The heart of the historic center is the beautiful Abbey Church of Sainte-Foy. The roads are nearly too narrow for even small cars. Modern developments bypassed the town and it seems charmingly frozen in time.Ĭonques sports narrow cobblestone lanes and medieval stone and timber beamed homes. The settlement here was founded in the 8th century. It’s an easy day trip from from Lyon, Montpellier, or Toulouse. Tucked away in a gorge where two rivers meet, lies the small sweet town of Conques. READ: The Impressionism Trail in Normandy

For background, visit the America Gold Beach Museum, the Memorial Museum of the Battle of Normandy, and the Bayeux War Cemetery. You can book a half day guided tour to the beaches or a full day guided tour.īefore you go, you can immerse yourself in the history of Operation Overlord. You can book a 2 hour guided walking tour of Bayeux’s old town.įor history buff, the D-Day beaches are close to Bayeux. Fierce gargoyles on the exterior scowl down at you. It’s thought to be the original home of the Bayeux Tapestry. This rather large church was consecrated in 1077. While you’re strolling, pop into Bayeux’s Notre Dame Cathedral. Flowing flower boxes spill into the narrow lanes. Honey colored stone buildings are topped with black slate roofs. Full of medieval architecture, the town itself is delightful and fairytale-like. detail of the Bayeux Tapestry, which has 58 scenes depicting the Norman conquestīut Bayeux isn’t just a piece of cloth, however impressive. After the war, the tapestry was returned to Bayeux, its rightful owner.

They had commandeered the museum and were using as a clearinghouse for art theft. The Nazis seized the tapestry during WWII and took it to the Louvre. The Bayeux tapestry (actually an embroidery) was created by William’s queen, Matilda, and her court. It’s remarkably well preserved given its age. Housed in the Bayeux Tapestry Museum, the tapestry depicts the story of William the Conqueror’s 1066 invasion. Most people go to the village of Bayeux to see the thousand year old, and exceedingly long, Bayeux Tapestry. It’s the site of the Norman invasion of France in 1066 and WWII’s D-Day landings of 1944. The town played an outsized role in French history. Normandy hugs the northern shore of France. The historic center of Bayeux with one of its water wheels 4.

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