Cherbourg Key Attractions

Cherbourg offers a modest selection of attractions which are predominantly culturally based, with museums coming top of the list of key places to visit. Natural attractions are the second most significant, with a number of parks and gardens worthy of mention, while the City of the Sea attraction stands alone and is perhaps the one centre that offers appeal for all members of the family aside from the towns beaches.

The Thomas Henry Museum (Le Muse Thomas Henry)

The Thomas Henry Museum was established as far back as 1835 and is hailed as Normandys third most significant art museum. The facility houses a permanent exhibition comprising of about 300 works including both paintings and sculptures dating from the 15th to the 19th centuries, while ceramic works from the 16th to the 19th centuries are also on display. Works by domestic artists such as Clouet, Chardin and David are on view as well as other works by international masters including Fra Angelico and Murillo. The works of Normandy artist, Millet, are given special priority and include the paintings Guillaume Fouace and Le Vel.

The Natural History and Ethnography Museum

Founded in 1832 and originally sited in the old Town Hall, the Natural History and Ethnography Museum is the citys oldest museum facility and still ranks among its best. Now housed in the former residence of Emmanuel Liais, the museums collection began with the pieces amassed during the life of Franois-Henri Duchevreuil, an amateur archaeologist from Equeurdreville. Minerals, shells, fossils, figurines and various objects of interest originating from Asia, Greece, Egypt and Oceania are on display as well as archaeological artefacts discovered locally.

The Liberation Museum

The Liberation Museum is housed in what was previously a fort on the Montagne du Roule, where bitter fighting broke out in WWII during the liberation of the city. Visitors to the facility can view displays that form part of an exhibition that gives an insight into the towns significance in WWII. From the top of the fort, fantastic panoramic views over the city are available. The facility was renovated completely and extended in time for the 50th anniversary of the D-Day landings.

The Emmanuel Liais Gardens

Emmanuel Liais (1826 to 1900) was the son of a family of wealthy shipbuilders and also mayor of the city for a total of 10 years during his life. The gardens were built by Emmanuel in 1886 to indulge his passion for botany and its original collection was made up of specimens imported from Asia and South America. On Liais death, the gardens were left to the city of Cherbourg and became one of its most popular nature spots. Today, at this hectare-large facility, visitors can view greenhouses containing over 500 plant specimens including rarities such as a jubea from Brazil and a Lambert cypress.

La Cit de la Mer

Translated as The City of the Sea, La Cit de la Mer is a fascinating facility dedicated to giving visitors an insight into the many aspects of underwater exploration. Tours lasting 3 hours 30 minutes take in two main sections, the first of which is the submarine section, where a genuine submarine vessel can be boarded and information on its workings is provided. The second section is the ocean section, in which visitors can check out Europes largest aquarium with 500,000 litres of water and an extensive number of sea creatures gathered from all of the worlds oceans. A restaurant and shop can also be found on-site.