Cherbourg-Octeville: Best Things to Do

Google Maps - Photo by Françoise BRAULT

Cherbourg-Octeville is known as port city in France, located in the end of northern peninsula of northwestern France.

It is also known as the last man-made port city in the world, Cherbourg-Octeville offers numerous beautiful landscapes and tourist attractions.

There's Cité de la Mer Museum, a museum that displays the golden age of Trans-Atlantic travel and also a home to Art Deco marine terimal.

Since Cherbourg-Octeville is one of the most fascinated harbor made by humans, you'll be amazed by its great landscape from the ocean.

After all, if you're a seafaring lover, this city is the right place to explore about the golden age of the sea life in the France.

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SIGHTSEEING

Cherborug-Octeville is an ideal destination to go when you're thinking about a great port city in France. The only man-made port city in the world, it is a place to look back at the golden age of transatlantic adventure where Titanic once stopped here. Besides the Cite de La Mer, you can also visit the Napoleon Statue, witnessing the great man who once conquered Europe.

Napoleon Statue

Beautifully kept memorial.

Huge grounds and a lovely park with old cannons dotted here and there.

Must visit for tourist.

Address : 129 Rue de Grenelle, 75007 Paris, France

DOWNTOWN

The downtown of Cherbourg-Octeville is dominated by numerous historical buildings and museums. You can get around the city to find many places to stop and seeing the great age back there. Visit Former Maritime Hospital De Cherbourg, a former of hospital building of marine in the old days. Here you can see how the marine used to do the medical and nurse the patients. There's plenty more to explore in the downtown.

Former Maritime Hospital De Cherbourg

Beautiful architectural ensemble in Cherbourg.

The former maritime hospital is now a university city and a business incubator.

The old spans are organized around a green space in which the old entrance gate of the hospital is located.

The buildings have a digital code and a security service ensuring night patrols.

Address : 61 Rue de l'Abbaye, 50100 Cherbourg-Octeville, France

SHOPPING

If you're looking for an antique item in Cherbourg, you can visit Art et Création. They provide many kinds of arts from local artists and handicrafts. You can get the best offer to some great items. There's also Le Comptoir Irlandais Cherbourg, an Irish goods store providing numerous goods from Irish. The items provided are varied and they have good reasonable prices.

Le Comptoir Irlandais Cherbourg

An exotic place to discover quality Irish products.

Lots of nice things,quality clothes.alcohol,tea,jams,cakes,and vaiselles.

Very welcome and especially super well guided in the choice of whiskey to offer.

Address : 18 Quai Caligny, 50100 Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, France

Art et Création

Store very nice in terms of decoration for the house.

Lovely the jewels on offer and there are always incredible new things.

The shop is well kept, the products are renewed and well cute value.

Address : 43 Rue au Blé, 50100 Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, France

FOOD & DRINK

Cherbourg-Octeville is known for its Normandy cuisines. Variety kinds of food can be found here such as estouffade, , chicken or omelette vallée d'Auge, duckling à la Rouennaise, and rabbit in cider. Plenty of restaurants and cafe you can visit to try these cuisines. All you need is keep exploring the city and get your best meals.

CULTURE

Norman French is the language used mainly in Cherbourg. This is a Roman language (a language that comes from Latin). This language is closely related to French and is often called "Norman French."

BEST TIME TO VISIT

The best time to visit Cherbourg in France is from june until october, when you will have a soft or pleasant temperature and limited rainfall.

HOTEL

There's plenty of hotels in Cherbourg, yet this Ambassadeur Hôtel is one of the best recommendations. Situated right in the center of Cherbourg, you'll be amazed by the view of the port and close to the Cite de la Mer Museum. You can also stay at Hôtel Le Louvre Cherbourg, located in the heart of Cherbourg with great atmosphere of the port. Access to public attractions and facilities is also easy. It allows you to enjoy the city in such a comfortable way.

Hôtel Le Louvre Cherbourg

A pleasant hotel with a charming atmosphere.

The amanties is excellent and the rooms are large and spacious.

The breakfast is superb with many selections of foods.

The staff is welcoming and kind.

Address : 28 Rue de la Paix, 50100 Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, France

Ambassadeur Hôtel

Excellent hotel in convenient location.

The rooms are large and comfy.

The breakfasts and dinner are outstanding.

The staff is excellent.

Address : Lower Normandy, 22 Quai Caligny, 50100 Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, France

RESTAURANT

Le Pily is one of notable place to eat in Cherbourg with its cuisines from cheese to macaroni. You can try to eat here with great and good atmosphere alongside with delicious French foods. There's also another good place in the downtown named Le Melting Pot. This restaurant specializes at fine dining menus. These two places can be your references when you visit Cherbourg.

Le Melting Pot

One of the best restaurants that you can find in Cherbourg.

The cuisine is full of flavour and prepared with fresh ingredients from the market.

The chef offers a range of dishes at a unique price.

The service is great,the servers are polite and chatty and the ambience is cosy.

Address : 17 Rue du Port, 50100 Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, France

Le Pily

A starred restaurant for a nice evening.

A welcoming welcome, a cozy and modern atmosphere.

Delicious and unique dishes, unmatched originality.

Attentive staff and very popular small attentions.

Address : 39 Rue Grande Rue, 50100 Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, France

CAFE

Café de l'étoile is one of those great cafes with outdoor seats and surrounded by historical buildings in France. You can get your breakfast or lunch ready here with good atmosphere. There's also another good place to have breakfast, it is Le Caffe Cherbourg. A coffee shop with great seating and design. The coffee they serve is varied and let you choose your own favorites.

Le Caffe Cherbourg

The best coffe shop for a snack break.

The inside is very spacious, with upstairs and downstairs​ seating.

Homemade pastries that are super good and coffee, salads, pizza are delicious.

Staff is really nice and they spoke English.

Address : 31 Rue Albert Mahieu, 50100 Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, France

Café de l'étoile

Amazing little french pastry shop.

Ideal for people watching and always busy with a good atmosphere.

It offers delicious coffee and cake,and the selection of tea is superb.

It also offers fresh delicious local fish and seafood.

The waiters are excellent.

Address : 2 Rue des Portes, 50100 Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, France

BAR AND NIGHTLIFE

Le Kraken, as its name implies, this place is great place to spend the night with glass of wine. Who doesn't like to drink wine in France? Well, if you do and want to spend the night, this place is the answer. You can also visit Kilbeggan S Irish Pub, an Irish pub with numerous good drinks and spirits. They also have some local bites and snacks to accompany you.

Kilbeggan S Irish Pub

A friendly Irish style pub.

Atmosphere and decor is top,great selection of beers and whiskey.

Expensive but good quality Guinness and decent top shelf whisky selection.

Impeccable service and friendly.

Address : 37 Rue Maréchal Foch, 50100 Cherbourg-Octeville, France

Le Kraken

Trendy bar with cinema-related decor and small rock concert scene.

A pop culture bar with video games, pinball, darts and foosball.

It offer delicious beer and wide varied of cocktails.

The bartender and waiters are excellent.

Address : 20 Rue des Fossés, 50100 Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, France

INTERESTING PLACE

Among Cherbourg's oldest buildings, Basilique Sainte-Trinité de Cherbourg (15th-century church), which experienced many conflicts during its time. The church's predecessors were destroyed in the 100 Years War, while this one needed a lot of reconstruction after being sacked during the Revolution. When it was restored in the early 19th century, this church became one of the first Neo-Gothic churches in France. Thomas Henry Museum in the 19th century was the patron of Thomas Henry's art who donated collections including Murillo, Jacob Jordaens, Rigaud, Poussin and Vouet. The young Jean-François Millet, then from Barbizon School, came to sketch these paintings. Years later, the museum obtained the second largest collection of Millet works after the Musée d'Orsay in Paris.

Thomas Henry Museum

Beautiful museum with a large number of works of art (paintings, sculptures, etc.).

The museum is very clean and well maintained.

The classical gallery presents a very fine selection of works by a good panel of artists.

Rich collection of boards for kirby jack exhibition and his work on comics.

Definitely worth a visit if art museums are your kind of thing.

Address : Centre culturel Le Quasar, Esplanade de la Laïcité, Cherbourg-Octeville, 50100 Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, France

Basilique Sainte-Trinité de Cherbourg

Magnificent and beautiful basilica.

Beautiful architecture and the light that illuminates a scene with statues at the end of the church is quite original.

This is beautiful from the outside as the inside.

The interior is very suggestive, the penumbra invites reflection and prayer gathering.

Address : Place Napoléon, 50100 Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, France

INSTAGRAMMABLE SPOT

Cité de la Mer is a fabulous museum of science and history inside the former Transatlantic maritime terminal at this port. The 240 meter Art Deco hall was completed in 1928 and in time was full of facilities including its own post office. Liberation Museum is located in a fortress of Napoleon III's reign, which was built at a time of increasing tension between Britain and France, and was later fortified by Germans who dug tunnels in the hills. The galleries inside tell of life in Cherbourg during the war, as well as the events of June 1944 when it became the first major French port to be liberated by the Allies.

Cité de la Mer

Pretty impressive museum it includes the Titanic exhibition and a French submarine.

Three fabulous exibitions in one,Titanic,Aquarium and the nuclear submarine Redoubtable.

Full of interest plenty to see the submarine.

Very playful and educational, science and history go hand in hand.

Address : Allée du Président Menut, 50100 Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, France

Liberation Museum

Oone of interesting museums in Cherbourg.

Complete history of Cherbourg during the Second World war.

Overall very good but would of liked some of the exhibitions in more than just French.

Enjoyable visit and the staff are very pleasant and helpful.

Address : Montée des Résistants, 50100 Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, France