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Guernsey

Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2025

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Castle Cornet in St Peter port harbour.

Michael Heffernan

Overview

The second-largest island in the Channel Islands, Guernsey has gone to great lengths to change its sleepy backwater image, and it's working. Flatter and less dramatic-looking than Jersey, Guernsey has some stunning beaches, particularly along the north coast, rugged cliffs in the south, and a lively, compact capital of St Peter Port. There's more to Guernsey than offshore banking and cream teas: there are Neolithic graves, Victorian forts and German fortifications to explore, adventure sports such as coasteering and rock climbing are on the rise, the north coast is excellent for watersports, and St Peter Port lures visitors in with its great dining scene.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Hauteville House

    Guernsey

    Victor Hugo was exiled from France in 1851 after Napoleon III's coup, living on Guernsey from 1856-70. His exuberant home Hauteville House, where he wrote…

  • Guernsey Museum & Art Gallery

    Guernsey

    This museum is an enjoyable stampede through the millennia-old history of Guernsey: home to Neolithic farmers, strategic Roman port, Norman stronghold,…

  • German Occupation Museum

    Guernsey

    Founded by a local who experienced Nazi occupation as a child, this fascinating museum walks you through Guernsey's wartime experience. Among ample…

  • Folk & Costume Museum

    Guernsey

    In the middle of the vast, landscaped Sausmarez Park, this excellent museum is an enjoyable romp through Guernsey life a hundred years ago. Walk through a…

  • Fort Grey & Shipwreck Museum

    Guernsey

    This 19th-century Martello tower is home to an entertaining museum, dedicated to all those ships that have unsuccessfully navigated Guernsey's treacherous…

  • Castle Cornet

    Guernsey

    Standing sentinel over Saint Peter Port for over 800 years, this wonderfully intact castle has been a major player in every historical event to affect the…

  • Sausmarez Manor

    Guernsey

    Home to one of Guernsey's most distinguished families for over 800 years, the manor is a fascinating glimpse into the lives of generations of adventurers,…

  • La Vallette Underground Military Museum

    Guernsey

    During WWII, these tunnels were created using Eastern European slave labour to be used as a refuelling station for German U-boats, though they were never…

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