European Heritage Days of Cherbourg-en-Cotentin
Discover the exceptional heritage of Cherbourg-en-Cotentin
2026
About Heritage Days of Cherbourg
Heritage Days of Cherbourg — edition 2026
The European Heritage Days return to Cherbourg-en-Cotentin on September 19 and 20, 2026, for a 43rd edition themed "Photography Heritage" and "Heritage in Peril: Revive, Resist, Reimagine." Two French Navy ships at the quay, the residence of the maritime prefect, the Italian-style theater, a theatrical tour of the Abbaye du Vœu, the tunnels of the Batterie du Roule, and the 20th anniversary of La Brèche are on the program.
2026 Edition — September 19 and 20
The Ministry of Culture has scheduled the 43rd edition of the European Heritage Days for Saturday, September 19, and Sunday, September 20, 2026, under two themes: "Photography Heritage" and "Heritage in Peril: Revive, Resist, Reimagine." Both are reflected in the Cherbourg program, with the exhibition of Liais family photographs at the Science Library, the Artothèque meeting on wet collodion, and the tunnels of the Batterie du Roule.
Maritime and military heritage
Two ships are open to the public at Quai de France both days, with their crews: the intervention, assistance, and rescue tug Abeille Liberté and the chartered support and assistance vessel Argonaute. The residence of the Maritime Prefect of the Channel and the North Sea, a former mid-18th-century private mansion, opens on Saturday with an augmented reality exhibition on the 400 years of the French Navy. The Service historique de la Défense is opening its archives and presenting an exhibition on the maritime prefecture.
Fourteen activities for school groups on Friday
On Friday, September 18, the "Look Up!" operation reserves fourteen activities for school classes: municipal archives, Musée Thomas Henry, Artothèque, Italian-style theater, Abbaye du Vœu, Jardin Montebello, Musée de la Libération, Musée connaissance du Cotentin, and the Service historique de la Défense. That same evening, the Italian-style theater can be visited at 8:30 PM, this time for the general public.
Where to find the program
As of mid-August 2026, the City of Cherbourg-en-Cotentin has not yet posted its summary brochure online. The events listed here come from the official database of the Ministry of Culture, the Cotentin Tourist Office, and the venues themselves. Other openings may be added between now and September.
Highlights Heritage Days of Cherbourg 2026
- Abbaye du Vœu — theatrical tour set in 1786 with the Duke of Harcourt and the Duke of Beuvron, Saturday and Sunday at 6:00 PM
- Quai de France — the tug Abeille Liberté and the vessel Argonaute open to the public with their crews, both days
- Residence of the Maritime Prefect — exceptional opening on Saturday, with an augmented reality exhibition on the 400 years of the French Navy
- Batterie du Roule — 500m of Second World War tunnels explored with a helmet and headlamp
- Science Library — photographs of the Liais family for the bicentenary of the birth of Emmanuel Liais
- La Brèche — the national circus center celebrates its 20th anniversary and opens its big top, studios, and CNAC workshops, Saturday from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Programme Heritage Days of Cherbourg 2026
Friday, September 18, 2026
"Look Up!" Day: fourteen activities reserved for school groups, by reservation with each venue. One evening tour is open to the general public.
- 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM — Service historique de la Défense, Abbaye barracks (57 rue de l'Abbaye): discovery of collections and workshop on naval construction plans · cycle 3
- 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM — Service historique de la Défense: workshop on the construction of the harbor, based on plans and technical files · cycle 3, middle school, high school
- 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM — Service historique de la Défense: workshop on the history of the maritime prefecture, based on the "Bicentenary of the Maritime Prefecture" exhibition · 3rd year and high school
- 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM — Service historique de la Défense: workshop on archival and library materials through the visit of Napoleon III in 1858 · high school
- 9:00 AM, 10:30 AM, 1:30 PM, 3:00 PM — Italian-style theater, place de Gaulle: discovery tour, history, architecture, and the newly restored facade · 1h15, 30 people max
- 9:00 AM, 10:30 AM, 1:30 PM, 3:00 PM — Abbaye Notre-Dame-du-Vœu: guided tour of the abbey, monastic life, and secrets of religious architecture · 1h15, cycles 2 and 3
- 9:00 AM, 10:30 AM, 1:30 PM, 3:00 PM — Abbaye Notre-Dame-du-Vœu: "Naval construction in the time of William the Conqueror," mediation by the Vanadis association around the Vanadis faering · 1h15, cycles 2 and 3
- 9:00 AM, 10:00 AM, 11:00 AM — Artothèque, place de Gaulle: guided tour of the exhibition "Cherbourg in the 2000s," photographs by Gabriele Basilico and John Davies · 45 min, 18 people max, cycles 3 and 4
- 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM, 10:40 AM - 12:00 PM, 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM — Municipal Archives, 9 rue Paul Talluau: mission of the archives and documents from the 15th to the 20th century, deciphering a 17th-century text · 1h30, CM2, 6th and 5th grade
- 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM — Musée Thomas Henry: "Behind the scenes of a Fine Arts museum," meeting with professionals and the journey of an artwork until it is hung · 1h30, CM1-CM2
- 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM — Jardin Montebello, 44 rue Montebello: botanical mission, identifying plants in the garden · 1h30, cycles 2 and 3
- 9:00 AM, 10:30 AM, 1:00 PM, 2:30 PM — Musée connaissance du Cotentin, 25 rue du Pontil in La Glacerie: the glassmaking past of the Cotentin and the Royal Mirror Manufactory (1667-1830) · 1h30, elementary and middle school, picnic possible on site
- 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM — Espace René Le Bas, 61 rue de l'Abbaye: treasure hunt in the park of the former maritime hospital, designed by the La Pointe collective with the Maison pour tous Léo Lagrange · 2h
- 1:30 PM and 3:00 PM — Musée de la Libération, Fort du Roule: "Discovering the harbor from the Roule mountain," landscape reading followed by building a harbor out of plastic bricks · 1h30, 30 people max, cycles 2 and 3
- 8:30 PM - 9:30 PM — Italian-style theater: guided tour for the general public, facade, vestibule, peristyle, auditorium, stage area, under-stage, dressing rooms, and foyer · Cotentin Tourist Office, free, by reservation
Saturday, September 19, 2026
- 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM and 1:30 PM - 5:30 PM — Quai de France: tour of the intervention, assistance, and rescue tug Abeille Liberté and discussions with the crew · groups of 20 people, no reservation
- 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM and 1:30 PM - 5:30 PM — Quai de France: tour of the chartered support and assistance vessel Argonaute and discussions with the crew · groups of about twenty people
- 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM — Hôtel Atlantique: guided tour of the 1922 Art Deco complex designed by René Levavasseur, including the 800-seat refectory pavilion · no reservation
- 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM — École Jean Goubert, Équeurdreville-Hainneville: history of the school and the city, the figure of the resistance fighter Jean Goubert, paintings by Émile Dorrée
- 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM — Cherbourg harbor by bike: guided tour of the forts, dikes, and ports · 2h, by reservation, meeting point provided upon registration
- 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM and 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM — Residence of the Maritime Prefect, 12 rue des Bastions: mid-18th-century private mansion by Jacques-Martin Maurice, panels on the missions of the maritime prefect, and an augmented reality exhibition on the 400 years of the French Navy · by reservation, ID required
- 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM and 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM — Port Chantereyne, pontoon J: tour of the racing-cruising sailboat Le Loup Rouge, built in Cherbourg at the CMN in 1963 · no reservation
- 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM — Abbaye du Vœu, cloister: "Naval shipyard in the time of William the Conqueror" demonstration, with Robert de Barbeflueth, master carpenter, his boat, and his tools · no reservation
- 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM — Fort de Querqueville, rue du Port: guided tours, followed by a concert by the Opus 50 symphony orchestra and jazz starting at 5:00 PM · price not communicated
- 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM — Musée connaissance du Cotentin, La Glacerie: guided tours by volunteers on the Royal Mirror Manufactory (1667-1830), which supplied the 357 mirrors for the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles · €3, free for under 18s
- 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM — Bibliothèque Jacques Prévert, esplanade de la Laïcité: Albert-Auguste Fauvel exhibition, a 19th-century Cherbourg explorer and scientist, based on his correspondence from China and the Seychelles · digital transcriptions and audio versions
- 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM — Evangelical Church, 195 rue de la Polle: guided tour and history of the building designed in 1966 by Maurice de Parcevaux · wheelchair accessible, parking on site, La Polle bus stop (line 5)
- 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM and 2:00 PM - 5:30 PM — Science Library, 21 rue Bonhomme: open house, exhibition of photographs and objects from the Liais family for the bicentenary of the birth of Emmanuel Liais, and tour of the collections of the Cherbourg Science Society
- 10:00 AM, 1:00 PM, 3:00 PM, 5:00 PM, 7:00 PM — Batterie du Roule, montée des Résistants: caving in the 500m of tunnels dug during the Second World War, helmet and headlamp provided, tour commented by a guide · 1h30, reservation by SMS to 06 31 45 25 80 or [email protected], €50 deposit per group, warm clothing recommended
- 10:00 AM, 1:00 PM, 3:00 PM — Hôpital Pasteur bunker, rue Jean Fleury: historical tour, from its construction during the Second World War to radiotherapy treatments · 1h, 20 people max, reservation by email only
- 2:00 PM - 5:30 PM — Protestant Temple, boulevard Robert Schuman: free visit and exhibition on Protestantism in Normandy in the 17th century
- 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM — Artothèque, place de Gaulle: meeting on photographic heritage, wet collodion explained by Cherbourg native Norbert Hardi · free entry subject to availability
- 2:00 PM, 3:30 PM, 5:00 PM — Little explorers, a look at the harbor: observation from the Roule mountain, history of the harbor, and construction with plastic bricks · 1h, young audience, by reservation
- 2:00 PM - 6:30 PM — Service historique de la Défense, Abbaye barracks: guided tours of the archives at 2:00 PM, 3:30 PM, and 5:00 PM, exhibition on the maritime prefecture · 12 people per tour, registration at 02 33 92 65 07 or on site, ID required, not wheelchair accessible
- 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM — Musée Thomas Henry: Facondes, interactive illustrated fable by Marion Bouyssonnade, visual art, poetry, and improvised harp · 1h, no reservation
- 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM — Espace René Le Bas: reading-meeting with Marcella, author and sophropoet, in partnership with La Péninsule
- 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM — Abbaye du Vœu: theatrical tour in 1786, the Duke of Harcourt and the Duke of Beuvron prepare for the arrival of Louis XVI · 1h, by reservation
- 6:00 PM - 9:15 PM — Espace René Le Bas: concert by the uNopia Ensemble with Les Fieffés Musiciens, Schumann's Fantasy, Guilhem Fabre on piano and actor Jérôme Pouly
- 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM — Salle Paul Éluard, Quasar: meeting with Pascal Beausse on public commissions from the National Center for Visual Arts, including those carried out with the city and Le Point du Jour in the early 2000s · free entry subject to availability
- 8:30 PM - 9:30 PM — Italian-style theater: guided tour · by reservation
La Brèche, rue de la Chasse Verte — open house from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM
The national circus center celebrates its 20th anniversary. Tours depart from the big top; free activities by reservation at 02 33 88 33 99 starting August 18 at 11:00 AM.
- 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM — Technical tour: workspaces and equipment of a venue dedicated to contemporary circus · 1h, 20 people max
- 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM — Acrobatics initiation workshop led by CNAC students · Pierre Aguiton room, 25 people max
- 11:30 AM and 5:00 PM — Artistic tour: the La Brèche project and support for artists in creation · 1h, 20 people max
- 2:00 PM and 4:00 PM — Historical tour: the construction of La Brèche and its installation in the Maupas district 20 years ago · 1h, 20 people max
- 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM — CNAC juggling initiation workshop · Maison des Artistes studio, 12 people max
- 3:00 PM — Treasure hunt for children in the big top · approx. 1h30
- 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM — CNAC advanced juggling workshop, starting from three balls · Maison des Artistes studio, 12 people max
- 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM — Digital photo exhibition on the 20 years of La Brèche, in the big top · continuous
- 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM — Documentation area in the Maison des Artistes: videos, podcasts, and books on contemporary circus · continuous
Sunday, September 20, 2026
- 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM and 1:30 PM - 5:30 PM — Quai de France: tour of the tug Abeille Liberté · groups of 20 people
- 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM and 1:30 PM - 5:30 PM — Quai de France: tour of the support and assistance vessel Argonaute
- 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM — Cherbourg harbor by bike · 2h, by reservation
- 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM and 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM — Port Chantereyne, pontoon J: tour of the sailboat Le Loup Rouge
- 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM — Espace René Le Bas: back-to-school swap and brunch, clothing drop-off from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM, swap from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM · inner courtyard open all day
- 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM — Abbaye du Vœu, cloister: "Naval shipyard in the time of William the Conqueror" demonstration
- 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM — Fort de Querqueville: guided tours, concert by the Opus 50 symphony orchestra and jazz starting at 5:00 PM
- 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM — Musée connaissance du Cotentin, La Glacerie: Royal Mirror Manufactory · €3, free for under 18s
- 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM and 2:00 PM - 5:30 PM — Science Library: exhibition of photographs from the Liais family and collections of the Science Society
- 10:00 AM, 1:00 PM, 3:00 PM, 5:00 PM — Batterie du Roule: caving in the Second World War tunnels · 1h30, by reservation
- 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM — Espace René Le Bas: guided tours of the former maritime hospital enclosure with Didier Lecœur
- 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM and 2:00 PM - 6:30 PM — Service historique de la Défense: guided tours of the archives at 11:00 AM, 2:00 PM, 3:30 PM, and 5:00 PM · 12 people per tour, registration at 02 33 92 65 07
- 2:00 PM, 3:30 PM, 5:00 PM — Little explorers, a look at the harbor · 1h, young audience, by reservation
- 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM — Musée Thomas Henry: Facondes, by Marion Bouyssonnade · 1h
- 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM — Salons of the Cherbourg-Octeville City Hall: the grand salon, the rotunda, and the Empress's salon, listed as Historical Monuments, as well as the fireplace from the Abbaye du Vœu in the council chamber · 1h, by reservation
- 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM — Sainte-Trinité Church: built in the 11th century at the initiative of William the Conqueror, rebuilt in the 15th century in flamboyant Gothic style, neo-Gothic porch-bell tower by architect Lesauvage · 1h, by reservation
- 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM — Abbaye du Vœu: theatrical tour in 1786 · 1h, by reservation
Prices Heritage Days of Cherbourg 2026
Practical information — Heritage Days of Cherbourg
Practical Information
Reservations
Each venue manages its own bookings, and many tours have limited capacity.
- Cotentin Tourist Office: 0 805 320 200 or [email protected] — Italian-style theatre, cycling around the harbour, Abbaye du Vœu, town hall salons, Sainte-Trinité church, activities for children
- Service historique de la Défense: 02 33 92 65 07 or on-site — 12 people per tour, valid ID required, site not accessible to people with reduced mobility
- Maritime Prefect's Residence: by reservation, valid ID required
- Hôpital Pasteur Bunker: [email protected], please include the full name and phone number of each participant — 20 people per tour
- Batterie du Roule: SMS to 06 31 45 25 80 or [email protected] — €50 deposit per group, warm clothing recommended
- La Brèche: 02 33 88 33 99 or on-site, Tuesday to Friday from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm and 2:00 pm to 5:30 pm
- Musée connaissance du Cotentin, La Glacerie: 06 70 93 02 56
Getting There
By car: Cherbourg-en-Cotentin is connected to Caen via the N13; parking is available in the city centre.
By train: Cherbourg SNCF station.
The open sites are spread across the city centre, the Abbaye du Vœu, Port Chantereyne, Quai de France, the Montagne du Roule, Équeurdreville-Hainneville, Querqueville, and La Glacerie.
Prices
Almost all events are free. There are three exceptions: the Batterie du Roule, the Manufacture royale des miroirs in La Glacerie, and the Fort de Querqueville.
European Heritage Days in Cherbourg-en-Cotentin
Since 1984, the European Heritage Days have allowed the public to discover or rediscover the architectural, historical, and cultural treasures of their city. In Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, this national event takes on a special dimension thanks to the richness and diversity of the city's maritime, military, and civil heritage.
Exceptional sites open to the public
The Heritage Days in Cherbourg are an opportunity to visit places usually closed or difficult to access. The Italian-style theatre, an architectural gem of the 19th century, opens its backstage to visitors. The naval base, the military heart of the city, offers exceptional tours of its facilities and buildings. The Hôtel Atlantique, a witness to Art Deco architecture, reveals its lounges. The Vœu Abbey, founded in the 12th century by Empress Matilda, hosts exhibitions and events in its refectory.
Activities for all audiences
The program for the Heritage Days in Cherbourg stands out for the variety of its offerings. Themed guided tours allow visitors to discover the different facets of the city: “Cherbourg of 1001 Facets,” walks in the bourgeois hamlet, discovery of the town hall lounges. Heritage escape games offer a playful approach to local history. Young children benefit from specific workshops, such as the “Little Curious” tours in Emmanuel Liais Park and at the Vœu Abbey.
Maritime heritage in the spotlight
As a major military port of the maritime prefecture of the English Channel and the North Sea, Cherbourg-en-Cotentin particularly highlights its maritime heritage during these days. The refectory of the Vœu Abbey hosts foundations and associations dedicated to the preservation and enhancement of maritime heritage. The sites and nautical means of the Navy are also open to the public, offering a unique dive into the city's naval history.
Where does it take place — Heritage Days of Cherbourg
Heritage Days of Cherbourg in brief
History of Heritage Days of Cherbourg
Edition 2025 Sep 2025Other festivals near Cherbourg-en-Cotentin
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