Experience the best of Caen

Caen sits on the Orne in Lower Normandy, and William the Conqueror made it a base in the 11th century, building the castle that still dominates the old centre. He is buried in the Abbaye aux Hommes, and his wife Matilda in the Abbaye aux Dames, two Romanesque abbeys on opposite sides of the centre. Much of the city was destroyed in the Battle of Normandy in 1944 and rebuilt in pale Caen stone.

The Mémorial de Caen, a museum of war and peace, stands on the northern edge of town, and the D-Day beaches of Sword, Juno and Gold lie along the coast to the north, with Pegasus Bridge close to Ouistreham. Bayeux, home of the Bayeux Tapestry, is a short way west, Honfleur's harbour is to the east, and the wooded gorges of the Suisse Normande lie to the south.

Normandy is cider and calvados country, and tripes à la mode de Caen, tripe cooked slowly with cider and vegetables, is the city's own dish. The climate is mild and maritime, with showers in any season, which keeps the pastures green behind Camembert, Livarot and Pont-l'Évêque cheeses, butter and cream. Scallops and mussels from the coast complete the table.