Calvados

Overview

Key facts

• Type of place: department.

• Location: along the English Channel, roughly between Rennes and Rouen.

• Department code: 14.

• Bordering departments: Seine-Maritime to the northeast, Eure to the east, Orne to the south, and Manche to the west.

• Prefecture: Caen.

• Sub-prefectures: Bayeux, Lisieux, Vire-Normandie.

• Number of municipalities: 538.

• Population: 694,002 inhabitants (2017).

• Area: 5,548 km².

• Density: 125 inhabitants/km².

• Highest point: Le Plessis-Grimoult (361 m).

• Lowest point: sea level.

• Coastline:

• Highlights (out of ★★★★): Nature ★/ ★★; Culture ★★★; Relaxation-holidays ★★★

• Website: http://www.calvados-tourisme.com

History of Calvados

Geography and environment

Culture and economy

What to see in Calvados

• What to see in Normandy and Calvados

While Calvados is the department of the Flower Coast, Honfleur, Cabourg, Deauville, and a few other well-known seaside resorts, it is also a major site for remembrance tourism, with the D-Day Landing Beaches and numerous memorials and museums dedicated to World War II. Visitors come for history as much as for the seaside, but far less for landscapes or outdoor activities—though the *bocage* and Norman Switzerland are still worth a detour.

What to do in Calvados

Climate and weather

Sea temperature throughout the year

Transport

Getting there

Getting around

Accommodation

Food

Further reading