Visiting Bayeux Cathedral
Visiting Bayeux's Notre-Dame Cathedral is an absolute must if you are visiting Normandy. The cathedral is very centrally located and is right next door to the Art and History Museum. You can see the spires and towers from a distance. In fact you can even spot it from the Bayeux Cemetery and Memorial on the outskirts of the town.
You can contact the Bayeux Tourist Office to see if any of their guided tours cover the cathedral. If you prefer to do your own tour then entry to the cathedral is completely free. There are some explanation panels about the architectural detail dotted around the cathedral. Alternatively you can purchase a guide book in the Tourist Office. It is written by François Neveux with collaboration from Claire Ruelle. It gives a very good history of the cathedral and guides you round the interior, exterior and the not-to-be-missed features. It's crammed full of professional photos, a plan and information about the history of the cathedral.
The cathedral is situated on the site of an 11th century Romanesque church, the vestiges of which can still be seen today in the crypt and the West façade. Much of this church was destroyed by fires and a civil war and re-building incorporated the Gothic style of architecture. The majority of the cathedral dates from the 13th century when the choir, nave, second level, north and south transepts were built and spires added to the two towers.
The lateral chapels were added in the 13th and 14th centuries and construction of the central tower with the green roof started in the 15th century. In the 19th century the central tower was restored.
You can see in the photo above a change to the south transept windows compared to the photo at the top of this post. Both the southeast and southwest bays of the transept host an artistic creation. The stained glass windows had disappeared over time. Now each lancet window is inset with a prism that refracts the daylight into all the colours of the rainbow. The colours change and vary depending on the colour of the sky.
You can watch the video below showing drone footage of the exterior and interior of the cathedral. Enjoy visiting Bayeux Cathedral as well as the medieval town.