Let's Go Europe 2019. Harvard Student Agencies

31 30 47 60; www.musee-de-normandie.caen.fr/application-chateau; open daily 9:30am-6pm

      The Castle of Caen looms over the city like a basketball player looms over an oompa loompa. Its construction began in 1060 by none other than William the Conqueror, who resided there when he wasn’t launching conquests on England. It remains one of the largest fortified enclosures in Europe, with 800 meters of ramparts (on which you can walk, of course, but we know you’ll mostly pretend to shoot arrows out of small slits and pose comically with large cannons). The castle has a moat, drawbridges, dungeon ruins—the whole nine yards. If that’s not enough to pique your interest, you can still visit the fine arts museum and the Museum of Normandy for free, provided you’re under 25. That’s ageism at its finest.

       i Castle admission free, museum admission free under 25; tours Tu and F 11am and 4pm; wheelchair accessible

       ABBAYE AUX HOMMES

      Esplanade Jean-Marie Louvel; 02 31 30 42 81; www.caen.fr/node/457; open daily 24hr

      We’ve all been there. You went and married your cousin (despite what Dad said) and now you have to get yourself some insurance just in case the old man upstairs isn’t too pleased with your incestuous behavior. William the Conqueror’s solution for this all-too-relatable problem was to construct the enormous Abbaye aux Hommes (mens’ abbey). Much larger and more resplendent than the womens’ abbey—1063 was a little early for feminism—this abbey features a beautiful cloister with a manicured garden, as well as the tomb of the famed conqueror himself. It would be a lovely place for a wedding to, say, your cousin.

       i Admission €7, reduced €5.50, under 18 free; tours M-F at 10:30am and 2pm; wheelchair accessible

      MUSEUMS

       MÉMORIAL DE CAEN

      Esplanade Général Eisenhower; 02 31 06 06 44; www.memorial-caen.fr; open daily 9am-7pm

      You would be hard pressed to find a more personal, inspiring, haunting, and devastatingly sad take on World War II history than this memorial, which emphasizes the costly human toll the war exacted from France. Caen was one of the cities in Normandy occupied by Germans for the longest and was later hit by Allied bombardment during its liberation. Not only does the museum explore combat, strategy, and politics, but it focuses on massacres, extermination, and the effects of waging total war on all of its fronts. It would be difficult to leave the Mémorial de Caen without both a nuanced understanding of an event that altered the course of human history and a heightened sense of your own humanity.

       i Students €17; wheelchair accessible

      OUTDOORS

       ÉTRETAT

      Étretat; www.etretat.net

      There should be a reality TV show called “Keeping Up with the Cliffs” because the cliffs at Étretat are as dramatic as they come. Turquoise water laps at the bottom of white cliffs topped with lush, green grass as well as a spattering of handsome cows and a quaint church building. As if these gargantuan striped walls weren’t enough, there are a number of physics-defying natural archways carved into the stone that you have to see to believe. Be sure not to miss the small trail beginning just past the church and leading down to the beach, as it will take you to a long tunnel cutting straight through the stone.

       i Free; wheelchair accessible

       SWORD BEACH

      Colleville Plage, Ouistreham; www.ouistreham.mobi/en/today/sword.html

      Sword Beach has a number of draws that nearly necessitate a trip from Caen to stroll the sandy shoreline. First of all, it’s a beautiful, wide beach where locals dig for clams, dogs with lolling tongues sprint by, and friendly locals sell cheap crêpes from beachside stands. It’s also the most easily accessible D-Day beach to visit from Caen. A British landing beach near the strategically important Pegasus Bridge, the fighting that took place at this beach played a significant role in the outcome of the June 6, 1944 operation. To get there, just take the #61 bus about 25 minutes toward Ouistreham and get off at Colleville Plage.

       i Free; wheelchair accessible

       FOOD

       Ô CHATO ($$)

      28 Rue du Vaugueux; 02 31 94 35 70; open M-Th noon-2pm and 7pm-10pm, F-Sa noon-2pm and 7pm-10:30pm, Su noon-2pm and 7pm-10pm

      Situated in the medieval part of town, Ô Chato boasts both food and views that you probably can’t find anywhere else. It lies at the end of a busy restaurant-filled street directly beneath Caen Castle, meaning you’ll be living the fantasy of middle-aged moms everywhere: drinking wine and eating cheese with an unobstructed view of a French castle. And, presumably, you won’t be accompanied by any screaming kids! The restaurant serves Italian food alongside irresistible local specialties. Just a few miles from the beach, Caen suffers no shortage of mussels, and Ô Chato is the perfect place to try moules frites, the traditional Norman dish of mussels with fries. The fondue starter is another regional gem, as Norman cheese is difficult to beat.

       i Moules frites €12, dinner menu €15; vegan and vegetarian options available; wheelchair accessible

       L’ATELIER DU BURGER ($)

      27 Rue Ecuyere; 02 31 50 13 44; www.latelier-duburger.fr; open daily noon-2:30pm and 7pm-11:30pm

      It may seem counter to your authenticity-seeking, off-the-beaten-path, traveler’s attitude to come all the way to Caen and then go to a burger joint. I mean, come on, you have a “Not all who wander are lost” sticker on your guitar case and your Instagram bio is “I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list.” But L’Atelier du Burger isn’t your average burger joint. They keep it simple: their menu consists of only five delicious burgers, one featuring the establishment’s signature secret sauce. The only other option on the menu is to add fries and a drink for €3.

       i Burgers from €7.50, combo add €3; vegetarian options available; no wheelchair accessibility

       SA-SE-SU ($)

      156 Rue Saint-Jean; 02 31 91 83 43; www.sasesu14.fr; open M-Sa noon-2pm and 7pm-11pm, Su 7pm-11pm

      Caen, at only 10,122 km away from Vietnam, is the perfect place to have fresh and authentic Vietnamese food! Don’t let our sarcastic tone fool you; Sa-se-su actually validates this statement. Light salads at the outdoor tables are refreshing on hot summer days, but the bo bun (beef and noodle soup) is the winner for a hearty meal, for as little as €6. Snacking on amazing starters doesn’t get cheaper than at Sa-se-su either, with appetizers topping off €5.

       i Starters from €3, entrées from €6; gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian options available; wheelchair accessible

       NIGHTLIFE

       LE VERTIGO

      14 Rue Ecuyère; 02 31 85 43 12; open M-Sa 11:30am-1am

      This gritty, cider-slinging pub seems like the bar version of a Dungeons and Dragons club with the added advantage of being right down the street