Cherbourg Self-Guided Activities
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Cite de la Mer
See Europe's largest aquarium, a unique complex dedicated to the deep sea and its conquest. View “Le Redoutable” - the biggest visitable submarine in the world, and wreckage from a U.S. Confederate warship. The tour takes about 3 hours and 30 minutes, and includes the history of underwater exploration.
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Fort du Roule
Perched on a hill, the classic French 19th-century Star Fort offers breathtaking views of Cherbourg, the sea and the surrounding area. Its museum offers a pictorial account of WWII, from the fall of France to its liberation.
The Emmanuel Liais Gardens
Saunter through a quiet garden that was created in the late 1800s by Emmanuel Liais, former mayor of Cherbourg and the son of a wealthy family of shipbuilders. The park boasts a rare jubea palm tree from Brazil, a Lambert cypress tree and greenhouses with more than 500 varieties of exotic plants.
Theatre de Cherbourg
Across from a towering outdoor fountain stands the Cherbourg Theater. Built in 1882, the ornate building of Italian design presents a wide variety of programs throughout the year, from visiting orchestras and dance troupes to theater companies.
Ludiver Observatory and Planetarium
Delve into the history of astronomy with Galileo Galilei as your "virtual guide." In the planetarium, gaze at millions of stars in their constellations and observe the sun through a special telescope. The observatory-planetarium is about 10 miles outside of Cherbourg.
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Mont Saint-Michel Cathedral
In the heart of a rocky tidal island off the shore of Cherbourg is this magnificent cathedral in Normandy. Once a supremely wealthy and influential abbey—later a wartime prison—it is now an internationally recognized landmark of rich heritage and is open for public viewing and enjoyment.
