Things to see and do Guernesey

The official tourist office of the island of Sark is just a five minute walk from the tractor (arriving from the port). Here you will find everything you need to know about Sark: brochures in French and useful information on how to get around, how to organize your guided tours, how to plan your boat trips, how to book your accommodation, how to find out about upcoming events and how to get personal advice.

After 18 months of extensive renovations, Hauteville House reopened in April 2019. To get your bearings, a French flag marks the large white house located on the heights of the city. The Paris City Council is responsible for the conservation of the site, attached to the mansion on the Place des Vosges in Paris.

After his departure from Paris following the coup d'état of Louis Napoleon Bonaparte (future Napoleon III), the writer chose to go to the islands to remain close to France. After a stay in Jersey, he was forced to leave the island. His presence was indeed considered undesirable after he had defended a journalist who had strongly criticized the visit of Queen Victoria to Napoleon III. When he arrived in Guernsey, he bought this house in 1856 and stayed there until 1870. It was here that Victor Hugo wrote Les Travailleurs de la mer, dedicated to the inhabitants of Guernsey, La Légende des siècles and L'Homme qui rit. He also completed Les Misérables here. The decoration of the house is the work of the writer. It is based on contrast and organized abundance. Fascinated by second-hand goods and driven by an overflowing imagination, he decorated Hauteville House with Delft earthenware, chinoiseries, antique chests, mirrors, tapestries, oriental embroideries..

The first floor - the vestibule. It is very dark and the atmosphere is heavy. The hallway is divided into two parts and has many carved oak panels. Some of the scenes depicted are taken from his novel Notre-Dame de Paris.

The billiard room. At the time of the departure of his sons, Charles and François-Victor, he used it as a storeroom. On the walls hang copies of family paintings, the originals of which are in Paris, as well as drawings by the poet.

The tapestry room. Walls and ceilings are decorated with tapestries from Gobelins and Aubusson. A huge sideboard is fixed on the fireplace in Delft earthenware with blue and white decoration. The adjoining smoking room is decorated in the same way. The decoration is conceived from elements found by the poet, who designed the projects and entrusted the realization to the cabinetmaker Mauger.

The dining room. A large fireplace covered with earthenware bears the initials of Victor Hugo and HH. Between the two windows is the ancestor's chair, intended for the spirits. It bears the Latin inscription Absentus Advent (the absent are present).

Second floor. The red salon faces the blue salon. Victor Hugo liked to believe that every object in this room had belonged to royal personages, although there is no proof of this. In a play of contrasts and a theatrical atmosphere, the two monumental fireplaces face each other. A winter garden overlooking the blue salon allowed Hugo to observe the French coast when the weather was clear.

Second floor. The oak gallery. The chandeliers and woodwork were designed by Hugo. In the center of the room stands the fire tree. Hugo stored his manuscripts and papers here. The room is called "Garibaldi's room". Victor Hugo had invited his Italian colleague to join him, but he never came.

Third floor. Victor Hugo had installed his apartments in the attic. The look-out, from which he dominated the city, served as his study. The decoration is much more sober and on a human scale.

The garden is finally very pleasant, with its fountain and its camellias in particular.

This is a beautiful park with spectacular views over Saint-Peter-Port and the nearby islands of Herm, Sark and Jethou. In season, the gardens are abundantly flowered with camellias and mimosas. A statue depicts Victor Hugo with his hair and coat blowing in the wind. On the base of the statue, the islanders have reproduced the dedication of his book Les Travailleurs de la mer: "To the rock of hospitality and freedom, to this corner of old Norman land where the noble little people of the sea live, to the severe and gentle island of Guernsey. "

This chapel, tiny as its name suggests, was built between 1914 and 1923. Its builder, Brother Déodat, wanted to build a replica of the Lourdes basilica. He was a member of the Brothers of St. John Baptist de la Salle congregation, a great founder of schools and of an order known in France as the Brothers of the Christian Schools. Déodat also created several schools in the large building above the chapel, thanks to donations from Catholic communities in Europe and even America, who supported the work. The chapel, however, took him 3 tries. The first chapel, deemed ugly, was demolished. The second couldn't even accommodate the bishop and his retinue who came to consecrate it. The third is just as small (5 m x 3 m, 2.75 m high) and just as unattractive, though well worth the detour and highly original, with its interior and exterior lining of shells, pebbles and locally-colored porcelain.

It has its own crypt and a grotto of the Notre-Dame de Lourdes type. It has never been consecrated, except perhaps to the British Crown, judging by the portraits of Queen Victoria, Edward VII and George V on the walls.

Today, a foundation has been set up to maintain the edifice, after having completely restored it. This highly photogenic tourist site makes a pleasant detour during your visit to the island. Remember to leave a small donation to help conserve the chapel.

Built during the Second World War to serve as a hospital for German soldiers wounded during the war in France and then during the Allied landings in Normandy, it is also a maze of tunnels dug by prisoners to protect the fuel tanks of German submarines from bombs. In three years, 2 km of galleries were dug by prisoners deported from Eastern Europe, who had to extract 60,000 tons of rock.

The Pleinmont Observation Tower is a five-story observation tower built by the German Army during World War II and used between 1942 and 1945. The tower was intended to defend the south and west coasts as part of the Atlantic Wall defense system and is still equipped with working rangefinders. You can also visit the barracks on the days the site is open.

The dolmen of Déhus is a dolmen with a gallery under a tumulus of 10 m length and 4 m width, dating from 2000 BC. It was discovered in 1930. The corridor leads to six small chambers and a larger "bottle-shaped" room, typical of many megalithic monuments in the region. A drawing is engraved in the stone, inside, and seems to represent a bearded man armed with a bow and arrows. Of more recent construction (1000 B.C.), it would seem to have been the magical guardian of the tumulus. A good excuse for a nice walk.

The fortifications of this castle are almost eight centuries old. When King John Lackland lost Normandy to France in 1204, Guernsey chose to remain loyal to the English king. The island was immediately threatened by the French and the islanders decided to build Castle Cornet to protect themselves. Construction began in 1206 and lasted nearly twenty years. During the Hundred Years' War, the French and the English fought bitterly over it and it passed from hand to hand several times, after fierce battles.

As military techniques progressed, the castle was constantly reinforced and modified. During the civil war that tore England apart, the governor of Guernsey, Peter Osborne, withdrew there and challenged the rest of the island who had sided with Cromwell. The castle had to endure a siege of nearly nine years, during which it received the invaluable support of Jersey, which remained loyal to its sovereign. More than 100,000 cannonballs were fired against the castle.

At the time of the restoration of royalty, it was the prison of Sir John Lambert, Cromwell's former general, who was feared to be taking over the succession. But Lambert had become peaceful again, and he spent his captivity lovingly landscaping the castle gardens, which can be visited today. In 1672, a dramatic accident occurred. During a violent storm, lightning fell on the ammunition depot, which exploded. The blast caused the keep to collapse, taking with it the dwelling where Lady Hatton, the governor's wife, was staying.

During the Napoleonic era, for fear of another French attack, Castle Cornet was modernized and armed with formidable cannons, which were never used. When hostilities between the English and French ended, the castle was used as an arsenal, prison and barracks. Its military function was abandoned until 1940, when the Germans invaded the island. The Germans concreted some parts of the castle in order to integrate it into their defense system, the Atlantic Wall.

The gardens are maintained with a very English care. The many rooms of the fortress present a wide variety of exhibits, 4 small museums are housed there: the Royal Guernsey Militia Museum, 201 Squadron RAF, the Royal Guernsey Light Infantry Museum (former armory of the castle presenting a collection of weapons from the Middle Ages to the present) and a painting gallery, The Story of Castle Cornet Museum.

This Market Place, or French Halles, or Commercial Arcane (depending on the period), dates back to 1780. As the population grew, they soon became too small. They had to be enlarged, and the architect John Wilson was commissioned to build a new market with three halls: a fish market (1877), a vegetable market (1879) and a meat market (1822). From these halls, you can reach High Street, a pedestrian street, which, along with Le Pollet, is one of the main shopping streets of the island.

Located in the tower of a fortress, this Martello tower dates back to 1804, now painted white, has long served as a landmark to sailors approaching the coast of Guernsey. Today, the tower houses a museum that evokes the shipwrecks and great maritime tragedies that took place in the island's waters. One can observe maps, various objects recovered from the wrecks, photographs, explanatory panels and even a video film. Interesting.

The former armory of Castel Cornet exhibits a fine collection of weapons covering a period from the Middle Ages to the present day, from blunderbusses to automatic rifles. It has thus become a museum of the armies which also allows a better understanding of the role of the Channel Islands and especially of Guernsey during the First World War. After joining the British forces, the island's soldiers participated in the effort under the Guernsey banner.

The tourist office is located in front of the port in a massive gray granite building built in 1911. We strongly advise you to visit it as the information given is numerous and the staff very helpful. Innumerable brochures of tourist and practical information of the islands of the Bailiff are at your disposal or proposed on request. Cyclists, hikers, culture lovers, do not hesitate to ask for practical information, it seems that there are answers to everything here! Warm welcome.

The company's coaches offer to take you to the island's main attractions - including The Little Chapel, Pleinmont and Rousse Tower - on a popular half-day tour (approx. 3.5 hours) that will allow you to get to know the whole island of Guernsey. Depending on the time of year, other options include full-day tours or cruises to the island of Herm. Please note that tours can be customized. Please inquire.

Also called Ivy Castle by the islanders, this 13th century castle was one of the first defenses of Guernsey. It stands a little behind Belle Grève Bay. Fallen into ruin in the 14th century, it was restored during the 18th century and used by the Germans as a bunker during the Occupation. They installed an anti-aircraft battery there. After the liberation of the islands, it was largely restored again in the 1970s. It is now classified as a historical monument by the States of Guernsey, the island's parliament.

The famous "201 Squadron" is the oldest squadron of the Royal Air Force, the air force of the British Army. Until its disbandment in 2011, it was nicknamed "the Guernsey Squadron" and it is indeed its history, as well as that of British aviation as a whole, that is largely presented here. A must-see during a visit to the famous Castle Cornet. This is sure to delight military history lovers.

26 Cornet Street is the headquarters of the National Trust of Guernsey (Foundation for the Conservation of Guernsey Sites and Monuments). This building, dating from the 18th century, is preserved in its original state. Its first floor houses a confectionery and a replica of a 1900's salon. Here, you can treat yourself to some local jams and homemade caramels, to slip into your suitcase before the return boat. Or simply stop for tea in the late afternoon. A golden opportunity to go back in time!

This fort was conceived at the end of the 18th century, in 1780 to replace Castle Cornet which had become very vulnerable to the technical progress of artillery at that time. Fort George ensured the defense of the harbor of Saint-Peter-Port and Guernsey from the beginning of the 19th century. Located on the heights of the main town of the island, it also had a choice location. And today it offers a superb view of the Guernsey coastline.

Saint Peter Port owes its name to its parish church, commonly called Town Church. It was built around 1042. It was often reworked and completed in 1475. This church with its thick walls served as a refuge for the population during pirate incursions. The walls bear plaques commemorating the courage of the country's sailors and soldiers. You will see funerary monuments where famous Guernseymen are buried, such as the famous privateer Nicholas Le Mesurier, who died in 1759.

On the first floor of the Dorey Center, the Guernsey Tapestry Gallery features ten panels of embroidered cloth that tell the story of over 1,000 years of local history. Each tapestry panel covers a century. It was a project that, at the time, involved the entire bailiwick community, with each resident sewing a small part of a panel. The Guernsey Tapestry Gallery also houses a small gift store with beautiful tapestry books.

The states meet on the last Wednesday and Thursday of the month, except in August. To attend a session, contact the tourist office. The Royal Court House was built in Chausey granite in 1799, then enlarged in 1822 and 1904. It is the seat of the Guernsey Parliament and the Court House. It also serves as the Bailiff's office and the RegistryOffice. The Registry Office (visit upon request) holds a valuable collection of documents.