The 10 Best Things to do Good for Big Groups in Caen, Normandy

La compagnie des terroirs is a unique way of discovering Normandy. We tour small groups to meet world famous Camembert and other cheeses, apple and pear cider and brandy. Conducted by a Terroir specialist, our tours will take you on a off the beaten path experience on French gastronomy

With COM'ON GYRO Caen, Visit the city of the best ways and effortlessly. Guided tour of the city. Historic route. Be sure to have the best of days ! From 12 years. No age limit ! It is advised to book 24 hours before departure. Night visit on request and on reservation. See you soon !

My name is Vanessa and normandy panorama it is me ! if you book the tour, I will be your guide ! I want to help you discover my beautiful region:Normandy. I am a friendly bilingual experienced guide, licensed by the French Ministry of tourism. These tours are all conducted in 9-passenger air-conditioned minivan, which provide you with the personal touch necessary to appreciate and understand this beautiful country.I only offer "private tours" to Discover historical Normandy: - " the D-day beaches " where we learn that freedom is not free· - Learn the real story behind William the conqueror· - Visit the famous Mont Saint Michel monastery· - Discover the world famous Norman Gastronomy· Visit many small French villages and enjoy Normandy’s cheese, cider, calvados and other specialty products

Private tours of Normandy sites with a private guide. Born and raised in Normandy, I offer guided visits of the WWII Battlefields. This includes all American and British/Canadian sectors of the D-Day invasion and Battle of Normandy. But DDay is not the limit. Escort and Highlights of the Normandy sites, overview or in-depth, whether famous or off the beaten path, my tours travel through time, History awaits you. All my tours will be YOUR tour, no two are alike because you all have different interests, different expectations, a different pace, a different level of knowledge to start with, for these reasons and more, each tour is personal. I also offer the perspective of a Norman native, I have studied at length and in depth the history, culture, traditions of Normandy, and this enables to bring new colors to the tours that I conduct, that will go beyond and above the subject itself. Besides, I've been told I am good company, I hope you'll agree, but there's only one way to know.

Located in the immediate vicinity of the D-Day Landing beaches, the Mémorial de Caen visitor centre is among the essential sites focusing on the Battle of Normandy and 20th century history. From the origins of the Second World War to the end of the Cold War, museographical displays tell this terrible side of 20th century history. Indeed, Caen, bombarded during the summer of 1944, a liberated yet martyred city, deserved a tribute well worthy of the suffering it endured. This is precisely the purpose of the Mémorial de Caen, but via a continuing perspective and action aimed at reconciliation.

The Men's Abbey : A masterpiece of medieval art and 18th century. William the Conqueror Born in Falaise in 1027, William was the son of Robert the Magnificent, the future Duke of Normandy, and Herleva, a tanner’s daughter. Upon his father’s death, William became the designated sole heir to the ducal throne. His succession to the throne was challenged by the barons, who considered William to be Robert’s illegitimate son. William quashed the rebels once and for all in 1047 and became the undisputed Duke of Normandy. Towards 1050, William married his distant cousin Matilda of Flanders, despite opposition from Pope Leo IX. The Church forbade their marriage, so Matilda and William sought atonement by founding the Abbayeaux- Dames, dedicated to the Holy Trinity, and the Abbaye-aux-Hommes, dedicated to Saint-Étienne. Work began on the Abbaye-aux-Hommes in 1066, the year that marked the Norman conquest of England. Edward, the King of England, had named William, the Duke of Normandy, to be his successor. Upon Edward’s death and betrayed by Harold, Edward’s brother-in-law, William took up arms to assert his claim to the throne. William defeated Harold at the Battle of Hastings on 14th October 1066. William was crowned King of England at Westminster Abbey on 25th December 1066, whereupon he became William «the Conqueror». On 9th September 1087, he died in Rouen. According to his wishes, he was buried in the Abbey Church of Saint-Étienne in Caen. Abbey Church of Saint-Étienne Consecrated in 1077, the abbey church represents the oldest part of the site, with most of the features dating back to the 11th and 13th Centuries. The choir was redesigned in the 13th Century to reflect the prevailing Gothic style and is home to the tomb of William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy and King of England. Monastic buildings The monastery was erected in the 11th Century, but destroyed during the First War of Religion (1562-63), before being rebuilt in the 18th Century. The monastic buildings are built around a Tuscan-style cloister epitomising the classical Italian style. The buildings are today headquarters of Caen City Hall. Together with the recently refurbished Place Saint- Sauveur, the Abbaye-aux-Hommes represents a unique heritage site. Medieval buildings and agricultural buildings The abbey also used to be a farm and an inn. It still houses a cider press, a carriage house and a bakery. Two 14th Century buildings bear witness to the abbey’s former role as a place of refuge and a political venue. - Palais Ducal, which was restored between 2012 and 2013, now hosts the city’s art library and its collection of contemporary art. - The Guardroom, where City Council meetings take place