Tourist information on La Rochelle, France

La Rochelle is an important coastal city in western France, the capital of the Charente-Maritime department. One of the great trading ports of the Renaissance, modern La Rochelle is both a prosperous commercial centre and thriving fishing port, as well as a popular tourist destination. Situated on the Bay of Biscay, it is connected to the nearby Île de Ré by a 2.9 km bridge. The city's main attractions are its sandy beaches, but it also offers good shopping, excellent cuisine, pleasure boating and a variety of interesting museums. A frequent ferry service connects Ré to La Pallice, the city's busy industrial harbour.

La Rochelle was founded in the 10th century and became an important seaport in the 12th century. During the Renaissance, the city was a major centre of Protestantism and by the mid-16th century it was home to one of France's largest Huguenot communities, something that would bring it into conflict with predominantly Catholic France. Cardinal Richelieu laid siege to La Rochelle in 1627 and, by sealing the harbour with a dyke, managed to starve the city into surrendering. Much of the city's Huguenot population emigrated to the New World, founding New Rochelle near to what is now New York. After the wars, La Rochelle prospered, mainly through its trade with French colonies in the Caribbean and Canada, but experienced a significant decline in the 18th century, as France lost many of the territories she had so easily acquired.

The most picturesque area of La Rochelle is its Old Port (Vieux Port), where the twin towers (la Tour St-Nicolas and la Tour de la Chaîne) guard the harbour entrance. Nearby is a third tower (la Tour de la Lanterne), which was the town's original lighthouse (built in the 15th century) and prison - today it provides some of the best views of the city for those brave enough to climb its steps. With its narrow streets and pale stone buildings, most of which date back to the 16th and 17th centuries, the Old Port has a distinctly Mediterranean feel to it. Other attractions are the Porte de la Grosse Horloge, an imposing medieval gateway, and the grand Hôtel de Ville, with its striking Renaissance façade. From the harbour, it is possible to take a boat to Île d'Aix and Fort Boyard.

The city's two main museums are: la Musée du Nouveau Monde (Museum of the New World), which relates La Rochelle's trading history; and la Musée Lafaille, which has an 18th century natural history and ethnography collection. Near to the harbour there is a large aquarium which exhibits marine fauna from the area. Other attractions include: the Port des Minimes, one of Europe's largest and busiest pleasure boat ports; the Jardin des plantes de La Rochelle, a small botanical garden; and the Maritime Museum of La Rochelle, whose star exhibit is The Calypso, the famous ship of the oceanographer Jacques-Yves Cousteau. La Rochelle is noted for its excellent seafood cuisine, which can be enjoyed at many of the restaurants around the Old Port. The Île de Ré is also worth visiting for its stunning beaches.

La Rochelle is served by La Rochelle-Île de Ré International Airport. The train station Gare de La Rochelle provides good rail connection to other towns in France, including Bordeaux, Nantes, Poitiers and Paris. A high speed rail service (TGV) connects La Rochelle and Paris, the journey time being around three hours.