Musée de la Tapisserie

Apart from the town itself, your premier destination in Bayeux is the Musée de la Tapisserie, which displays the famous tapestry that Odo, Bishop of Bayeux, had the English embroider following the conquest of England by his half-brother William the Conqueror in 1066. The color and richness of the tapestry make the little stick figures look as if they were stitched just yesterday, not over 900 years ago. With the aid of earphones the intricately embroidered scenes come alive. We found we needed to go past it twice—once quickly to appreciate its enormous proportions and the second time to hear the story it tells. (Open all year, tel: 02.31.51.25.50.)