Medieval walk in Caen

Starting point and access: Caen station.
- TER - Normandy lines.
- Intercités - Line between Paris-Saint-Lazare and Cherbourg.
Take the Place de la Gare exit on the A platform side.

(S/E) When you leave the station, turn right and walk along the tram line on the left-hand side. Cross the track at the^first crossing and continue in the same direction as before. At the crossroads, turn left, cross Rue d'Auge and follow it to the right.

At the corner of No. 52, turn left and climb a series of steps. At the top, turn right and then left to enter Saint-Jean Cemetery. Go straight ahead and, at the intersection with a large cross, turn right. Go through a gate and enter the park called La Venelle aux Champs. Follow the middle path, cross the park and find the exit at the end on the left.

(1) You will come out onto a narrow street; follow it to the right. After about 20 metres, turn left and go down an alleyway and then a staircase. At the bottom, cross the street and then first turn left then right to follow Venelle Sainte-Anne. Go up a staircase and then walk along the church of the same name on your right. At the corner, turn right and then, at the entrance to the church, go down the stairs on the left.

At the bottom, continue along Rue Montaigu. At the fork that appears immediately, continue straight ahead (ignore the street on the right, which is not shown on the map). After crossing Rue du Four, take the metal footbridge on the right over the railway line.

On the other side, at the bottom of another metal staircase, continue down a cement path interspersed with a few steps, then into Rue du Puits de Jacob. At the end of the street, turn right, then immediately left into Rue de la Chaussée Ferrée.

(2) At the traffic lights, turn left and take the bridge over the Orne. Cross Cours Général Koening (there is a memorial to him on the left) and continue straight ahead along the racecourse. After about 200 metres, you will see a statue of a winged victory on a column on the right.

At the end of the avenue, cross Boulevard Aristide Briand and continue straight ahead on Rue Sadi Carnot. Continue straight ahead and, at the end, cross the boulevard and follow it to the left. At the corner of the post office building, turn right, cross Place Gambetta and follow Rue Saint-Laurent.

Continue straight ahead, noting the Notre-Dame de la Gloriette church on your left, then cross Rue de Bras. At the crossroads, turn right and, immediately, at the corner of François de Malherbe's birthplace, turn left into the narrow Rue Vauquelin (signposted further on). Note the half-timbered house at No. 5. Cross Rue Quincampoix.

(3) At the T-junction at the foot of the Church of Saint-Louis, turn left. Cross straight ahead across Place Saint-Sauveur, which is long and lined with several beautiful mansions. Pass the statue of Louis XIV and, at the end, go around the roundabout on the left. First cross Rue Écuyère, then Place Louis Guillouard at the traffic lights. Turn left, then veer right to reach Esplanade Jean-Marie-Touvel (French-style garden).

Continue south (note the partially ruined Église Saint-Étienne-le-Vieux on your left) then take the very wide avenue on your right that leads to the Town Hall.

(4) At the foot of the building, turn right. Then go around the chevet of the Church of Saint-Étienne on the right. On the left, you will find a discreet red door, which gives access to the church.

Then turn right, go under a porch and follow the street to the left (Rue Guillaume le Conquérant). At the foot of an obelisk, turn left and reach the gate of the Church of Saint-Étienne (church of the former Abbaye aux Hommes).

With your back to the façade, go straight ahead along a small car park. After about 40 metres, turn right into a one-way street and go under a porch. Turn left and then right to cross Rue Guillaume le Conquérant at the traffic lights, then turn right into Rue Saint-Martin.

After about 40 metres, turn left onto Rue Saint-Blaise. At the end (pretty stone gate opposite), first turn left then right and follow Rue Saint-Nicolas. Walk past the church of the same name on your right and, at the façade, turn right, still on Rue Saint-Nicolas. At the crossroads, turn right, cross Rue de l'Académie on the right-hand side and follow Rue Barbey d'Aurevilly.

(5) Cross the roundabout and continue straight ahead into Rue du Docteur Rayer. At the end, turn right down Avenue de Bagatelle. At the traffic lights, cross Rue des Fossés Saint-Julien and follow it to the left. At the crossroads, cross Rue Gémare and walk past a small car park. Then cross Rue de la Geole and the tram line. Turn right and cross a picturesque cul-de-sac on the left.

At the corner of the castle ramparts, ignore a path turning 90° to the left and take the tarmac path opposite, which runs along the ramparts on your left. The tarmac quickly gives way to a stony path, still at the foot of the ramparts.

Ignore a path on the left (which passes under a footbridge) and go around the south barbican of the castle on the right. Turn left to take a footbridge that leads to the barbican floor. Turn right, take a second footbridge and enter the castle grounds.

(6) At the statue on the left, climb two steps on the right towards the Museum of Fine Arts. Immediately turn right towards a staircase leading to the ramparts. Climb the stairs and, at the top, take the left-hand path. Climb a steep staircase to reach a platform offering a beautiful view.

Retrace your steps (the rampart walk is blocked a little further on).

(6) Continue towards the centre of the enclosure and quickly turn left to walk alongside the Church of Saint-Georges (ticket office, bookshop; don't hesitate to go in even if you don't want to buy anything). Continue in the same direction, towards the Salles du Rempart, then turn right towards the Salle de l'Échiquier (rectangular building).

Then turn right and you will find an entrance to the ramparts at the corner (closed in April 2019!). Continue along the moat and the ruins of the keep on your left and a car park on your right. At the end of the car park, turn right to pass under a large porch (Porte des Champs).

Cross the drawbridge over the moat. Turn left into the barbican, go through a gate and leave the castle via a footbridge. Immediately turn right and walk alongside a small car park on your left.

(7) Turn right again and, at the triple fork that immediately appears, take the middle path, which is flat. At the end, go down the stairs on the left. At the bottom, cross the pedestrian crossing in two stages and follow Avenue de la Libération on the right (town map).

Immediately turn left onto Rue du Vaugueux, towards the neighbourhood of the same name. After about 50 metres, at a small square (with a lamppost in the middle), follow the street that slopes slightly to the left (ignore the alleyway at a 90° angle to the left that leads to a staircase).

At the crossroads, go up Rue Montoir Poissonnerie on the left. Then take the^second right, the narrow Venelle Bernard. At the end, turn left and immediately take the staircase on the right. Follow the alley on the right, which continues the staircase, and finish by going down another staircase.

At the bottom, turn left onto Rue Basse. After about 200 metres, turn left onto the^{first street}, Rue Manissier, and go up. Cross Rue Haute on the left-hand side and, at the fork immediately ahead, turn left. Cross at the pedestrian crossing and take the cement path opposite, which has steps. This will take you to the forecourt of the Church of the Holy Trinity (the former Abbaye aux Dames church).

(8) Continue straight ahead and pass under a porch bearing the inscription "Hôtel Dieu". Go straight ahead between the buildings of the Hôtel de Région, go around a small pond and then pass through a metal barrier. Turn right and enter Parc Michel d'Ornano.

(9) Turn into the^second path on the left and look for a small hill on the right with a large cedar tree on top. At the top of this hill, turn right into a wide path. Go around the hill on the left (towards the Vaubenard Building). Climb the stairs on the right that lead to the top of the hill (beautiful view).

Go back down the same staircase and turn left. Turn right into a path in the park and follow it to the left, passing a car park on your left. At the end of the path, turn right and walk along a pond on your left.

(9) Leave the park and, at the corner of the building, turn left, go through a metal gate and cross the small garden of the Regional Council again. Leave the garden and return to the forecourt of the Church of the former Abbaye aux Dames.

(8) Continue straight ahead and, at the corner of the building, turn left downhill onto Place de la Reine Mathilde. Turn left again onto Rue de Calix, then immediately turn right and go downhill into Venelle Sainte-Agathe. At the bottom, turn left, then right onto Rue Varignon.

At the end, cross Avenue de Tourville and follow it to the right on a cycle path alongside a canal on your left. Take the metal swing bridge on the left that crosses the canal.

(10) At the end of the bridge, turn right (Port de Caen on your right) then left to follow Bassin Saint-Pierre on your right. At the end, take the footbridge on the right that crosses the lock.

Continue straight ahead and go around the roundabout on the right. Cross the Quai de Juillet and take the Pont Alexandre Stirn bridge over the Orne river. Immediately cross the Quai Amiral Hamelin and follow it to the right for about 150 metres.

Then turn left and cross the Esplanade Léopold Sédar Senghor. At the end, cross an avenue and turn left to take the underpass that leads to the various tracks at Caen station (S/E).

Train timetables: consult the SNCF website.

For motorists:
Several car parks are available along the route:
- Station car park, on the Rives de l'Orne exit side. Take the underground passage to reach the main building and then Place de la Gare.
- Notre-Dame de la Gloriette Church car park, along Rue Saint-Laurent, between (2) and (3) (limited capacity).
- Town hall car park, just before . Pick up the route on Esplanade Jean-Marie Louvel, opposite the town hall.
- Place Montseigneur des Hameaux, at the foot of the Abbaye aux Hommes (limited capacity).
- Place de la Mare, after and before the castle ramparts. Pick up the route on Rue de la Geole.
- Château de Caen car park, shortly after (6).
- Regional government car parks, on either side of Parc Michel D'Ornano, after (8).

Good trainers are sufficient for this urban route.

Bars, restaurants and shops along the route, particularly around (3) and between the castle (6) and the Abbaye aux Dames (8).

A detailed map is required (at least the one accompanying this description).

Public park opening hours:
Saint-Jean Cemetery: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. from November to April; 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. from May to October.
Venelle aux Champs:
- Opening: 8:30 a.m. on weekdays; 10:00 a.m. on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.
- Closing time: 5.30pm from October to February; 6.30pm in March and September; 8pm from April to August.
Caen Castle: 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Michel d'Ornano Park: 8:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. from November to March; 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. from April to October.

Warning:
This urban route crosses the tram line three times, which was still under construction in April 2019: at the station exit; near the castle; between the Alexandre Stirn Bridge and the return to the station. This construction work may complicate traffic: always follow the signs on site and, if necessary, adjust your route.

Hike completed by the author on 4 April 2019.

From the station (S/E) to the Abbaye aux Hommes (4):
- Saint-Jean Cemetery. One of Caen's "dormant" cemeteries, this former parish cemetery is now disused and has become a small public park.
- Sainte-Anne Church.
- Racecourse.
- Notre-Dame de la Gloriette Church (17th century), Jesuit style.
- Birthplace of the poet François de Malherbe (1555-1628), just before (3).
- Place Saint-Sauveur, after (3), lined with former mansions and featuring a statue of Louis XIV.

Abbaye aux Hommes (4):
The abbey was founded in 1059 and the church, dedicated to Saint Stephen, was built between 1065 and 1083. The convent buildings now house the town hall.
The church is open to visitors:
Opening hours: 9:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on weekdays; 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturdays; 2:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Sundays.
Access: through a discreet door at the chevet of the church, before passing under a porch; through the gate at the front, Place Montseigneur des Hameaux.
Particular features to appreciate include:
- The simplicity of the building as a whole.
- The Romanesque nave and aisles.
- The Gothic choir (as it was remodelled in the 13th century).
- The tomb of William the Conqueror (1027-1087), in the middle of the choir.

From the Abbaye aux Hommes (4) to the Château de Caen (6):
- Saint-Nicolas Church (11th century).
- Some beautiful old houses.
- Narrow cul-de-sacs starting from Rue de la Geôle. Hikers may be interested to know that the headquarters of the Caen branch of the French Alpine Club is located in the cul-de-sac that starts at No. 92...

Caen Castle, between (6) and (7):
Castle built in the mid-11th century by William the Conqueror. See opening hours in the practical information section.
- Ramparts and rampart walk, offering beautiful views.
- Saint-Georges Church.
- Normandy Museum and Museum of Fine Arts.
- Salle de l'Échiquier.
- Remains of the keep.

From Caen Castle (7) to the Abbaye aux Dames (8):
- Rue du Vaugueux and its half-timbered houses.
- Alleyways.

Abbaye aux Dames (8):
The abbey was founded in 1060 and the church, dedicated to the Holy Trinity, was built between 1062 and 1130. The convent buildings now house the regional council.
The church is open to visitors:
Opening hours: 8.30am-12.30pm and 1.30pm-6pm on weekdays; 2pm-6pm at weekends.
Access: through the gate at the front of the building, Place Reine Mathilde.
Of particular interest are:
- The overall simplicity, even more striking than in the Church of Saint-Étienne in the Abbaye aux Hommes.
- The nave, aisles and choir, in Romanesque style.
- The tomb of Queen Mathilde of Flanders (1031-1083), wife of William the Conqueror, in the middle of the choir.

From the Abbaye aux Dames (8) to the station (S/E):
- Michel d'Ornano Park.
- The Saint-Pierre Basin.
- The banks of the Orne.