Bayeux is most famous for the tapestry which depicts the conquest of England by the Normans way back in 1066.
One thing that will strike you right away is that the tapesty is enormous, snaking right along the wall of the building in which it's displayed. It's also surprisingly well preserved as you can see from our photo depicting the moment when the arrow went into Harold's eye. The audio commentary is very worthwhile and will point out many aspects of the events depicted in the Bayeux tapestry that you would otherwise miss.
Flash photography is definitely a no-no but and won't work anyway as the tapestry is behind glass. If you can switch off your flash taking photographs seems to be OK with the staff.
Busloads of tourists arrive each day to be paraded past the tapestry before they head off somewhere else thus missing out on what is a very beautiful little town.
Besides the tapestry the major attraction is the Cathedral of Notre Dame which is in the centre of the old town naturally. Consecrated in 1077 with William the Conqueror in attendance. It's a fascinating insight into the period from then through to the 15th century.
Given the concentration on the Bayeux tapestry, there are loads of places offering to show you various aspects of tapestry work. For example the Conservatoire de la Dentelle, Les Fils Croisé and Bayeux Broderie all offer you a mix of demonstrations, workshops and materials to create your own mini Bayeux tapestry.
Don't forget too that Bayeux isn't far from the Normandy beaches which are not to be missed (we'll be covering these in a separate article).
If the crush of tourists gets a little too much you can wind down in the excellent Jardin Public de Bayeux.
The very best accommodation used to be just behind the cathedral but sadly it's closed down so we're looking around for an equally good place to recommend to you.
