Caen
Caen (/kɒ̃, kɑːn/, French: [kɑ̃] ⓘ; Norman: Kaem) is a commune 15 km (9.3 mi) inland from the northwestern coast of France. It is the prefecture of the department of Calvados. The city proper has 105,512 inhabitants (as of 2018), while its functional urban area has 470,000, making Caen the second largest urban area in Normandy and the 19th largest in France. It is also the third largest commune in all of Normandy after Le Havre and Rouen.
Caen
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Prefecture and commune | |
View of the Abbaye aux Hommes; The Abbaye aux Dames; Saint-Pierre Church; Rue Froide in the old town | |
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Coat of arms | |
Location of Caen | |
Caen Caen | |
| Coordinates: 49°10′53″N 00°21′49″W | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Normandy |
| Department | Calvados |
| Arrondissement | Caen |
| Canton | Caen-1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 |
| Intercommunality | Caen la Mer |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2020–2026) | Joël Bruneau (LR) |
| Area 1 | 25.70 km2 (9.92 sq mi) |
| • Urban | 173.6 km2 (67.0 sq mi) |
| • Metro | 2,597 km2 (1,003 sq mi) |
| Population (2021) | 108,200 |
| • Density | 4,200/km2 (11,000/sq mi) |
| • Urban (2018) | 205,708 |
| • Urban density | 1,200/km2 (3,100/sq mi) |
| • Metro (2018) | 469,526 |
| • Metro density | 180/km2 (470/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Caennais |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 14118 /14000 |
| Elevation | 2–73 m (6.6–239.5 ft) (avg. 8 m or 26 ft) |
| Website | www.caen.fr |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
It is located 200 km (120 mi) northwest of Paris, connected to the South of England by the Caen (Ouistreham) to Portsmouth ferry route through the English Channel. Situated a few miles from the coast, the landing beaches, the bustling resorts of Deauville and Cabourg, as well as Norman Switzerland and the Pays d'Auge, Caen is often considered the archetype of Normandy.
Caen is known for its historical buildings built during the reign of William the Conqueror, who was buried there, and for the Battle for Caen, heavy fighting that took place in and around Caen during the Battle of Normandy 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.