Guernsey and its sister islands Alderney and Sark will expose their incredible history in a dedicated 'Heritage Month' from 12  April to 18 May 2014. The dedicated month will see exclusive events, initiatives and tours, all pivoting around the 9 May Liberation Day, which celebrates Guernsey's liberation from the occupying German forces in 1945. Events range from joining WWII archaeology digs, heritage tours on land and by boat, talks from history experts such as Dr Lucy Worsley and a family 'HistoryFest'. Visitors will also have the chance to win a competition to fire the noonday gun at Castle Cornet.

Heritage month has been launched to highlight one of Guernsey's key strengths; its 'outdoor museum'. The entire island is steeped in visible history whether it is burial chambers from Neolithic ages, forts along the coastline from Napoleonic times or bunkers and fortifications left by the German occupying forces during WWII. Guernsey prides itself on the accessibility of this history as it is all free from barriers and payment kiosks and available to climb on and walk around. For further details on Heritage Month visit: www.visitguernsey.com/heritagefestival 

Highlights of Heritage Month are:

HISTORY
Evening with Dr Lucy Worsley- On 18 May, TV presenter and historian, Dr Lucy Worsley (www.lucyworsley.com) will give an exclusive talk on Guernsey's history at St. James Concert Hall in Guernsey's capital, St. Peter Port.  

Join a WWII archaeology dig, Alderney- Throughout Heritage Month, visitors will be able to join a WWII archaeological dig at Bibette Head on Alderney; the site of some of the best preserved German defences in the Channel Islands. With its intact trenches, tunnels and armoured machine gun cupolas, the site offers a remarkable insight into the fortification of the island. Visitors will be able to clean out the heavily fortified concrete structures that formerly housed searchlights, anti-tank guns and machine guns. Entry is £5. For more details: info@alderneywildlife.org / 01481 823709

Ramsar Ramble and Lihou Island- On 30 April, there will be a guided walk of the L'Eree Headland Nature Reserve and Lihou Island. On L'Eree visitors will be able to see a pre-Christian burial chamber, German trenches and a defence tower. The walk will then lead onto the tiny Lihou Island which is only accessible at low tide when a cobbled causeway is revealed. Visitors will be able to see the ruins of a 12th century priory ruins as well as incredible bird and marine life. To book and for further details: www.gillgirardtourguide.co.uk

Invading Alderney boat trip- On 8 May, visitors can step aboard the MV Sula of Braye for a two hour tour of Alderney as it would have appeared to the approaching invader. Visitors will be able to see the island's layers of military history from Roman times to World War II as well as passing its 18 remaining Victorian coastal forts and batteries. The trip costs from £30 for adults and £20 for children. For bookings call the Alderney Information Centre on 01481 822935

Guided tour of restored German fortifications- Festung, a group who is dedicated to preserving Guernsey's German fortifications will hold guided tours at specific sites throughout the month. On 25 April, there will be a guided tour of the German bunkers on the west coast starting at the flak command bunker at Pembroke Bay and on 12 May there will be a tour of the artillery battery, Batterie Scharnhorst. Tours are from 2pm.

'Hugo the Exile' exhibition- The Guernsey Museum and Art Gallery in St. Peter Port will premiere a new exhibition from 5 April which explores the 15 year exile of Victor Hugo to Guernsey where he was inspired to write arguably the most famous of his fine works, Les Miserables. www.museums.gov.gg

FOR FAMILIES
HistoryFest- From 18- 20 April, Guernsey will hold its first 'HistoryFest' within the walls of Castle Cornet. Over the three days, the castle will be brought to life with actors in period costumes, live action role play and interactive family activities where children can hear about hundreds of years of history and learn medieval skills. Entry is £10 for adults, £2,50 for children and is free for under sevens.

Heritage by water- Bumblebee Boat Cruises will run a series of heritage cruises around Guernsey throughout the month. These will range from a family cruise in search of pirates, a trip seeing the stunning wild flowers that grow along the dramatic east and south coasts or a look at the areas of the island that inspired Renoir. Prices start at £20 for adults and £15 for children. www.bumblebee.gg / 01481 720 200

Liberation Day- Join the festivities on 9 May as islanders celebrate 69 years of liberation from the occupying German forces. The majority of celebrations take place in St. Peter Port where locals and visitors celebrate with military vehicle parades, street entertainment and family-friendly activities. Local bands perform at the annual LibRock concert in the evening, which culminates in the Liberation firework display over Castle Cornet.

Alternatively head to neighbouring island, Sark on 10 May when it celebrates its own Liberation Day. There will be a guided walk of some of the sites associated with the islands occupation, followed by the chance to meet Chelsea Pensioners and Ghurkas. To book contact the Sark Tourist Information Office on 01481 832345. Tickets cost £4 per adult and £1.50 per child.

NATURE
Alderney bat and hedgehog walk- On 1, 8 and 15 May the Alderney Wildlife Trust is putting on a special night-time bat and blonde hedgehog walk. Blonde hedgehogs are extremely rare but as there are no natural predators on Alderney the population is unusually high. No-one really knows how they got there, but some claim that the first species arrived in the 1960's in a Harrods shopping bag and were accidentally released! Tickets are £6 for adults and £3 for children, bookable at Alderney Wildlife Trust- 01481 822935.

WIN a competition to fire the noonday gun- Anyone booking a Discovery Museum Pass in advance of Heritage Month will be automatically entered into a draw to fire the noonday gun at Castle Cornet, a daily tradition dating back to 19th century. The cost effective pass is priced at £16 and gives free entry to museums and other benefits. To book in advance: museums@gov.gg / 01481 726518.

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For further general information on Guernsey, please visit www.visitguernsey.com

For any press enquiries please contact Jules Ugo or Amelia Astley Birtwistle at Lotus UK on firstname@lotus-uk.co.uk or call the office on 0207 953 7470