CHERBOURG

At the tip of the Cotentin peninsula, the city of Cherbourg enjoys a prime location and what military architect Vauban called an "audacious" position.

Its dynamic port can accomodate a range of activities: fishing, commercial shipping, passenger ferries, etc. Cherbourg is also a port of call for cruise liners with for example the famed Queen Mary 2. Its marina hosts major nautical events such as the Course du Figaro or the Challenge Mondial Assistance races.

Yet Cherbourg is also a city of art and culture - be sure not to miss its Italian-style theatre, the Sainte-Trinité basilica, the city's museums and the renowned Cité de la Mer, home to Europe's tallest cylindrical aquarium.

The town has also been the set location for a number of films including Jacques Demy's 1964 Les Parapluies de Cherbourg.

Enjoy Cherbourg, city of the sea.

Back in the 4th century, Cherbourg was a fortified Roman military camp know as Corallium, but recent excavations have uncovered vestigial evidence that suggests habitation at earlier periods as far back as the megalithic.

Saint Eriptiole, first bishop of Coutances, is said to have evangelised the region during the 5th century.

The Cherbourg chateau is only mentioned in documentation after the 11th century but the fact William the Conqueror established an aid system for the poor at Hotel Dieu in 1053 is evidence that this town was already by then considered an important centre. Given its strong fortifications, Cherbourg became the grounds of many a battle during the Hundred Years' War.

Reclaimed by France in 1450, the city and its castle are consolidated and fortified by Vauban in the 17th century. The town was captured by the Germans in 1940 and was occupied until 1944.

The Sainte-Trinité basilica was built in the 11th century on the grounds of a former church, as ordered by Willian duke of Normandy. It was subsequently damaged and restored a number of times and the reconstruction process in the 15th century leaned towards flamboyant gothic architecture.

Today, this basilica remains the oldest standing edifice, towering at 26 metres, in a city that suffered significant damage during the Second World War.

The Théâtre d'Or, inaugurated in 1882, exemplifies a completely different facet of the city of Cherbourg. During a period of expansion in the 19th century, this picture-perfect Italian-style theatre was built to accomodate a growing cultural life and numerous respected artists have performed on its stage (Georges Clairin, Charles de Lalande, Jules Richomme...).