Cours Général Koenig

K?nig was a French general born in Caen in 1898, and the great winner of the Battle of Bir-Hakeim in 1942 (the first Free French victory). The town of Caen gave his name to the "Grand Cours", where we now stand.

In the 17th century, the City of Caen created two tree-lined promenades near the Prairie: the Grand Cours and the Cours la Reine. This urban development was one of the first to introduce nature into the city, a sort of Grand-Siècle island of freshness.

After a walk along the Cours, Madame de Sévigné wrote: "Caen is the prettiest town, the most pleasant, the most cheerful, the best situated, with the most beautiful streets, the most beautiful buildings, the most beautiful churches; meadows, promenades, and finally the source of all our finest spirits".
Madame de Sévigné, Letters; 1671