Old town
A walk between the harbour basins and the theatre
The walk through Cherbourg’s old town starts on Quai Alexandre III, covers 3.0 km and takes about an hour. Along the way you pass the Fontaine Mouchel on Place du Général de Gaulle, the Théâtre à l'italienne and a filming location from “Les Parapluies de Cherbourg” (The Umbrellas of Cherbourg).
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A walk through the historic centre
The “Centre-ville historique” walk covers 3.0 km, takes about an hour and is rated very easy. It starts at 12 Quai Alexandre III and links 17 stops. Highlights along the way include:
- Place de la Révolution: The square has carried this name since 1793; before that it was Place de la Trinité. The 16th-century house at number 20-22 is one of the oldest in town.
- Rue au Blé: This was once the grain market. Narrow passages known as “boëls” lead through to courtyards, and the houses have small stair turrets at the back.
- Cour Marie: Restoration-era buildings in blue slate, set between two covered passages. You reach the courtyard from Rue des Portes.
- Halles couvertes: Dominique Geufroy built these iron market halls in 1869 for 62 stallholders.
- Rue du Château: The castle and its ramparts were demolished in 1689.
For shopping, head to the pedestrianised Rue des Portes and Rue du Commerce. The tourist office (Office de Tourisme) at 56 Quai de Caligny arranges guided tours of the theatre and the basilica, and a map of every stop is on the tourist office website. If you’re arriving by cruise ship, Cherbourg cruise port explains how things work ashore.
Theatre, squares and basilica
Place du Général de Gaulle used to be called Place du Château. In 1893 the councillor Louis Auguste Mouchel left the town money for a fountain on the square, the Fontaine Mouchel. The main market is held here on Thursdays.
Right next door stands the Théâtre à l'italienne. It opened on 28 January 1882 on part of the site of the old market halls that Napoleon I had ordered in 1811. The ceiling painting is by Georges Clairin, and the horseshoe-shaped auditorium is known as the “théâtre d'or”. Today Le Trident, scène nationale, runs the programme. The theatre has been a listed building since 1984.
The Basilique Sainte-Trinité leans against the ramparts at the western end of the medieval town and has been listed since 2015. In the nave, 17 16th-century reliefs depict a Dance of Death. François-Armand Fréret created the high altar between 1807 and 1817, and the church also holds English alabasters. A few scenes of “Les Parapluies de Cherbourg” (The Umbrellas of Cherbourg) were filmed in the basilica too.
To the north lies Place Napoléon with the Hôtel de Ville. Armand Le Véel’s equestrian statue of Napoleon I has stood here since 1858. It was commissioned in 1852, when Napoleon III brought the railway to Cherbourg. It was listed in 2008 and restored in 2015.
Umbrellas from Cherbourg
Jacques Demy shot “Les Parapluies de Cherbourg” with Catherine Deneuve and Nino Castelnuovo, with music by Michel Legrand. In 1964 the film won the Palme d'Or at Cannes. The fire brigade supplied the rain, and 40 tonnes of salt on Quai Alexandre III stood in for snow. A walk around the filming locations covers 2.9 km.
The shop at 13 rue du Port started life as an ironmonger’s with a locksmith’s workshop. Four key scenes of the film were shot here.
Jean-Pierre Yvon founded the umbrella factory in 1986, and Charles Yvon runs it today. In 2014 it moved into the former Banque de France building at 22 Quai Alexandre III, which was in public use from 1906 until the 2000s. Its museum is there now. It’s open all year, Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to 18:00, and you can look round on your own or on a guided tour. Access is largely step-free.
Market days
The markets in the centre start at 08:30:
- Tuesday until 14:00 on Place du Général de Gaulle, fruit and veg, around ten stallholders
- Thursday until 13:30 on Place du Général de Gaulle, Rue Gambetta and Rue des Tribunaux, around 115 stallholders
- Saturday until 13:00 on Place du Général de Gaulle and Place centrale, around 50 stallholders
There are further markets on Wednesdays until 13:00 at Place Alfred Rossel and on Sundays until 13:30 on Avenue de Normandie. On the first Saturday of every month a flea market fills the streets around the Basilique Sainte-Trinité from 08:00 to 18:00.
From the market it’s only a few steps to the Musée Thomas Henry in the arts centre Le Quasar. For more museums, parks and places to visit in town, see the overview of sights. The Cité de la Mer, in the former transatlantic liner terminal, is down by the harbour; the Cité de la Mer page has the details.