Musée de la Tapisserie de Bayeux is a museum dedicated to the famous Bayeux Tapestry. This hand-woven 70m long tapestry tells the story of William the Conqueror’s invasion of England in 1066. The manmade wonder of the 11th century has been well preserved, leaving the town of Bayeux only twice: once when Napoleon used it to show his troops that conquering England was indeed possible, and the second time during World War II, to save it from being damaged. Each year, the Tapestry Museum is visited by over 400000 visitors who marvel at the glass encased masterpiece.
The Château de Foix dominates the town of Foix. An important tourist site, it is known as a centre of the Cathars. Built on an older 7th-century fortification, the castle is known from 987. In 1002, it was mentioned in the will of Roger I, Count of Carcassonne, who bequeathed the fortress to his youngest child, Bernard. In effect, the family ruling over the region were installed here which allowed them to control access to the upper Ariège valley and to keep surveillance from this strategic point over the lower land, protected behind impregnable walls.
In 1034, the castle became capital of the County of Foix and played a decisive role in medieval military history. During the two following centuries, the castle was home to Counts with shining personalities who became the soul of the Occitan resistance during the crusade against the Albigensians.