Visit La Rochelle and its surroundings

18 June 2018

A trip in the Marais poitevin is the perfect opportunity to visit La Rochelle. The capital city of the Charente-Maritime can be enjoyed during a day filled with historical discoveries and coastal walks.

Visit La Rochelle, a historic city

Towers of La Rochelle

Facing the Atlantic Ocean and the island of Ré, a few kilometres South-West of the Marais poitevin, the city of La Rochelle has sit like a rock for almost 1000 years! The little fishing harbour, built in the Middle-Ages, has rapidly become a strategic place of the Kingdom of France. Indeed, the harbour has welcomed some of the greatest ships of the Royal Fleet of Louis XIV of France, the Sun King himself!

Not far from here, in Rochefort, you have the “Corderie Royale”, where the maritime arsenal of the Kingdom of France was implemented.

But the true symbols of the city’s richness are the Towers of La Rochelle of course! Those three towers – not two as lots of people believe – have held the doors of the old harbour of La Rochelle for almost 500 years. The Saint-Nicolas Tower is also used as a diving board for the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series.

GO FOR A VISIT OF THE VILLAGES OF THE MARAIS POITEVIN

Visit La Rochelle, a city turned towards the sea

For more than 1000 years, La Rochelle has been a city strongly turned towards the ocean. Your visit of La Rochelle will obviously have a maritime flavour. You will have the opportunity to visit the aquarium of La Rochelle in a 2-hour family tour to discover the wonders of the world’s oceans and seas.

The aquarium of La Rochelle

Then, go for a walk on the Minimes harbour, an emblematic marina in La Rochelle, bordered with an ideal beach for swimming and idleness with your family!

Finally, during your trip in the region of La Rochelle, you can enjoy a cruise to discover the islands of Pertuis between the nearby island of Ré, the Island of Aix, the Island of Oléron and the Island Madame. Not far from there, the famous Fort Boyard will be an opportunity to discover magnificent maritime landscapes, enriching the Charente-Maritime!

DISCOVER ALL THE VILLAGES AND CITIES NEARBY THE MARAIS POITEVIN

Images : Pixabay – creative commons