Taxi Caen → Lisieux

Lisieux is France's second-largest pilgrimage site after Lourdes, thanks to the Basilica of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, a monumental reinforced concrete and granite edifice built between 1929 and 1954, which dominates the town from its hilltop. Saint Thérèse of Lisieux (1873-1897), a Carmelite nun who died aged 24, is one of the most venerated saints in the Catholic world — Doctor of the Church, patron of missions and of France. Her 'little way' of simplicity and love attracts nearly 2 million pilgrims annually. The basilica, France's second-largest concrete religious building after Sacré-Coeur in Montmartre, seats 3,000 worshippers. The Carmel where Thérèse lived and Les Buissonnets, the saint's childhood home, are open to visitors. Beyond pilgrimage, Lisieux is the capital of the Pays d'Auge, an exceptional terroir of AOP cheeses (Pont-l'Évêque, Livarot, Camembert), cider, calvados and pommeau. The town also boasts a 13th-century Gothic cathedral, Saint-Pierre, the first Gothic building in Normandy, often overshadowed by the basilica but architecturally remarkable. Taxis from Caen are popular with pilgrims, religious groups and fans of Norman terroir.