Caen and its surroundings

Day 1: Caen

 ▶︎ Visit Caen, its château and its fine arts museum with its myriad exhibitions, in particular the Spectacle of Merchandise. Then stroll through its historic centre, from Place Saint Sauveur and its 18th-century town houses to Rue Saint Pierre, the town’s main shopping district.

▶︎Then, head for the Artothèque situated in the former ducal palace of the Abbaye aux Hommes before plunging into Nelly Monnier and Eric Tabuchi’s Photographic Atlas of Normandy. After that, discover the unique work of Sean Scully at the Eglise Saint Nicolas, of Lily Van der Stokker and Maxime Verdier at the FRAC Normandie, and of Thomas Pausz at the Abbaye aux Dames.

▶︎Stroll through the nearby picturesque neighbourhood of Vaugneux, with the opportunity to eat at one of its many restaurants.

▶︎Also take in one of the original live art performances, such as Les Illuminations on 6th and 7th April at Eglise Saint Julien or else Touch the Instant on 31st May and 1st June at the Sépulcre. 

Day 2: Bayeux

▶︎Departure by train from Caen to Bayeux to admire its untouched architectural heritage, and in particular the Cathédrale Notre-Dame inaugurated by William the Conqueror in 1077, and its 11th-Century Tapestry, part of UNESCO’s Memory of the World programme. 

▶︎Just beside the cathedral, head for the Le Radar, a contemporary art space for the exhibition Quand la nature devient matière à inventer, which explores the 1,001 artistic potentialities of natural materials.

Day 3: Côte de Nacre

 ▶︎Take the bus to the Côte de Nacre and the Pointe du Hoc, one of the Normand coast’s most beautiful natural sites. Visit the Port-en-Bessin, Normandy’s main fishing port, appreciated by Paul Signac and Georges Seurat and the theatre for an ambulatory show Spectacle Fragrances, Extracts of the Landscape on 22nd June, for a visual and also olfactory experience. 

▶︎You can also go along the coast eastwards, by bike or bus via Bayeux, leaving from the seaside resort Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer to Ouistreham, a chance to plunge into the work of the Artists on the Côte de Nacre from 1800 to Today at the Grange-aux-Dîmes.

Discover too :  
▶︎ L'impressionnisme en Normandie on normandie-tourisme.fr 
▶︎ Les voyages impressionnistes 
▶ Bienvenue sur le site de l'Office de Tourisme de Caen la mer (caenlamer-tourisme.fr) 
▶ Guide de voyage de Bayeux Bessin :: Bayeux Bessin Tourisme (bayeux-bessin-tourisme.com)