St Peter Port

St Peter Port is the capital of Guernsey, as well as the main port of the island. In French, historically the official language of Guernsey, the name of the town and its surrounding parish is St Pierre Port.

A natural anchorage used by the Romans, the harbour of St Peter Port gave rise to a small town consisting mostly of steep narrow streets and steps on the overlooking slopes.

Features of the town are the Royal Court House, seat of the Bailiwick's government; Hauteville House, Victor Hugo's house of exile (now a museum run by the city of Paris); the Town Church; and Castle Cornet, the historic fortress that guarded the strategic entrance to the port (formerly a tidal island, now joined by a breakwater to the enlarged harbour.