I’ve visited Cherbourg more times than I care to remember.

Docking at the French port was always the start of childhood holidays and in later years, weekend trips to Normandy and Calvados country.

But not once have I ever bothered to stop in the city, which on first impressions looks old, industrial, and just, well, not invitingly French.

However, after scratching the surface of this splendid maritime city, I would urge anyone to stop, even if just for a few hours and explore the delightful shops, magnificent museum and wonderful hidden gardens and ports.

We boarded the Barfleur at Poole in the morning, docking in Cherbourg at 1.30pm after a very easy crossing thanks to our spacious well-equipped cabin on the comfortable ferry.

After meeting our guide, Guillaume Hamel, from Cherbourg Office de Tourisme, we headed off to see the sights and sounds of one of the most important ports not just in Europe but the world.

Our first stop was to La Citè de la Mer; an outstanding museum where you can easily spend a day exploring. The impressive exhibits include Le Redoutable; the largest submarine open to the public in the world and L’Aquarium Abyssal, the deepest aquarium in Europe, as well as a moving exhibition dedicated to the Titanic, which visited Cherbourg on April 10, 1912 on its first stopover as part of the fateful journey.

One of the startling aspects of this museum, which is housed in the spectacular art deco Transatlantic Maritime Terminal, was not only its size and the amount of different exhibits which would interest the whole family, but the eerieness of the former baggage hall where the Titanic exhibition begins.

The grand room transports you back to the last century with the help of interactive videos sharing the emotions of the emigrants and people embarking on liners in Cherbourg.

I could have spent hours just exploring the submarine, and then a second day at the aquarium and the Titanic exhibition and that’s before I even mention the Great Gallery of Men and Machine, dedicated to aquanauts who went thousands of feet into the seas. However, we were on a time limit, so we moved on for a pit-stop, refuelling French-style.

L’Armoire à Dèlices was a delight. Located at Port de Plaisance, just outside the city centre, this delightful delicatessen was full to brimming with yummy products from across this great gastronomic country.

Our coffee and tea were both beautifully served with some freshly baked madeleines – bite-sized buttery delicacies.

After the refreshments, we left the restaurant and headed into the city to explore.

Full of interesting shops, enticing boulangeries and cafes, it was clear this is a city seeing some major changes and shifts.

We made a brief stop at Jean-Francois Foucher – a boutique patissier and chocolatier whose masterpieces make even those without a sweet tooth salivate in amazement at some of his creations.

These cakes are works of art and if I hadn’t just partaken of several madeleines, I wouldn’t have been able to stop myself gorging.

A brief stroll through a delightful cobbled square, nestled among bars and restaurants and it was time for us to head back to the ferry terminal squeezing in a flying visit to one of the beaches a stone’s throw from the passenger ferry port, just outside the historic harbour walls.

Cherbourg is undergoing a major urban renovation with a large shopping mall – Les Eliés – being built just five minutes from the port with a Carrefour Hypermarket and 50 boutiques.

Don’t let the work put you off. Our visit was just the tip of the iceberg of what the city has to offer and after the must-see Cite de la Mer, I would urge visitors to pay a brief visit to the Tourism Office as the friendly service will point you in the right direction for whatever you are interested in.

If you fancy a day trip, the Barfleur’s new crossing times make this an ideal choice and you arrive home feeling like you’ve just had a continental mini-break without breaking the bank.

Getaway

For more information on ferry timings and deals go to brittany-ferries.co.uk/offers/hotel-breaks/Cherbourg-cruise-and-stay or brittany-ferries.co.uk/offers/ferry/day-trips-france.

Brittany Ferries are also offering “2 for1” at the Cité de la Mer until June 26.

And to find out more about la Cité de la Mer visit citedelamer.com with more information at cherbourgtourisme.com.