The Museum of the Liberation is inaugurated in Cherbourg on 6 June 1954 by the President of the Republic René Coty. It is installed in the Fort of Roule, a site that is originally a fortification of the nineteenth century. The latter was built by the French on the heights overlooking the harbor of Cherbourg, in order to protect the port against possible British raids.
The museum traces the major role played by Cherbourg – the first liberated port – for the liberation of Europe during the year 1944, focusing on the daily life of civilians and soldiers. The itinerary inside the Fort, ends at the exit, by the discovery of a splendid panorama on the harbor of Cherbourg.
The new multimedia device (a digital tablet) christened Cherbourg 1944-1945, Port de la Liberté, allows visitors to discover the role of the port of Cherbourg in the landing logistics. The device also uses the beautiful panorama of the town and the harbor visible from the Fort of the Roule. Seven sites are retained to evoke the main moments of the liberation of the city and the rehabilitation of the port, totally destroyed by the German occupying troops before their surrender on 26 August 1944.
Useful information
Contact
Address: Fort du Roule, Montée des Résistants, F-50100 Cherbourg-en-Cotentin
Telephone: 02 33 20 14 12
E-mail: musees@ville-cherbourg.fr
Website: Musée de la Libération
Access
Parking: car park near the museum
On foot: 20 minutes from the SNCF train station
By city bus: Bus stop “Jardin Public”, line 4