) is a business school created in 1871. Incorporated as a Higher Education & Research non-profit association (under the 1901 Act) and operating under private law, i ...

, is also located in the city. Caenpanorama wikipedia

Economy

The

agricultural Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created f ...

and

food-processing Food processing is the transformation of agricultural products into food, or of one form of food into other forms. Food processing takes many forms, from grinding grain into raw flour, home cooking, and complex industrial methods used in the maki ...

Agrial agricultural cooperative, cooperative has its head office in Caen. Agrial group processes vegetables, cider apples, milk, poultry and meat with the help of its 12,000 employees and all its partners.

Music and theatre

The Théâtre de Caen (1963) is the home of the Baroque music, Baroque musical ensemble Les Arts Florissants (ensemble), Les Arts Florissants. The organization was founded by conductor William Christie (musician), William Christie in 1979 and derives its name from the Les arts florissants (opera), 1685 opera by Marc-Antoine Charpentier.

Notable people

Caen was the birthplace or origin of:

Public service

*Robert, 1st Earl of Gloucester (ca.1090–1147), illegitimate son of Henry I of England. *Robert Constantin (ca.1530 – 1605), physician, bibliographer, lexicographer and humanist. *Samuel Bochart (1599–1667 in Caen), Protestant biblical scholar, taught Pierre Daniel Huet. *Saint, St. John Eudes (1601–1680), Catholic priest, forerunner of the Catholic devotions, devotion to the Sacred Heart. *Tanneguy Le Fèvre (1615–1672), classical scholar. *Pierre Daniel Huet (1630–1721), churchman and scholar. *Gervais de La Rue (1751–1835), historian, re. Norman language and Anglo-Norman literature *Louis Gustave le Doulcet, comte de Pontécoulant (1764–1853), politician. *Charlotte Corday (1768–1793), guillotined for the assassination of Jean-Paul Marat *Charles Mathieu Isidore Decaen (1769–1832), a French general. *Eugène Poubelle (1831–1907), lawyer and diplomat, introduced waste containers to Paris *Charles-Hippolyte Pouthas (1886–1974), historian of political and religious history *Marie-Pierre Kœnig (1898–1970), Maréchal de France, commanded the Free French at the Battle of Bir Hakeim *Claude Hettier de Boislambert (1906-1986), French Resistance, Resistance leader, governor, politician, diplomat *Ovida Delect (1926–1996), poet, Communist, politician, member of the French resistance in WWII and a trans woman. *Sonia de La Provôté (born 1968), member of the French Senate *Fabrice Le Vigoureux (born 1969), member of the National Assembly (France), National Assembly

The arts

*Jean Bertaut (1552–1611), poet of light verse to celebrate the incidents of court life. *François de Malherbe (1555 at Le Locheur – 1628), poet, critic and translator. *François le Métel de Boisrobert (1592–1662), poet, playwright and courtier. *Jean François Sarrazin (ca.1611 at Hermanville – 1654), a French writer. *René Auguste Constantin de Renneville (1650–1723), writer. *Jean-Baptiste Belin (1653–1715), painter who specialized in flowers. *François Henri Turpin (1709–1799), man of literature. *J. Hector St. John de Crèvecœur (1735–1813), French-American writer *Jean-Jacques Boisard (1744–1833), writer who specialized in fables *Jean-François Boisard (1762–1820), painter and poet. *Daniel Auber (1782–1871), composer and director of the Paris Conservatoire. *Étienne Mélingue (1807–1875), actor, sculptor and painter. *Jules Danbé (1840–1905), a violinist, composer and conductor, mainly of opera. *Gabriel Dupont (1878–1914), composer of operas and chamber music. *Roger Grenier (1919–2017), writer, journalist and radio animator. *Alain Duhamel (born 1940), journalist and political commentator. *Jean-Loup Rivière (1948–2018), playwright and drama critic. *Laure Adler (born 1950), journalist, writer, publisher and radio/TV producer. *Christophe Desjardins (born 1962), a viola player and specialist in contemporary music. *Olivier Baroux (born 1964), actor, comedian, writer and director *Gilles Peterson (born 1964), DJ, record collector, record label owner; lives in London *Léa Drucker (born 1972), French actress *Laurent Lefrançois (born 1974), French contemporary composer *Orelsan (born 1982), rapper, songwriter, record producer, actor and film director *Seb Toussaint (born 1988), street artist and painter

Science and business

*Pierre Varignon (1654–1722), mathematician; he invented the U-tube manometer. *Estienne Roger (c 1664–1722), printer, bookseller and publisher of sheet music *Paul Jacques Malouin (1701–1778), physician and chemist *Guillaume-François Rouelle (1703 at Mathieu – 1770), chemist and apothecary *Louis Lépecq de La Clôture (1736–1804), surgeon and epidemiologist *Pierre-Simon Girard (1765–1836), mathematician and engineer, worked on fluid mechanics. *Hippolyte-Victor Collet-Descotils (1773–1815), chemist; discovered iridium in 1803. *Jacques Amand Eudes-Deslongchamps (1794–1867), naturalist and palaeontologist *Eugène Eudes-Deslongchamps (1830–1889), paleontologist and naturalist *Jules Lair (1836–1907), businessman, paleographer, historian and antiquary *André-Louis Danjon (1890–1967), astronomer, measured the Earthlight (astronomy), earthshine on the moon. *René Herse (1908–1976), builder of high-quality touring, ''randonneur'' and racing bicycles *Jean-Pierre Lehman (1914–1981), paleontologist who studied the anatomy and evolution of fossil fish *Jean-Yves Marin (born 1955), archeologist, medievalist and chief curator of French heritage *Pierre Denis (born 1964), businessman, CEO of Jimmy Choo (fashion house), Jimmy Choo Ltd, 2012–2020

Sport

*René Menzies (ca.1889 – ca.1971), long-distance cycling record holder *Jean-Pierre Jaussaud (1937–2021), racing driver, won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1978 and 1980. *Jean-François Ballester (1965–2018), figure skater, gold medallist at the 2018 Winter Olympics *Corinne Lagache (born 1975), former football goalkeeper with 27 caps with France women's national football team, France women *Bruno Grougi (born 1983), a former footballer with 451 club caps and 3 for Martinique national football team, Martinique *Jérémy Sorbon (born 1983), a former footballer with 518 club caps *Benoît Costil (born 1987), footballer with over 480 club caps and 1 for France national football team, France *Youssef El-Arabi (born 1987), footballer with over 546 club caps and 46 for Morocco national football team, Morocco and over 303 goals *Bruno Massot (born 1989), pair skater, gold medallist at the 2018 Winter Olympics *Kaïlé Auvray (born 2004), footballer

International relations

Caen is Twin towns and sister cities, twinned with: * Alexandria, Virginia, Alexandria, United States * Nashville, Tennessee, Nashville, United States * Ohrid, North Macedonia *

, England, United Kingdom * Reșița, Romania * Thiès, Senegal * Würzburg, Germany * Anzio, Italy

Sport

From 1947 to 2006, Caen was a stage of the Tour de France a total of 15 times. Further, Caen was one of the hosts of the EuroBasket 1983. The city has a football team, Stade Malherbe Caen, SM Caen, who as of 2024 are owned by superstar footballer Kylian Mbappé. The Drakkars de Caen play ice hockey in the FFHG Division 1. In 2014, Caen was the location of the 2014 FEI World Equestrian Games. Caen has a racecourse called the Hippodrome de la Prairie; it has been used since 1837. The course is designed specifically for harness racing.

Symbols

Heraldry

Current arms:

''Gules, a single-towered open castle Or, windowed and masoned sable.''

Under the Ancien Régime: ''Per fess, gules and azure, 3 fleurs de lys Or.'' During the First French Empire: ''Gules, a single-towered castle Or, a chief of Good Imperial Cities (gules, 3 bees Or).'' File:Blason ville fr Caen ancien.svg, File:Blason Caen 1809.svg, File:Blason ville fr Caen (Calvados) Empire (Orn ext).svg, File:Blason ville fr Caen (Calvados) (Orn ext).svg,

Motto

Today, Caen has no motto, but it used to have one, which did not survive the French Revolution. As a result, its spelling is archaic and has not been updated:

''Un Dieu, un Roy, une Foy, une Loy.''

(One God, one King, one Faith, one Law.) This motto is reflected in a notable old Chant royal.

Code

Caen's home port code is CN.

Gallery

File:Escoville Angle.jpg, Hôtel d'Escoville, 16th century, Caen File:Chateau_Caen.jpg, South Wall of the Castle, a huge fortress in the centre of the city File:Caen Hôtel de Ville.JPG, Town Hall of Caen File:Caen gare bv.jpg, Gare de Caen, Caen railway station File:Tramway de Caen Station.jpg, Caen's former 'tramway' was in fact a modern guided-bus system. File:Normandie Calvados Caen6 tango7174.jpg, Saint-Étienne-le-Vieux Church File:Caen-1.JPG, Interior of Saint-Pierre Church File:Caen-2.JPG, The fortress of Caen File:Caen-3.JPG, The Abbey of St. Étienne File:Église Saint Pierre seen from in front of the Château.jpg, Église Saint Pierre seen from in front of the Château

References

Bibliography

*Joseph Decaëns and Adrien Dubois (ed.), ''Caen Castle. A ten Centuries Old Fortress within the Town'', Publications du CRAHM, 2010,
Publications du CRAHM

External links

*
Caen City Council
*
Encyclopædia Britannica CaenMémorial pour la Paix museumCaen town guide
{{Authority control Caen, Communes of Calvados (department) Prefectures in France Port cities and towns on the French Atlantic coast Cities in France