A Weekend in Bayeux (Normandy)

We had the chance to be in Bayeux on the anniversary of D-Day, and we spent a great day visiting the D-Day beaches from Bayeux. It's amazing to think of what happend on those beaches back in 1944. The Notre Dame in Normandy is a small, but beautiful church, and the famous Bayeux tapestry is also a mjor tourist attraction in the city. A D-Day museum and the British cemetery is found on the outskirts of Bayeux.

Quick Tips:

Best Way To Get Around:

It was very easy to get to Bayeux by taking a train in from Paris. However, put some thought and advanced planning into how you're going to get to the D-Day beaches from Bayeux. You can rent a car, take various tours, or even rent a bike. Please read my D-Day beach activity journal for more.

This restaurant provided a great meal and was located right in the center of town. The restaurant was simple, and provided basic French cuisine and that was what was so enjoyable. It was much better than the tourist traps listed in the Frommers Paris suggestions.

There's an outdoor seating area, but it was a little bit too chilly to eat outside when we were there.

I had the trout normandine which was good, followed by a tasty apple tart. My friend got the entrecote steak, and she really enjoyed it.

Since we were in Normandy, we had to have the local Cider (cidre bouche), which was amazing and not very expensive. The cier had a veyr light and crisp flavor, and it went well with the dinner.

Everyone who goes to Bayeux knows about the Bayeux Tapestry, but let me say this: Don't believe the hype.

Yes, it's impressive that the tapestry has lasted for so long. Yes, it's impressive that it's enormously long in size. However, the presentation was pretty poor. You first walk through corridors with a mock tapestry that tells the story in English and explains what's going on. Definitely helpful, but the presentation seemed second rate. Also, the "movie" that was shown was very dated and didn't seem very professional.

However, even with all this, you should still go because the tapestry is such a famous artifact. Keep your expectations low, and if you're dying to do something else, don't feel bad about skipping the tapestry.