Our reason for visiting Bayeux in Normandy was to see the original Bayeux tapestry which technically is not a tapestry but an embroidery. Wool has been used to embroider scenes which led up to the Norman invasion of England and the Battle of Hastings in 1066. We had visited Battle when we were last in England and it seemed appropriate that we visit Bayeux to get the story of the battle from the Norman perspective. Apparently William the Conqueror’s wife, along with her ladies in waiting, worked on the tapestry for ten years. The actual tapestry is housed in this building which is a museum.
The tapestry is 50.8 centimetres high and 76.2 metres long. Historians can tell a great deal about life at that time by the scenes depicted on the tapestry.
The tapestry is presented in a darkened room and people are moved around the display case in an orderly fashion at a specific speed as you are provided with an audio guide which gives an explanation of various scenes on the tapestry. If you so desire you could go back to the beginning and look at it all again.
The museum section of the display is exceptionally well done. We spent considerable time there soaking up all the relevant information about life at that time in history. If you get the chance to go to Bayeux then I highly recommend a visit to the Bayeux tapestry.
You can read all about the Bayeux Tapestry here.
While in Bayeux we visited the Bayeux Cathedral which is a magnificent building also well worth visiting.
Bayeux is a picturesque town.
Gippsland Granny 
The tapestry really is amazing, isn’t it? I hadn’t appreciated the fact that it’s an embroidery rather than a tapestry and I didn’t realise Bayeux was such a pretty place. The cathedral looks magnificent.
We couldn’t get over the fact that this item was so old and yet still in such marvellous condition. With Australia having such a young history we were often blown away by items that we saw that had been in existence for such a long time.