The old port of La Rochelle, protected by medieval towers, is one of the most magnificent urban attractions in France.
Those towers are open to visitors and brim with 600 years of history. The city was never really in line with the rest of France: It was a stronghold of Huguenot during the War of Religion, which today strongly opposed and always turned its eyes to the ocean. The museums in the Old Quarter will tell you about the merchants and explorers who embarked on expeditions from the port and are replete with the artifacts they brought back. Fittingly, France’s premier aquarium is in La Rochelle. Discover the best things to do in La Rochelle.
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1. Old Harbour
The La Rochelle quayside is the first thing to see when you arrive, not only because it is beautiful but also to show the close relationship that the city has always with the ocean. You can wander along Quai Duperré, enjoy the iconic views of the Saint-Nicolas Tour and the Tour de la Chaîne, painted by countless artists including Corot, Signac, and Vernet.
Then sit down on the porch of one of the many harbor restaurants having a delicious seafood lunch as the small sailing boats come and go. It’s even prettier in the evening with the illuminated towers reflected in the waters.
2. Tour Saint-Nicolas
Defending the opening to the harbor for five centuries, Saint-Nicolas is the taller of the two towers. Named for the patron saint of sailors and fishermen, the structure is deceptively large, and at 42 meters it’s more of a whole fortress than just a tower.
It has a bewildering labyrinth of connecting spiral stairways, built so one could be used for reinforcements if the others were blocked off by attackers. You will also happen when there are many small nooks, walkways, and rooms, as well as enlightened historical curiosity as the original oak trees are used in the foundations.
3. Tour de la Lanterne
A few steps along the streets of Sur Sur Mars from Tour de la Chaîne is the newest of the three towers of La Rochelle. This one is from the 15th century and as much as serving a defensive purpose it was built to look good: A decorative octagonal spire crowns an older and more austere circular base.
The fourth level of the tower was a prison from the 17th to the 19th century and could accommodate more than 100 captives. Even now you can make out the graffiti that these Spanish, French English and Dutch inmates etched into the walls.
And at the top is an outdoor gallery 38 meters above the ground and with panoramas of the old town and harbor.
4. Old Quarter
The cobblestone streets behind the Old Port, eroded by centuries of pedestrians, deserve a leisurely stroll.
The 16th-century Renaissance hotel, Hôtel de Ville is still being restored after a fire but can be seen on tours starting at 15:00 and 16:00. The square in front has a statue of Jean Guiton, the Huguenot mayor of La Rochelle during the siege of the city by Louis XIII in the 1620s.
And if you visit the town hall, you'll see a marble table that he chipped with his dagger. The streets around the town hall, like the Rue du Palais and the Rue des Merciers, have beautiful 17th-century buildings with turrets in corners and long roads on lower floors.
5. La Rochelle Aquarium
One of the many interesting things about the La Rochelle Aquarium is how it takes you into the underwater world, starting with a submarine that simulates diving into a deep abyss. In the nine different zones, you’ll encounter some 600 marine species in large tanks and terrariums.
Centre of attention is the enormous shark tank, with 1.5 million liters and terraced seating giving everyone a chance to view these beasts. Also memorable is the 360° underwater tunnel in which you can see thousands of jellyfish from below.
The aquarium tries to lessen its impact on the natural world is by breeding 20 of the species on display, and also cultivating its own corral in 150 quarantine tanks.
6. Muséum d’Histoire Naturelle de La Rochelle
It’s no coincidence that La Rochelle should have a first-rate Natural History Museum, as for several hundred years navigators and explorers returned from expeditions with all kinds of strange items.
These contributed to the Lafaille Cabinet of Curiosities in the 18th century, which is presented almost unchanged at this museum and is the oldest surviving natural history “cabinet” in France.
In the rest of this graceful early-19th-century building, the museum has extensive ethnographic displays retrieved from Africa, a zoo-full of taxidermies and some wonderful fossils in the basement.
7. Porte de la Grosse-Horloge
Another monument that imbues the old port with historical splendor is a majestic gate on the west side of Quai Duperré. Passing under Gross-Horloge, you will enter the town through the open seaside main door in the medieval walls of La Rochelle.
These defenses were unnecessary by the 18th century as the city expanded. Rising from the middle of the gate is an octagonal belfry, which was added in 1746. The bell is the heaviest in the department, weighing 2.2 tons. Like all of the old port, the Grosse-Horloge is marvelous in lights after dark.
8. La Rochelle’s Beaches
The city isn’t traditionally known as a beach destination, but there are three just a few minutes in the car from the Old Port. Chef de Baie is the best, but also furthest from the center, at around 15 minutes away.
The breakwater here keeps the current and the wind moving, and there is a large patch of grass behind the beach. In the center is Plage de la Concurrence, which is vast at low tide but can almost disappear when it comes in.
While the largest and most popular of them are Plage des Minimes, soft golden sand, next to a small promenade and La Rochelle like the Grand Route, Ferris wheel.
9. Musée des Automates/Musée des Modèles Réduits
A ticket can take you to these two eccentric museums on Rue de la Désirée. First, there were classic automatic machines from all over Europe, many dating back to the 1800s and with their complex mechanisms exposed.
Some vending machines are an attraction at the fair, while others are display windows at the shops (now installed along with the street scene) and there is also a mobile advertising kit. great transition from the 1920s to the 50s. Besides, the model museum is the largest collection of toys in the area.
There are railroads and cars on display, but the most intriguing is the nautical section, with remanufactured pieces being remotely controlled in historic battles and ancient model boats.
10. Maison Henri II
Nestled in a lovely courtyard along Rue des Augustins, Maison Henri II is a Renaissance house built-in 1555. The name of the house has nothing to do with the king but refers to its style. It is also a great place, with a gallery on the ground floor and a beautiful loggia just above.
An interesting historical fact is that the original owner, Hugues Pontard, the public prosecutor of La Rochelle, died of the plague in 1565 and his son François became the mayor of the city. only 27. The interior has an exhibition of archeology and history of Aunis province, where La Rochelle once belonged.
The courtyard has a dinky French garden, with flowerbeds in square boxwood frames.
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