Plan A – Explore Tatihou Island
What if this escapade in the Cotentin turned you into a Robinson? From Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue, elected favorite village of the French in 2019, reach Tatihou Island thanks to an amphibious vehicle which sails at high tide and rolls at low tide, in the middle of the oyster beds. The island has been welcoming the public since 1992, only thirty years ago. You will discover a surprising historical and natural heritage and of course the Vauban towers of Tatihou and La Hougue, listed as World Heritage by UNESCO. Near the small port, in the walled enclosure, is a lazaretto, a place of quarantine from 1721 to 1860. It now houses many buildings classified as historical monuments and hosts a museum, a maritime laboratory, a restaurant as well as accommodation. . On 28 hectares, a very rich fauna and flora rub shoulders. The island is an ornithological site where it is possible to observe more than 150 species of birds throughout the year. On the island, plants from the English Channel rub shoulders with those from much more distant lands. three gardens ” Here and there “ invite you to discover botany but also to daydream and travel. To prolong the pleasure of the island charms, we advise you to spend the night there by reserving a room at the Maisons de Tatihou. A luxury and an unforgettable experience when in the evening, the island is almost deserted…
The Houses of Tatihou
Phone. : 02 33 69 26 30.
[email protected]
Tatihou Island
www.manche.fr/tatihou
Plan B – See the fearsome and experience the Titanic
Cherbourg has always been nicknamed the “Gateway to the Americas”. No wonder that the Cité de la Mer, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, is housed in the former transatlantic ferry terminal, a little Art Deco gem from 1933. This unmissable place presents the largest submarine that can be visited in world. The Redoutable, a nuclear ballistic missile submarine, launched in March 1967 by General de Gaulle, then President of the Republic, constitutes an industrial feat and symbolizes French technological genius. Its rank of first places it in the category of incomparable and is the pride of Cherbourg. More than 4 million visitors have already walked through its corridors and its visit remains unforgettable!
Taking advantage of being at the Cité de la Mer, you will be seduced by “the living world” magnificently illustrated by the 17 aquariums, including the highest in Europe (10.70m) designed by Jacques Rougerie, and by the original scenography, imagined like a dive into the abyssal depths. The “Ocean of the Future” space is an invitation to marvel at the beauty of the ocean, to understand its threats and promises in order to better protect it. In turn, the public then discovers what is most beautiful thanks to the images of the film Oceans by Jacques Perrin, presented in several devices (giant blades, descent into the abyss). Finally, with Titanic Retour à Cherbourg, relive the terrible epic of the Titanic as if you were there. A journey through time, from the stopover of the legendary ocean liner in Cherbourg on April 10, 1912 until the tragic night of the shipwreck. Along the reconstruction of the Titanic’s hull, a few steps lower, the public has the feeling of accessing the lower deck to live an extraordinary experience. A visit which, in more ways than one, will mark the spirits!
For its 20th anniversary, in 2022, the Cité de la Mer offers cultural and festive events:
- March 29: 55th anniversary of the launch of Le Redoutable
- April 10 to 14: 110th anniversary of the Titanic’s stopover in Cherbourg and its sinking
- April 29: 20th anniversary of La Cité de la Mer.
City of the Sea
Transatlantic Maritime Station
50100 Cherbourg-en-Cotentin
Phone. : 02 33 20 26 69
www.citedelamer.com
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