Cherbourg (also called Cherbourg-Octeville) is a city of slightly more than 40,000 residents. Unlike many cities in France which show great stability in population over the past 45-50 years, the population of Cherbourg has been steadily declining. At its height, it had 48,513 inhabitants in 1975, but has been declining every 7-9 years thereafter. I cannot explain this as there are many fascinating things about this place. Regardless, it is the second-most populated city (after the city of Caen) in the region of Lower Normandy.
The city may be old in relation to American cities, but it is fairly new in relation to French or European cities, some of which are pre-historical. Regardless, it was founded as a port by the Vikings in the ninth century. Since then, it has been fairly quiet, although the British briefly occupied the place in the Seven Years War (and in 1758), the harbor was fortified against a possible British invasion during the Napoleonic Wars, and it was the sight of a pitched battle during World War II.
From Cherbourg Ferry Port you can hire a car to see many of the wonderful and unique sights of the city.
- Cherbourg being a harbor, there are docks. However, these are not ordinary docks. These are the docks where the Titanic made one of its last stops before sinking.
- There is an aquarium where visitors can view an ocean diving area and an old French army submarine.
- This being in France, there are also an inordinate amount of museums. One of them (quite naturally) is devoted to the history of World War II. Another houses a collection of over 300 paintings by the painter and patron of the arts, Thomas Henry, a native of the city. The third is a museum of natural history, ethnography and archeology.
- In addition, there is a botanical garden and for those who have to have a daily fix, a race course.
Again, it is a fascinating place, especially for those who relish the ideas behind travelling and renting a car. There are beaches and a sea-front, which draws most travellers to most other places throughout the world. There is the rich cultural history and USP (unique selling point) of the harbor. There is also a good infrastructure of a variety of transportation so a car hire may not be mandatory (although it can still be desirous). Most of all, although the French may be notoriously against other languages, it is sometimes spoken in tourist areas, such as Cherbourg in Lower Normandy.
