Bayeux: 12 activities in a charming medieval city

Renowned throughout the world for its 11th-century Tapestry listed in the UNESCO “Memory of the World” register, Bayeux possesses an exceptional architectural heritage, dating mainly from the medieval period. There, you will also find beautiful parks, interesting museums, and great coffee shops and creperies…

Architecture in Bayeux

1. Old Bayeux

A 2.5 km loop in old Bayeux allows you to explore the medieval town and discover its history thanks to 23 explanatory terminals. It will take you 1h30. Specific ground markings, made up of bronze nails, allow you to find your way throughout the route. You can also find the plan at the tourism office installed in the old fish market. The only negative point is that most of the streets are not pedestrian, except Saint Jean Street. In the old Bayeux, you will find several coffee shops, restaurants, and boutiques.

2. Notre Dame Cathedral

Bayeux Cathedral was consecrated in 1077 by Bishop Odon de Conteville in the presence of his half-brother, William the Conqueror. It was to decorate the cathedral’s nave that Odon had the famous Bayeux Tapestry embroidered. This cathedral is stunning from the outside as well as the inside and is worth a visit. Don’t forget to see the crypt.

Also, don’t forget to go see the Tree of Liberty. During the Revolution, this plane tree was chosen as a symbol of Freedom. You will find it in the center of “Place de la Liberté”, the former interior courtyard of the palace of the bishops of Bayeux. This tree measures 30 meters high with a trunk almost 2 meters in diameter. It is very close to the Notre Dame Cathedral.

Museums, Memorials & workshops in Bayeux

3. Tapestry Museum

The Bayeux Tapestry is a unique document in the world. It is a wool embroidery on a linen canvas made in the 11th century. Nearly 70 meters long and 50 centimeters high, it recounts the conquest of England in 1066 by William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy. With 400,000 visitors per year, it attracts people from all over the world and is a source of international artistic inspiration.

There are 16 languages available for the audio guide commentary, including a children’s version in French and English.

There is also a permanent exhibition evoking the secrets of the creation of the tapestry, its historical context, and the Anglo-Norman kingdom in the 11th century. You can see models of buildings of the time and a Viking boat.

Finally, on the 2nd floor, you can see a 16-minute film, alternately in French and English that explains the story told by the Bayeux Tapestry.

4. British military cemetery of Bayeux

Located near the Battle of Normandy Memorial Museum, this cemetery contains the graves of 4,648 soldiers who fell during the Second World War. It is the largest British cemetery in France. Here, you will also find the Memorial to the memory of the 2,092 Commonwealth soldiers.

5. Memorial Museum of the Battle of Normandy

This museum retraces the operations and battles that took place on Norman territory during the Battle of Normandy from June 7 to August 29, 1944. There, you will find a chronological and thematic tour, an archive film, and numerous period objects (military equipment, weapons, uniforms, etc.).

6. Reporter’s Memorial

Near the Memorial Museum of the Battle of Normandy, you will find the Reporter’s memorial. Created by the city and Reporters Without Borders, it offers a landscaped walk along white steles. On these steles, you will find more than 2,000 names of journalists killed around the world since 1944 in the exercise of their profession. An interactive terminal describes their journey.

7. Baron Gérard Museum of Art and History – MAHB

It is located in the heart of an episcopal palace and focuses on the history of European art, from prehistory to modern art. The museum layout covers an area of 1,500m² arranged in 14 spaces, showcasing 800 archaeological and ethnological artifacts, almost 600 works of art of which 250 are paintings and prints, and over 1,000 pieces of Bayeux porcelain and lace.

8. Lace Conservatory

The objective of the site is to safeguard know-how that is more than 300 years old. Initiation and training are offered in addition to permanent and temporary exhibitions.

9. Workshop-boutique Morgane Thomassin

Morgane Thomassin is a master artisan ceramist who is passionate about History and Mythology. Here, you can find beautiful ceramic, porcelain, and stoneware creations including collections of Tableware and Ceramic Jewelry.

Nature in Bayeux

10. The botanical garden

This garden is one of the most beautiful 19th-century landscaped parks in Normandy. Created in 1859, this 2.6-hectare public garden is the work of the Bühler brothers, creators of the Parc de la Tête d’Or in Lyon and the Thabor in Rennes. The most spectacular element of this garden is a “weeping beech”, classified as a natural monument since 1932 and labeled “remarkable tree of France” since 2000. Here, you will find a discovery circuit, made up of 17 information terminals.

11. The banks of the Aure

The banks of the Aure are reserved for pedestrians and cyclists. Starting from the Sensitive Natural Area (Aure Valley) and going to Vaux-sur-Aure, this walk extends over 4 km, crossing Bayeux from south to north. On this walk, you will see the cathedral and the city’s monuments, the mills like the Fox Mill, washhouses, and green spaces. There are also play areas for children.

12. The Aure valley

The Aure Valley is located behind the station, close to the city center. It has unique wetlands on 13 hectares where streams, ditches, ponds, wet meadows, and reed beds coexist. This nature trail will allow you to know nearly 206 plant species and some scarce animals. You can even see cows. A platform path allows people with reduced mobility access to part of the site, and a marked route allows you to travel 1.3 km.

Personally, it’s one of the things I liked the most in Bayeux! This valley is beautiful, unique, and calm.

Where to eat in Bayeux?

Le café cuillère

This coffee shop is succulent and beautiful. The cakes and drinks are excellent. The staff is also friendly and welcoming. It is narrow inside, but we succeeded in going there as a group of 3 adults with two children and a stroller.

Le Domesday

This crêperie is delicious. The staff is warm and helpful, and they have baby chairs. It is the ideal restaurant for families because it is quite large. Their crêpes, salted or sweet, are very tasty! You won’t be disappointed.

What to do around Bayeux?

Alpaga Normandie – Miniature animals

It’s an educational farm where you can see alpacas, miniature donkeys, miniature goats, miniature horses, sheep, and chickens… Reservations can be made on-site or online. Children will love it, and their parents too.

Ferme de la Haizerie

On this farm, disabled workers make delicious artisanal ice creams and sorbets. The ingredients come as much as possible from local producers. All preparations are guaranteed without preservatives and artificial colorings. In summer, you can even visit the farm and discover their know-how.

The landing beaches

Among the landing beaches, the closest to Bayeux are Omaha Beach with the American cemetery in Colleville sur Mer, and Gold Beach in Arromanches city. These two sites are a must if you are in the area with a car.