Sharon Sparlin: CHERBOURG, FRANCE

A recent Trans Atlantic crossing on the Emerald Princess included a port stop in the charming and historic town of Cherbourg, France.

Arrival was Saturday April 30, 2022 with the ship docking at 7:00am. I stepped off the ship at 8:00am to begin my exploration.

Cherbourg France port

Cherbourg is located at the northern tip of the Cotentin Peninsula in the Manche department of Normandy.

It is probably best known as a port town and arrival point for the cross-channel ferries from the United Kingdom. It hosts the largest artificial harbor in Europe and second largest harbor in the world.

Port of Cherburg France - arial view Photo: Public Domain

Cherbourg is closely linked to French naval history and transatlantic adventures. The Titanic made its final stop here April 10, 1912 on her fateful journey. The Cite de la Mer is a major tourist attraction and recounts the journey of the Titanic.

A continuously running shuttle bus was made available from the port to the tourist information center of Cherbourg. It is located at 14 Quai Alexandre III, 50100 Cherbourg-em-Cotentin and offered at a cost of 4 euros.

Cherbourg France port map

The distance registered on my GPS as 0.7 mile so I made the decision to walk to the Place du General de Gaulle.

Walking route from port to Place du General de Gaulle

Some sights along the walk.

Place du General de Gaulle is dominated by the theater building and a fountain and is the main plaza for this part of town.

Le Trident theater

With my arrival on a Saturday, a Farmers Market was in progress.

From this plaza I walked another 0.7 mile to the Shuman bus stop, the closest city bus stop to the Place du General de Gaulle.

Walking route from the plaza to bus stop

I simply waited for the first bus to come by. It was route #3.

Before boarding you will need to purchase a ticket. I bought a 24-hour unlimited bus pass for 4 euros. The local bus is operated by Cap Cotentin.

Once I had made the loop for bus #3 I got off again at Schuman stop and walked to one of the most prestigious cultural institutions in the city, the Museum Thomas-Henry (1776-1836).

Entrance to Thomas-Henry Museum

The Museum was founded in 1831 by a donation of more than 160 paintings by Thomas-Henry, commissioner of the Royal Museums and native of Cherbourg who became a leading art expert at the Louvre. Today it houses a collection of 300 paintings by French, Italian and Dutch artists from the Middle Ages to the present. In 2015 the museum was reopened after undergoing renovations. It is located in the same building as the Cherbourg library. Unfortunately the day of my visit the museum was closed so check for days and hours of operation.

I continued my exploration by walking back to Place du General de Gaulle. Located in this plaza is Le Trident . Also called the Golden Theater of Cherbourg, because of its many golden ornaments.

Right next door to the theater you will find Le Café’ Du Theatre. I decided to stop here to sample the local beer. I was pleasantly surprised to meet Hannaert Jean Michel, the owner. Born in Paris, he came to Cherbourg as a young boy at the age of 8.

Owner Hannaert Jean Michel behind me

I ordered a 50 ml beer and Hannaert accompanied my order with toasted bread and “Tzatziki”, a spread made with yogurt, garlic and cucumbers. It was delightful.

Local beer and Tzatziki

After this experience I walked to a local bakery and purchased a freshly baked baquette for 1 euro.

Marci with our baquette

I then found a local cheese vendor so accompanied my bread purchase with various cheeses.

Buying some of the local cheese

I located a vacant outside table and relaxed to enjoy my newly acquired purchase.

Next came a stop at the Parc Emmanuel LIAIS. The former garden of botanist Emmanuel Liais. It is now a public park.

One final stop in town was the Le Véritable Cherbourg Umbrella Factory. The factory offers guided tours of the site but check for dates and times as tours were not available the day of my visit. You can find out in real time what makes a genuine Cherbourg umbrella unique.

Mass production machinery

From the umbrella factory it is just a short walk back to the tourist office. It was then just a few minute wait before the shuttle bus arrived out front. A plus was being able to use my 24-hour bus ticket from my purchase earlier that day.

The day wasn’t finished however. At the port is the famous "Cité de la Mer" (City of the Sea), which is a vast tourist building started in 1928 and updated in recent years. Among the curiosities it includes the so-called “Ocean Pole”, with several very deep aquariums (more than 10 meters), and the “Submarine Pole”. It is located in the spacious former Art Deco transatlantic terminal building (Gare Maritime) where ocean liner passengers would embark and disembark. The museum opened in 2002. There are areas dedicated to underwater exploration, aquariums full of sea creatures, and an exhibition devoted to the Titanic. The topic of immigration from Cherbourg is also covered. The highlight for many is boarding the disused French nuclear submarine, Le Redoutable, which is the world’s largest submarine open to the public.