About the City
Caen is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the Calvados department and the capital of the Basse-Normandie (Lower-Normandy) region. It is located 15 km inland from the English Channel.
Caen is a college city, very active especially in the summer. It is mainly known for its historical buildings built during the reign of William the Conqueror, who was buried here, and for the Battle of Caen during WWII . Because of the heavy fighting that took place in and around Caen during the Battle of Normandy in 1944, 80% of the city was leveled. However Caen was rebuilt in the 50s and 60s and some older buildings still remain, especially the churches.
