Bayeux cathedral with French flag © Shutterstock

Bayeux travel guide

About Bayeux

Bayeux in Normandy is a beautiful medieval city, brimming with history, and is the home of the famous Bayeux Tapestry.

The main reason visitors come to Bayeux is often the Bayeux Tapestry, showcasing the victory of William the Conqueror at the Battle of Hastings in 1066, but the city has far more to offer. The Bayeux Cathedral, (Cathédrale Notre Dame de Bayeux) is an incredible work of architecture whose lace-like spires tower above the city. The medieval part of the city is full of half-timber houses spread along narrow cobbled streets and it is best discovered by taking a walk beside the canals with their pretty water mills.

Visit the Jardin Botanique de Bayeux, the local botanical gardens with its famous Weeping Beech tree. The shops and streets of Bayeux are also decorated with flowers enticing visitors into the shops. In Bayeux you'll find some brilliant antiques shops and art galleries as well as fantastic stores selling Norman produce such as cider and cheese. If you're looking for a local delicacy then why not try some cochon de Bayeux, the pork of the local Bayeux breed of pigs.

Nearby are the Normandy Landing beaches and Bayeux's British War Cemetery and Museum of the Battle of Normandy are a moving place to begin a World War 2 themed visit to Normandy. You can also discover more about William the Conqueror by visiting Caen, Normandy's capital that is close by, and the home of his majestic Abbaye aux Hommes.