Caen, Ferries and Ferry Crossings

Welcome to the Caen (France) section of FerryCrossings.org, the site for information about major UK and continental ports and the ferries between them. Our site includes an introduction to a number of ports and feature pages about the various crossing ways, lanes and routes and companies operating between them to help you plan your journey and discover interesting travel destinations along the way. You can even compare prices and save money on your ferry tickets with ads from selected major ferry lines.

Port of Caen, France

Caen. Caen, in Normandy, is 10kms inland from the English Channel but is linked to it, at the small port of Ouistreham, by a canal dating back to Napoleonic times. It is to Ouistreham that the Portsmouth ferry sails. It is served by both roll-on-roll-off car ferries and a 'supercat' fast ferry. For those arriving on foot by ferry there is a shuttle bus service, during the day, taking passengers into Caen.

Once famous for its mediaeval buildings Caen was virtually destroyed during the Invasion of Normandy in 1944 by Allied Forces. 600 years previously, in 1346, en route to do battle at Crecy, England's King Edward lll had besieged the city, killing thousands, looting its treasures and burning a great deal of the Merchants' Quarter. Only the castle held out against the invaders. In the years following the Second World War much of Caen was re-constructed. However, there are still many historical sites and building for the visitor to see and enjoy.

One of the largest mediaeval fortresses in Europe is the castle, the chateau de Caen, which was built by William before he became 'the Conqueror'. It has seen many historic moments and battles but is now a museum housing the collections of the Museum of Fine Arts of Caen and the Museum of Normandy. To appease the Pope, after marrying his cousin, Mathilda of Flanders, William had caused the Benedictine Abbey Church of St Etienne (St Stephen), also known as 'The Men's Abbey, and that of the Abbey Church of The Holy Trinity, also known as 'The Women's Abbey', to be built.

It is in Caen that Duke William of Normandy, William the Conqueror of England, lies buried in his Abbey Church of St Etienne. However, his body wasn't left undisturbed and in the 16th century religious wars his remains were disinterred and scattered around the city. His tombstone was also destroyed. Again, during the French Revolution his grave was attacked. Today a 19th century marble slab marks his grave although little of his body actually remains within it. His wife Mathilde, who died in 1083, was buried in the Abbey of Women where her grave is marked by a black marble slab.

For those with an interest in botany a stay in Caen wouldn't be complete without a visit to the Botanical Garden of Caen (the Jardin Botanique de Caen) with its magnificent arboretum. The plant collection was started in the late 17th century. The garden contains over 8,000 species of native and foreign plants, trees and shrubs, and tender plants in a greenhouse for exotic species.

Today Caen is a place that has risen from the ashes of destruction as a new and modern city with all that that phrase implies but it is also a city that is very concious of its ancient heritage and the need to preserve and present what survives. During the year it has a busy calendar of events and festivals, there are almost daily markets and it is within easy reach of many tourist destinations.