Loop 5 - Gold : Bayeux - Longues-sur-Mer - Arromanches

Listed on Unesco's Memory of the World register since 2007, the Bayeux Tapestry is a genuine masterpiece of Romanesque art. This one-piece canvas wall hanging, embroidered in the 11th century, is of a length of 70m and a height of 50cm. It offers an illustrated narration of the Norman Conquest of England in 1066 by the Duke of Normandy, later to become William the Conqueror. It is a truly unique document on European life in the Middle Ages. Audio guided tour of the tapestry: 25 minutes. Exhibition halls and audiovisual displays. Unaccompanied tour time: 45 mins to 1h30.

A certified ‘Museum of France’, the MABH invites you on a journey through the history of European art, via a display of 600 works of art (Caillebotte, Van Dongen, Boudin, etc.), 800 archaeological and ethnographic exhibits, 800 Bayeux porcelain pieces and 100 lace exhibits. You will also learn of Normandy’s eventful history, from prehistory to the modern age. Within an innovative scenographic display, the museum’s collections are housed in Bayeux’s former episcopal palace, a listed historic monument.

A genuine gateway to the D-Day Landing Beaches, the museum offers you a delve into History, over a chronological account of the events of the summer of 1944, enhanced with themed exhibition areas covering topics such as the Resistance and General de Gaulle, war correspondents, the Allied aviation, civilian life... all illustrated via period pieces and equipment. Archive film (25 minutes) - Normandy 44: Decisive Victory in the West. Tour lasts: from 30 mins to 1h30.

"The 100 days of Normandy" The images projected on nine screens stem from British, Canadian, German, American and French archives. On both sides of the Channel, one was preparing for this longawaited moment. Then, in spite of unfavorable weather conditions, came the morning of June 6, 1944, the fi rst step towards the liberation of Western Europe. From the landings on the 5 beaches of the Manche and Calvados departments to the tragic bombing of Le Havre on September 12, the Battle of Normandy lasted 100 days. Experience 20 minutes of pure historical intensity! To improve the visitor experience, our reception area has been fully redesigned: maps, the chronology and the outcome of the Battle of Normandy are now presented. Several British military artifacts from the Caen Mémorial collection are also on display. Film screened every 30 minutes, on the hour and at the half hour. Commentary overlooking the artificial harbour from the cinema’s terrace roof (30 minutes) during school holidays).

The various phases of the Allied landing operation are presented. Explanation on how the Winston artificial harbour was built and operated from its design to its final use (3D animation, animated scale models, slide show, archive footage, etc.). Unaccompanied or guided tour in French: 1h15. Visitor aids in 19 languages. Film in 9 languages, slide show in 6 languages.

A major constituent of the Atlantic Wall, the Longues-sur-Mer artillery battery includes a firing command post and four casemates, each housing a 150mm artillery piece. Located in the heart of the Allied assault zone, on the top of a cliff overlooking the English Channel, the battery played a strategic role during the Allied Landings on the 6th of June 1944.