La Rochelle
A harbour guarded by three medieval towers, with arcaded streets built for merchants and rainy weather.
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Three towers guard the old harbour mouth: the Tour Saint-Nicolas and the Tour de la Chaine, between which a chain was drawn at night to close the port, and the Tour de la Lanterne, which served as a lighthouse and then a prison and carries graffiti cut by prisoners over centuries. La Rochelle was a Protestant stronghold and endured a fourteen-month royal siege in 1627 and 1628 that reduced the population drastically. The old town is threaded with arcaded streets, built so merchants could trade and shoppers walk out of the Atlantic rain. A large aquarium sits across the harbour.
What you actually see
- The three harbour towers - chain towers and the lighthouse-prison.
- The prisoners' graffiti - centuries of carving inside the Tour de la Lanterne.
- The arcaded streets - covered walkways through the merchant town.
- The aquarium - a large modern aquarium across the basin.
When to go
April to June and September to October; July and August are busy with island traffic. The Francofolies music festival fills the city in July. Rain is frequent year-round.
Honest expectations
Tower visits involve many narrow steps. The aquarium is popular and queues. Summer traffic to the Ile de Re backs up on the bridge road through the city.
Nearby
The Ile de Re lies west over the bridge; Rochefort is south.
What to pack for La Rochelle
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.
