Cherbourg-en-Cotentin is a Normandy commune, whose largest center is the city of Cherbourg-Octeville. There is a large seaport here, and the biggest attraction is the Sea City being a combination of a museum and an aquarium.
The buildings of the village are mostly contemporary because the whole area suffered greatly during the fighting in 1944. In the southern part of Cherbourg-Octeville there is a historic fort du Roule with a fire battery. There is a Liberation Museum in the buildings dedicated to fighting in Normandy during World War II.
Cherbourg-Octeville is a port city and a large number of service facilities and restaurants are concentrated in this part. The former ferry terminal from the interwar period now houses the City of the Sea. There are several aquariums presenting the life of the seas and oceans, as well as a modern exhibition dedicated to the development of marine research and water transport. The Redoutable submarine moored to tourists moor at the museum dock.
