What to See & Do in Cherbourg
Sights Liberation Museum: housed in the fort on the Rontagne du Roule, and built between 1852 and 1857, this is perhaps the most impressive museum in the city. Overlooking the harbour, the fort was the scene of bitter fighting during the liberation of Cherbourg in June 1944, following the D-Day landings. The museum was completely renovated in 1994 for the 50th anniversary of the Normandy landings, and today boasts two floors of exhibits spread over 17 rooms. Cité de la Mer: this "City of the Sea" is Cherbourg’s Maritime Museum. Opened in 2002, it includes numerous maritime attractions, including the Redoutable, a former French naval submarine, and a giant aquarium that is home to a range of aquatic life. The Natural History and Ethnography Museum: founded in 1832, this is the city’s oldest museum. Today it houses a collection of François-Henri Duchevreuil, an amateur archaeologist, and includes collections of shells, fossils and statuettes from Egypt, Asia and Greece. Thomas Henry Museum: this art museum houses a diverse collection of works from the 15th to 19th centuries, and includes more than 300 paintings and sculptures by Millet, Guillaume Fouace and Armand le Véel. Food & drink Cherbourg’s city centre offers plenty of traditional Norman-style restaurants, while a selection of international establishments cater to the large number of visitors and holidaymakers who pass through en route to other French destinations. For traditional food at reasonable prices, wander into the town’s maze of winding streets where you’ll find the restaurants favoured by locals. Cherbourg’s local cuisine is typical of that found throughout Normandy, based heavily around ingredients that are abundant in this location. Proximity to the ocean sees local dishes incorporating plenty of seafood, while the dairy cows living on the lush green countryside close by provide the raw ingredients for the cream and cheese that is popular in many dishes. Apple orchards are another common rural feature and provide the basic ingredient of the ciders and apple brandy that the town is famous for. Cherbourg cuisine is not especially complicated and relies much on the richness of its ingredients for its flavours. Meat and seafood in cream sauces, cheeses and pastries are all popular aspects of the local food. Cherbourg has six market days a week. Transport There is a shuttle bus (Zephir) which operates 7 days a week, including Bank Holidays, from the Ferry Terminal to the town centre, the railway station, and the hypermarket. Back To Cherbourg
