A sleepy bayside town and the capital of the island of Guernsey, St. Peter Port is a charming patchwork of steep, narrow streets with Old World charm. Its other name, St. Pierre Port, is an echo of its days as a Norman colony. But the history of this tiny island goes back even farther, with evidence of a trading post that dates to before Roman times. Guernsey is one of the largest islands of the archipelago of Channel Islands that fall under the British Crown. Yet it has been equally influenced by its proximity to Normandy and Brittany. Many residents still carry surnames of their French ancestors; locals still pine for their endangered Norman-based language of Guernésiais; and Victor Hugo was famously exiled here, taking advantage of his solitude to pen Les Misérables at Hauteville House. Today, the island’s artistry is in full bloom in its many private gardens, a natural and beautiful extension of the farming culture that has thrived here since Neolithic farmers planted the first seeds and built the first dolmen and menhir standing stones still visible today. Guernsey’s rural landscapes are dotted with bucolic villages, farms and greenhouses, making for one of the most scenic seaside drives in Europe. As you explore, be sure to pause and sample the famously rich and creamy milk from the island’s gold-colored Guernsey cow.
