The green way between Ouistreham and Caen.

A bike ride to Caen from Ouistreham.

The hike must be done by bike because the distance is important between Caen and Ouistreham (15 kms). The departure is easy to find, it is located near the departure of the ferries in Ouistreham. There is no difficulty because the path follows the canal from Caen to the sea, so it is very flat, very straight and without any car. The only small drawback, as is often the case with the paths along the canals, is the monotony, the straight lines are very long and moreover you have to do the path in the opposite direction to return. Apart from that everything is perfect and the area is very beautiful. During the ride you will pass by the historical Pegasus Bridge, at the end you can also take the opportunity to visit the beautiful city of Caen.

Interest: ratinggood (1 user)
Difficulty: difficulty
Duration: 3 h.
Departure point (Google Maps)

The start

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The start
You can start the walk at the maritime station of Ouistreham. A sign indicates Caen at 15 kilometers. The fence is to prevent illegal immigrants from taking the ferry to England.

Plan

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Plan
Maps indicate the different possible walks from Ouistreham. You can for example go to Merville by taking the bridge at Benouville.

Itinerary

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Itinerary
Signs indicate the different places to visit in the area.

The port of Ouistreham

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The port of Ouistreham
The path goes along the port of Ouistreham where you can see the ferries leaving for England. On the picture you can see the lighthouse of Ouistreham.

Along the canal

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Along the canal
The hike takes place all the time on this type of road which is forbidden to vehicles. As the path runs along the canal it is very straight and flat.

Benouville

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Benouville
The road passes through Bénouville, famous for its bridge which was one of the first targets of the Allies on the day of the landing.

Pegasus Bridge

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Pegasus Bridge
The current bridge is very similar to the 1944 bridge, but it is a replica. The original, with the bullet holes, is in the museum a few metres away. You can see it as you walk past the museum. Don't hesitate to make a short diversions.

The end of the greenway

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The end of the greenway
The arrival in Caen is in the center, near the port of Caen.

The port of Caen

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The port of Caen
The marina is linked to Ouistreham by the Caen to Sea canal. Very nice market along the quays with a lot of take-away food. You will not have any problems to eat.

Saint Peter's Church in Caen

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Saint Peter's Church in Caen
The Saint-Pierre church, mainly in Gothic style, is next to the castle of Caen.

A shopping street

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A shopping street
Caen was three-quarters destroyed during the Battle of Normandy by Allied bombing. Fortunately there are still some streets in the city center that have kept their typical Norman houses.

The castle of Caen

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The castle of Caen
The construction of the castle of Caen dates from 1060. It belonged to the English during the Hundred Years War. You can visit it for free, you have to take your time because it is quite large, it also houses the Fine Arts Museum and the Normandy Museum.

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