The old centre of Caen is organised around the château raised by William the Conqueror in the eleventh century, on a spur overlooking the city. It is the historic and administrative heart of the Normandy capital, shaped since the Middle Ages along an axis linking Saint-Pierre to Saint-Sauveur. The Abbaye-aux-Hommes, which today houses the town hall, and the place Saint-Sauveur are among the landmarks of this area, one of the oldest public spaces in the city.
The district blends Reconstruction-era buildings in Caen stone, preserved older buildings and more recent developments, around shopping streets such as the rue Saint-Pierre, now pedestrianised, and the place Saint-Pierre. The Saint-Pierre church, the château and its museums, the shops, the markets and the services make it a very lively area. The tram and the Twisto bus network serve the centre directly.
Sought after for its central position, its heritage and its shops, the old centre is the most expensive area of Caen. Supply ranges from period apartments to new developments, which attracts working people and first-time buyers as much as investors, won over by neighbourhood life and the immediate closeness of the faculties and the station.
