In Cherbourg, you’ll be thrilled by this fun, scientific complex dedicated to underwater life.
Unmissable, spectacular, exciting: located in the former Gare Maritime Transatlantique, this is Normandy’s tourist site dedicated to the adventure of man and sea. The visit takes place in several stages (allow at least half a day!). Start by boarding the Redoutable, the world’s largest visitable submarine. A must-see is "Ocean on Tap", which plunges you into the world of underwater sounds and the mysterious profession of the Golden Ears, submariners specialised in acoustics. In "The Ocean of the Future", explore the planet’s last wilderness. Next up are the aquariums, dazzling with colour and life, and then follow in the footsteps of deep-sea explorers and the devices that enabled their expeditions under the sea in an impressive grand nave! The Cité de la Mer also lets you relive the last hours of the Titanic (which called at Cherbourg): as well as immersing you in the atmosphere on board, the museography makes you witnesses to this tragedy, by presenting real objects from the wreck. La Cité de la Mer also boasts an incredible heritage: enter Europe’s last Art Deco railway station, and its majestic baggage room, dedicated to the days when Cherbourg was known as the "Gateway to the Americas". Finally, the auditorium features two projections: one on the 20 days between the 1944 D-Day landings and the capture of the port of Cherbourg, and the other on the history of Normandy.