Attractions and Places To See around Ifs - Top 20

The Orne estuary is so beautiful with its wild environment.

Great walk along the seaside.

The Château de Caen is the former city fortress of the Norman dukes in the city of Caen in what is now the Normandy region in northern France. It houses, among other things, the cultural-historical Musée de Normandie[1] and the modern building of the Musée des Beaux-Arts. The entire complex has been recognized as a monument historique since 1997.

Built between the 13th and 16th centuries, it plays with the transition of styles: radiant and flamboyant Gothic and Renaissance. It has a magnificent 14th century bell tower, almost 80 m high, which is currently being restored. Particularly worth seeing are the vault of the choir, the chapels of the ambulatory in late Gothic style and the carved capitals of the third pillar of the nave on the north side, which depict four scenes from chivalric romances and satirical writings of the Middle Ages. J.F. Dupont organ, built in 1997.

Caen, first mentioned in documents in 1027, experienced rapid urban development in the 11th century. It was called a burgus (bourg), was the centre of an extensive ducal domain, lay at the crossroads of important roads and had markets and a port. It first developed as an important city in the Duchy of Normandy under William the Conqueror. He had a strong fortress built in Caen and around 1059 an abbey for women (Abbaye aux dames) and one for men (Abbaye aux hommes), in which he was also buried. Later, during the Huguenot Wars (1562), his grave was destroyed and his bones were lost. William's gravestone can still be seen in the church today. He had the monasteries built to atone for his marriage to his cousin Mathilde, which was disapproved of by the Pope. Both monasteries are among the most important monuments in Normandy and are today – by the monks and nuns during the French Revolution

Since March 2023 and until 2025, work will be carried out under the direction of architect Philippe Prost and landscape architect Thierry Lavergne to transform the castle grounds. Entitled "The castle within its walls", the 4-hectare site will be given over to 75% green space. The avenues will be redesigned to structure this large inner garden and guide visitors. A 700 m² reception area will be built towards the Porte des Champs. The "hidden treasures" will be highlighted, such as the remains of the keep, the towers of the ramparts and the dungeons of the Saint-Pierre gate.

Built between the 13th and 16th centuries, the Église Saint-Pierre plays with the transition of styles: radiant and flamboyant Gothic and Renaissance. It has a magnificent 14th-century bell tower, almost 80 m high. Particularly worth seeing are the vault of the choir, the chapels of the ambulatory in late Gothic style and the carved capitals of the third pillar of the nave on the north side, which depict four scenes from chivalric romances and satirical writings of the Middle Ages.

The former Benedictine abbey with the monastery church of Saint-Étienne was founded by William the Conqueror in Caen, built from 1060 onwards, but probably not completed until after 1090. From 1120/25 onwards, six-part cross-ribbed vaults were installed in the originally flat-roofed building, which are among the oldest in France.