Castle/Fortress (Chateau Ducal) of Caen

Caen – The Fortress/Castle

Built: 1060
Status: Public/Museum
Visitable?: Yes, partially free, partially for a small fee
Notable: Built by William the Conqueror
Web: –

The fortress and castle of Caen (known as the “Chateau Ducal”, the Duke’s Castle) was ordered to be built by William the Conqueror, together with two Abbeys (one for men, the other for women – click here for more photos and information). William had become the Duke of Normandy at the age of 8, and was involved in many battles up to becoming King of England. From Viking decent, he knew that a good protection was vital. To ensure a strongly protected city, he ordered the construction of the fortress in the year 1060.

The castle’s fortified walls sit on 5.5 hectares (13.5 acres), making it one of the biggest in Europe. If you zoom in on the above map (the “+” button on the right) you can see how big a space the castle grounds take up.

Fortified walls of the Caen Castle
Fortified walls of the Caen Castle

The walls of the fortress are enormous and high. You can walk on most of the walls, and the view from the walls over the city is very nice.

The former moat of the Caen Castle
The former moat of the Caen Castle

The castle was surrounded formerly by a deep moat with drawbridges to block off any attempts to capture the castle.

Drawbridge of the Caen castle
Drawbridge of the Caen castle

Today, access to the castle is still via the drawbridge, requiring a climb to the bridge. But it’s not a steep climb, so wheelchairs can do the trip easily.

Museum of Fine Arts inside the Caen castle grounds
Museum of Fine Arts inside the Caen castle grounds

The first thing you see when you enter the grounds of the castle is a low but very modern building. This is the Museum of Fine Arts (Musee des beaux-arts) built in 1971.

Saint-Georges church

Close to the museum is a small church:

Saint-Georges church of the Caen castle
Saint-Georges church of the Caen castle

Currently it’s the ticket office for all of the museums in the castle, but you can enter for free and see the inside of the church.

Governor's house on the Caen castle grounds
Governor’s house on the Caen castle grounds

This used to be the governor’s house, now it is the Museum of Normandy (musee de Normandie), housing a collection of artefacts depicting the history of Normandy.

The "salles du Rempart" of the Caen castle
The “salles du Rempart” of the Caen castle

The “salles du Rempart” or the artillery rooms of the castle have been turned into an exhibition centre with a roving display that changes every year. Next to it is:

"Vieux Palais et la Salle de l'Echiquier" of the Caen castle
“Vieux Palais et la Salle de l’Echiquier” of the Caen castle

This building used to be the palace of the Duke, later King and of the exchequer (the tax-man) and forms part of the temporary exhibitions.

The view onto the Saint-Pierre church from the Caen castle gates
The view onto the Saint-Pierre church from the Caen castle gates

As you can see, there’s something for everyone in the castle. The access to the castle and its grounds are free, but visiting the museum(s) is not. There are also gardens to be seen, gardens that have been planted with medicinal plants used in the middle ages.

TIP: Entrance is FREE on the first Sunday of every month.

Click here to access the castle and museum web site (in French only)

Click here to see other castles in the area.

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