The Port of La Rochelle, France
ABOUT
La Rochelle is a coastal city in southwestern France and capital of the Charente-Maritime department. It’s been a centre for fishing and trade since the 12th century – a maritime tradition that is reflected in it’s Vieux Port (old harbour) and huge, modern Les Minimes marina.
The old town has half-timbered medieval houses and Renaissance architecture, including passageways covered by 17th-century arches.
Referred to as the Gateway to the French Atlantic, it is famous for great seafood beautiful scenery and of course the legendary Knights Templar who had a base at this port.
Population is approximately 76,000
Currency is the Euro
THINGS TO DO
La Rochelle is a beautiful city in its own right but it affords access to local towns, wineries and more.
Take a walk around the port with its two 14th Century towers; stroll through the little streets and marvel at the patisserie on display; visit the maritime museum; take a boat trip around the coastline; Visit the market and have a drink in the 19th Century covered market. Lunch in the St-Nicolas district on the intimate Place de La Solette.
The architecture is really interesting and the history of the town dates back many centuries. The Knights Templar had a significant presence in La Rochelle. Founded in the 12th Century to protect pilgrims travelling to the Holy Land these Christian knights helped to establish the port as a major centre for trade and commerce and were responsible for the fortification of the city. Some of the ramparts are available to walk along.
OUR FAVOURITE THINGS TO DO
You may think that we would just like to wander around the beautiful port but actually we went a little further afield.
We took a ship tour, our first stop being a visit the Chateau de la Roche Courbon. Built in the 1400s this tour had the makings of a fascinating insight into the building – unfortunately only 3 rooms are open to the public and no photography is allowed. It does however have an interesting past and was in fact abandoned for 100 years before it was bought and restored.
The gardens made up for the disappointment – and were quite stunning. They originate from the 17th Century but after construction they sank due to the marshy ground. In the 1930s the gardens were renovated but again suffered from sinkage. Between 1976 and 2000 a total of 2,500 13m long poles were driven into the ground and covered with an Oak floor – the garden was constructed on top of the floor. Amazing.
Our tour then took us to the nearby town of Rochefort. The town has a long and interesting history with maritime and the sea taking pride of place. Unfortunately we were there on a day when little was open. So the visit to the rope factory was purely a photo stop outside of this most impressive building pictured below. At over 370 metres long, for centuries it was the longest manufacturing building in the world. Other museums cover Naval Medicine, the National Navy Museum, churches and municipal buildings. Our stay was brief which was a real shame.
Eventually our travels brought us back to La Rochelle in time to explore some of this beautiful port. A shuttle took us from the port to the centre of the old town and from there it was very straight forward to stroll throught the streets to the old port area.
It was bustling with local residents and visitors and a lovely sunny day for everyone to enjoy their surroundings. We had time to walk through the old Port area and take in the local scenery. We even stopped for a beer in a local cafe – well it would have been rude not to!
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