140 km
Bayeux is a medium-sized town, on the East lower quadrant of the Cherbourg Peninsula, easily reached in about an hour from the Ferry (assuming one can navigate safely onto the N13 at the earliest opportunity!)
Thw town lovely, with many fine restaurants and several good cafes, more or less surrounding the old quarter, with the magnificant Cathedral facing Rue Larcher. Behind the Cathedral is a maze of tiny, narrow cobbled streets, barely wide enough for a car but they open out into wider boulevardes on 3 sides of the town.
Battle of Normandy
Bayeux was the immediate liberation target for the British contingent in the 1944 Landings. The Battle of Normandy Museum, War Graves and Bayeux Tapestry are just a short walk away and really are “must-sees” (check image gallery below). As with most of Normandy, excellent cheeses and fudges may be purchased here. Restaurant prices are good and the food is top notch!
Bayeux Tapestry
The Bayeux Tapestry is about 70m long, housed behind glass in a “U”-shaped display room at the Museum. Flash photography is strictly prohibited and you may see your camera/device confiscated. Ambient light photography is also said to be prohibited but if one is careful not to be too blatant then the guards may turn a blind eye. The real purpose of a visit is to simply marvel at the incredible detail and wonderful state of preservation of something so fragile yet nearly 1,000 years old. There is a museum shop and I am still using the decorative coffee mug I purchased there.
