Tourist information -
Cherbourg
If the murky metropolis of Cherbourg is your port
of arrival, it's best to head straight out and on: despite some
busy pedestrian streets and lively bars, the town itself lacks anything
of substantial interest, and there are some much more appealing
places within a very few kilometres to either side. Napoléon
inaugurated the transformation of what had been a rather poor, but
perfectly situated, natural harbour into a major transatlantic port,
by means of massive artificial breakwaters. An equestrian statue
commemorates his boast that in Cherbourg he would "recreate
the wonders of Egypt", though there are as yet no pyramids
nearer than the Louvre.
If you are waiting for a boat, the best way of filling time is
to settle into a café or restaurant or do some last-minute
shopping. Don't, however, leave your food shopping for the town.
Unless you hit the Thursday market , held around rue des Halles,
your best bets for shopping are the Auchan hypermarket at the junction
of RN13 and N13, south of town, or the Carrefour, on the southeast
corner of the Bassin du Commerce.
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