La Rochelle is a seaside city that offers unique travel experiences and provides insight into the cultural history and natural beauty of the city. The city’s focal point is the charming Old Port, where visitors can delve into the city’s rich maritime history by exploring the iconic towers that guard the entrance to the port. The Saint-Nicolas, de la Chaine and de la Lanterne towers offer breathtaking views of the city and the Atlantic Ocean. Additionally, the Old Port is filled with charming cafes and restaurants.
For nature lovers, the nearby island of Ile de Ré, picturesquely situated off the coast, also offers a unique experience. With its sandy beaches, charming villages and stunning salt flats, it is the perfect place for a leisurely bike ride or a relaxing stroll along the shore. The city hosts numerous festivals throughout the year, including the renowned Francofolies music festival, showcasing both French and international artists.
Island of Ile de Ré
The Ile de Ré Island lies off the west coast of France near La Rochelle, on the north side of the Pertuis d’Antioche Strait. It is a true jewel of the French Atlantic coast, enchanting with its authentic charm and unspoiled nature. From beautiful sandy beaches, through streets with white houses, to salt marshes.
The Lantern Tower of La Rochelle
The Lighthouse Tower was built to control and disarm all ships entering the port, in addition to being the central watchtower for the Aunis coastline, and tourists and locals alike now visit it to wander around and learn about its history. Construction of the tower began in 1445.
The Tour Saint-Nicolas and the Tour de la Chaîne
The Chain Tower ( La Tour de la Chaîne) and Saint-Nicolas Tower ( Tour Saint-Nicolas) are the city’s most prominent towers. The Tour Saint-Nicolas was built between 1345 and 1376 as a gateway to the port. The Tour de la Chaine was built in 1384, and its main feature was a chain stretched across the port entrance to block ships. Both structures are listed as historic monuments. The spire of the Lantern Tower can be seen in the distance.
Musée Maritime de La Rochelle
A stone’s throw from the Old Port, in the trawler basin, you can visit France’s largest collection of ships classified as “Historic Monuments”, grouped around a large fleet of private classic yachts.
Wander along the pontoons and workshops in search of the preserved fleet of cultural heritage afloat, including Joshua, the ketch of Bernard Moitessier, Damien Gérard Janichon and Jérôme Poncet, the S.N.S.M. lifeboat. Verger, the canoe Major Duperré, the classic trawler Manuel-Joël and even a small pleasure boat with a unique collection of over 40 units. And inside the building, the region’s maritime heritage is presented through fascinating exhibitions.
La Rochelle Cathedral
La Rochelle Cathedral (French: Cathédrale Saint-Louis de la Rochelle) is a Catholic church located in the city of La Rochelle. The cathedral has been a national monument since 1906.
The Cathedral was built from 1742 on an initiative of the Cardinal of Fleury and the Bishop, Augustin Roch de Menou de Charnizay.
La Rochelle Aquarium
The La Rochelle Aquarium is home to 12,000 marine animals and 600 different species. The tour begins with a descent to the ocean floor in an old, clunky “submarine,” where you’re greeted by sullen North Atlantic fish and the sound of waves and classical music. Then you’re off to the oceans and seas of the world, meeting a variety of life. Upstairs is the magical Galerie des Lumières (Gallery of Lights).
Beyond that, you’ll find UFO-like rays and sharks, as well as jellyfish, and the jungle zone with tree-level walkways and ponds is full of piranhas, seahorses, turtles, and the odd newt, which is entirely fish, mudskippers. And many more.
Muséum d’Histoire naturelle de La Rochelle
The museum is housed in a beautiful 18th century listed building, set in the magnificent Jardin des Plantes. Located in the heart of La Rochelle, the museum has been a centre of research and education for centuries, constantly evolving and drawing on natural history and museology.
With a rich collection of fossils, minerals and ethnographic artefacts from around the world, the Natural History Museum offers an engaging experience for visitors of all ages.
Bunker La Rochelle (Museum)
The Le Banquer-La Rochelle Museum transports visitors to key moments in history and provides rare insights into the challenges and successes of the past. In 1941, the German occupiers built the La Rochelle bunker in secret.
Today, the bunker is a museum that traces its origins back to World War II in La Rochelle. The museum features photographs, films, military artifacts, and much more.
Vieux Marché de La Rochelle
This is the perfect place to buy good quality local produce, with market gardeners, butchers/deliers, fishmongers, oyster farmers, cheese makers, bakers and caterers providing this.
On Wednesday and Saturday mornings the market takes in the surrounding streets and features local market gardeners, food stalls and a few non-food vendors. On Friday afternoons the route continues along Rue Gargoulleau and ends at Place de Verdun.
