Holiday Guides > What to visit > Cities and towns > Cities and Towns in France > La Rochelle (Charente-Maritime)
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La Rochelle is a seaport town located in the South West France on the Atlantic coast, between Nantes and Bordeaux. It is the capital of Charente Maritime, as well as being a major port and sailing centre.
La Rochelle (Charente-Maritime) mini guide
In the Vieux Port (old harbour) area you will find many good bars, restaurants and sophisticated shopping in wonderful arcaded streets. The underground car park at Place Verdun makes exploring the town on foot very easy. There is also an aquarium and several museums to visit.
The focus of the town is the old port (le Vieux Port) where you will see pleasure boats moored next to fishing boats. Boat trips are very popular, check the tourist office for boat trips to Fort Boyard or Ile de Ré.
La Rochelle's history is very much connected to the sea and at the Maritime Museum of La Rochelle you can see 'the Calypso', the boat which Jacques Cousteau and his crew used for their expeditions around the world. The boat sunk in Singapore after an accident but was raised, returned to France and given as a gift to the Museum.
La Rochelle's centre is largely pedestrianized and very safe from any traffic, and it makes it a very pleasant town to enjoy and see the 17th- and 18th-century architecture.
As you walk through the town, you are still able to see a some old fortifications including la 'Tour de la Chaine', built in the 14th century, 'Tour St-Nicolas', and 'the Tour de la Lanterne', built a century later, which is particularly interesting for the graffiti inscribed on the walls by captured English privateers who were held there.
La Rochelle expanded and developed very quickly, from the 16th Century, due to trade exchanges with foreign countries and colonies and this took place in 'le Vieux Port'. New monuments were built in the 18th century, 'l'hotel de la Bourse' et 'la Grosse Horloge' and this was the proof of the commercial strength of the town.
| Guide point | Details |
|---|---|
| Department: | South West France > Poitou Charentes > Charente-Maritime > |
| Location: | La Rochelle is situated on the Atlantic coast, in the Poitou Charentes region |
| Public Transport: | Train: The railway station is near the town centre. The TGV from Paris to La Rochelle takes about 3 hours. Air: La Rochelle airport has flights to the UK. Car: The nearest ferry ports are St Malo and Cherbourg. Car rental services are available at the station. Various bus lines available from the bus station 'place de Verdun'. FREE Bicycles are also available to you to get round the town. |
| Tourist information website: | www.larochelle-tourisme.com |
| Tourist information contact email: | accueil@larochelle-tourisme.com |
| Tourist information switch board number: | + 33 (0)5 46 41 14 68 |
| Tourist information address: | Le Gabut – 17025 LA ROCHELLE Cedex 01 |
| Quick links to accommodation: |
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