Travel Guide to La Rochelle, France

La Rochelle is a town in France located on the west coast of the Bay of Biscay in Poitou Charentes. The distance from La Rochelle to Paris estimates 470 kilometers. The number of population of this city estimates approximately 77 thousands of people.

There are no beaches in this town. The closest one to the city is located three kilometers west from the Old Port. It is called Les Minimes and is located on the embankment named Valen. Besides this there is lle de Re famous for its sand beaches. It is located 9 kilometers away from the town.

One of the main places of interest of La Rochelle is the Old Port in the center of the city. The port looks like a haven surrounded by the Old City. In the XIV century the port got two large towers built for protective purposes. These are La-Chaîne on west and Saint-Nicolas on east. When La Rochelle was in danger, between these towers were stretched chains that closed the entrance to the port.

On the west from La-Chaîne you will see a fort wall. The wall ends with a Lanterne tower that is also known as the tower of «four sergeants». In 1822 this tower became the place of capital punishment of the sergeants of the garrison. They were killed because of their attempt to overthrow the newly rebuilt monarchy. The walls of the tower also have carvings made by imprisoned pirates in XVII century. Tourists are also offered to visit Musée d'Orbigny-Bernon.

If you go out from gates between the towers, you will see улица Пале that is also the main trading street of La Rochelle. East to this street is located another famous street of the town – Mercier. Both streets go parallel, so between them there are many old buildings. Many houses here are referred to the medieval period. They have hinged cornices made of slate and arcades that protect homes from rain. A large part of mansions were built in the Renaissance period. There are also stone buildings from XVIII century and gutters in the form of gargoyles. All these pieces of architecture art create that special atmosphere La Rochelle is famous for.

Read more about La Rochelle:
Restaurants and cuisine in La Rochelle
'Must visit' places in La Rochelle
Nightlife and attractions in La Rochelle
Preparing for La Rochelle: Advices
La Rochelle photogallery