Best known as the seaport on the English Channel, the French city of Cherbourg-Octeville offers a number of ferry services to Poole, Portsmouth and Rosslare. The city is also connected with Paris by a net of railway. In 1944, following the invasion of Normandy, Cherbourg was the site of a major battle during which the town’s acclaimed glass factory, La Glacerie, was almost completely destroyed. An interesting attraction here is the Maritime Museum called Cite de la mer containing the Redoutable submarine and an impressive aquarium showcasing marine life forms varied according to the depth they inhabit.