Overview

Cherbourg, one of France’s great Channel ports, is closely linked to French naval history, and to transatlantic adventures – the Titanic even made its final stop here on its fateful journey, as recalled at the Cité de la Mer, one of the port town’s showpiece attractions.

Cherbourg also has the largest man-made harbor in the world, taking seven decades to complete and still guarded by sea forts at its entrance. Combine this with the fortified Roule Hill and the town shows it's tough military background. Beyond the harbor, the town offers a verdant landscape of apple orchards, cider presses and chateauxs with beautiful gardens. It welcomes many cruise ships and major yacht races, and offers a vibrant local lifestyle and culture.

Things to see and do

Cité de la Mer: This 240-meter-long, former Art Deco transatlantic terminal building is Cheroburg’s top attraction. The major museum showcases fantastic science and history inside, along with several themed areas. There is a space devoted to the Titanic, which called into Cherbourg five days before it sank. The highlight for many visitors is boarding the disused French nuclear submarine, Le Redoutable, which is the world's largest submarine open to the public. The museum is also home to over 4,000 marine creatures housed in the 17 tank aquarium.

Musée Thomas Henry: Cherbourg’s fine arts museum contains an assortment of paintings from the 15th to the 19th century. Many of these paintings were by international artists that were donated to the town in the 1830s by Thomas Henry, who was a native to Cherbourg and became a leading art expert at the Louvre. Talented local artists are also well represented, including Jean-Fracois Millet, who lived near Cherbourg and painted memorable scenes of rural life in the Cotentin in the 19th century.

La Grande Rade: The largest man-made harbor in the world built in the Age of Enlightenment period. This was unveiled in 1853, after 70 years of work on a scale that outperformed any other project of the time apart from the construction St Petersburg.

Basilica of Sainte-Trinité: One of Cherbourg’s oldest buildings is the 15th-century Holy Trinity Basilica, which has seen a lot of conflict in its time. After being destroyed in the 100 Years’ War, the church went under construction to become one of Frances’ first Neo-Gothic churches. Inside, there are very unusual reliefs above the arcades in the nave, which were carved in the 1400s and portray a Danse Macabre in memory of the plagues that had recently swept the region.

Le Véritable Cherbourg umbrella factory: The 1964 French musical film, , starring Catherine Deneuve, was filmed in Cherbourg. In 1986, the star of the movie turned entrepenear, Jean-Pierre Yvon founded this factory in the center of Cherbourg to produce umbrellas. She was in the spotlight of the popular movie Les Parapluies de Cherbourg, and embraced the trend. The factory gives some of its secrets during a live guided tour of the site, allowing visitors to find out in real time the making of a genuine Cherbourg umbrella.

Fort du Roule: Situated atop the Montagne du Roule, the highest point in the town, is a museum that retraces the different stages of WWII, which took place on June 25, 1944. The museum is in a fortress from the rule of Napoleon III, built at a time of raised tensions between Britain and France, and later fortified by the Germans who excavated tunnels in the hill.

Atop the Montagne du Roule, the highest point in the town, is a museum dealing with the liberation of Cherborug (Musee de la Liberation), which took place on 25 June 1944. The site, 117 metres above the Channel, adds a lot to the attraction: The museum is in a fortress from the rule of Napoleon III, built at a time of raised tensions between Britain and France, and later fortified by the Germans who excavated tunnels in the hill. You can take a guided tour through the tunnels to explore the network of chambers excavated to serve the heavy artillery installed here to defend the harbor.

Local Gardens: On the outskirts of Cherbourg, visit these fabulous gardens of the area. The Renaissance Chateau de Nacquevill, offers an English-style garden with distant views of the sea. At the grounds of the Chateau de Vauville you’ll find a beautiful botanical garden with 1,200 different species from the Southern Hemisphere.

Cap de la Hague: Situated at the tip of the Cotentin Peninsula, is an expanse of verdant, hedge-market fields on the heights of the granite cliffs. These are some of the oldest rocks in France, dating to the earliest period of the Earth’s history. You can also explore the countryside in La Hague from here, where you’ll find charming villages with low stone houses to shelter from the sea winds. This is where the 19th-century Jean Fracois Millet would do some of his best work.

The Airborne Museum: Located in Sainte-Mere-Eglise, this museum tells the story of the American paratroopers who landed in this part of Normandy on the night of June 5th, 1944. There are vehicles and weapons, and you can explore inside a C-47 aircraft to imagine what it might have been like that night. There is also a parachute zone, the Dead Man’s Corner Museum, which is housed in a German command post and is filled with weapons, equipment, machinery and other memorabilia.

Cuisine

Cherbourg has lots of great restaurants and is a fantastic area to try some of the tastes of Normandy, a region famous for its apples, cider, seafood (mackerel, plaice, rays, hake) and rich butters and cheeses. A visit into the heart of the Old Town will take you to the fresh fish market at Le Vieille Ville, or you can wander through the grand markets of the Place de Gaulle, for fresh produce, delicatessens and flower stalls.

Cherbourg also falls under Normandy’s Camembert and Pont-l’Évêque AOC cheese-making region, while apples, another regional trademark, are grown up and down the Cotentin Peninsula. It’s also a fantastic area for pastries, cakes, pies and desserts such as crêpes with caramelized apples.

Shopping

If you're looking for great shopping, there is the shopping center beside the river, Les Éléis, which has big international and national brands, as well as some local stores, all housed inside a beautiful glass and metal building that is designed to reflect the light.

Beaches

Cherbourg isn’t known for its beaches, and a lot of the neighboring coast is windswept and wild. However, there are a few bays on the outskirts of the area.

Querqueville on the westside of Cherbourg’s enormous harbor walls is the nearest family beach, with a long sandy bay with playgrounds, as well as a bar and restaurant.

A better option is a bit of a further drive away, Plage de Sciotot. It is a Blue Flag beach with rolling surf and golden sand to relax and enjoy.