Caen suffered heavily in WWII; it burned for over a week after a D-Day bombing, and was shelled by the Germans. Three quarters of the city was flattened, and the only surviving remnants of the past are the ramparts around the chateau and the two great abbeys built by Willaim the Conqueror. Much of the medieval city was built using "Caen stone," a creamly local limestone. Caen has seen rapid expansion in recent years and these days is a bustling university city. It also acts as a transport terminal for Ouistreham, a minor passenger port.

Language: French

Currency: Euro (EUR)