During our trip, we went to the Museum of Natural History and the Maritime Museum. I just didn't have enough time for the rest, as we attended college classes. My friends managed to go to others, so I have an idea about the rest.
Something, and La Rochelle is rich in museums. When I arrived in the city, I had no idea how many of them there are.
Museum of Natural History
Let's start with one of the most interesting - the Natural History Museum of La Rochelle. It is very large with many rooms. First, you pass through the halls, where stuffed animals from all over the world are exhibited.
Then the halls dedicated to the cultures of the peoples of Central Africa, Oceania and America begin.
I really liked the museum. Moreover, there is a very picturesque park nearby.
The ticket costs 6 EUR for adults. For children under 17 - free of charge.
Schedule
The museum is open from Tuesday to Sunday.
Opening hours
- from Tuesday to Friday - 09:00–18:00;
- Saturday, Sunday and holidays - 14:00–18:00;
- first Sunday of the month - 09:00-18:00 (from October 1 to June 30) and from Tuesday to Friday - 10:00-19:00;
- Saturday, Sunday and holidays - 14:00–19:00;
- first Saturday of the month - 14:00–21:00;
- first Sunday of the month - 10:00–19:00 (from July 1 to September 30).
Maritime Museum
Another museum that I really liked is the La Rochelle Maritime Museum. It is arranged on a ship and was used as a mobile meteorological station. It has a collection of more than 8 ships.
The most interesting thing is that there you can go into almost all compartments and cabins of the ship: from the captain's cabin to technical rooms.
Ticket price - 8 EUR. For children from 18 to 14 years old - 5 EUR. Free admission for students, the disabled and the unemployed.
Opening hours: Monday to Sunday - from 10:00 to 18:30.
Museum of Fine Arts
If you prefer painting, then welcome to the Museum of Fine Arts La Rochelle. There are works by local artists, as well as French and Italian artists.
Ticket price - 6 EUR, and 4 EUR - for children under 18 years old.
Opening hours
- from October 1 to June 30 (Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays) 09:30-12:30 and 13:45-17:00;
- from July 1 to September 30 (on the same days) - 10:00–13:00 and 13:45–18:00;
- on Saturday, Sunday and holidays - 14:00–18:00;
- Tuesday is a day off.
New World Museum
The city also has a New World Museum. As a seaport, La Rochelle was closely connected by trade, including the slave trade, with the colonies in North America, and then, after independence, with the United States. Therefore, a museum was opened in which you can see household items of the Indians, as well as paintings with views of La Rochelle of that era.
Entrance fee - 6 EUR, and for children under 18 - 4 EUR.
Opening hours
- from Monday to Friday - 09:30–12:30 and 13:30–17:00, except Tuesday - day off;
- Saturday and Sunday - 14:00–18:00.
Bunker
Another peculiar museum is the La Rochelle Bunker. This museum tells the history of the city during its occupation by the Germans. There are photographs, videos and other materials thanks to which you can recognize this sad page in the history of La Rochelle.
Ticket price: 7.50 EUR - for adults and 5.50 - for children from 5 to 12 years old.
Opening hours: Monday to Sunday - from 10:00 to 19:00.
Museum of Protestantism
La Rochelle was once a purely Protestant city. The city has a museum dedicated to Protestantism. There, in particular, you can see several works by John Calvin.
Ticket price - 4 EUR, from 18 to 23 years old - 2 EUR, and under 18 years old - free of charge.
Opening Hours: Visits are by appointment only.
Automaton Museum
In addition to them, you can go to the Automaton Museum, which has a collection of various automata from all over Europe, dating back to 1900.
Entrance fee - 12 EUR and 8 EUR - from 3 to 17 years.
Opening hours
- school holidays - 10:00–12:30 and 14:00–19:00;
- the rest of the time - 14:00–19:00. July and August - 09:30–19:00.
Also, on the same street, is Museum of the Reduced models or toys. Its rates and schedule are the same as those of the Automaton Museum.
La Rochelle or La Rochelle (as closer to the French pronunciation) - a small town located on the shores of the Bay of Biscay, known to us from the Three Musketeers and Fort Boyard, attracts thousands of tourists every year.
As we know from the novel by Alexandre Dumas, La Rochelle was a fortress city. Since then, there have been many attractions.
The most visited place in La Rochelle was the square in front of Gros Orloj(La Grosse Horloge) or the Big Clock. In addition to the sights themselves, you will find many bars, cafes and shops here.
old port- Another attraction of the city. From here you can go on an ocean walk, including Fort Boyard. And you can have a good lunch or dinner in small traditional seafood restaurants.
Other attractions include city hall(it is located in a 15th century castle), Church of Saint Sauveur, Palace of Henry IV.
But as the Larochelles themselves say, in the center there are only 6 streets that converge at one point - the Big Clock. These streets are worth walking around. Everything else is residential areas. So you too, walk around the old center and you will find all the sights of La Rochelle!
What to do in La Rochelle?
Visit the famous Fort Boyard. How to do this, we have described below.
La Rochelle is home to one of the largest aquariums in Europe. If you come with children, be sure to visit it.
A maritime museum has been opened on the basis of a warship in La Rochelle. If you want to see how sailors and captains live - welcome here.
All kinds of sea vessels are rented in La Rochelle: yachts, catamarans, kayaks and much more. You can rent and steer yourself (if you have a permit), or you can rent a boat with a captain who will take care of everything.
How to get from La Rochelle to Fort Boyard
Fort Boyard is to La Rochelle like the Eiffel Tower is to Paris. Everyone goes there! The fort itself is almost invisible from the city. It is located 20 km from La Rochelle. Therefore, to visit it, you need to take a 2-hour cruise from the Old Port. Such a pleasure costs about 19 euros per adult. They are not allowed into Fort Boyard itself. It seems that there are shooting around the clock for different countries of the world. So you are unlikely to see Passport or tigers. The ship will sail around the former prison and return to the port.
Everyone says that visiting Fort Boyard is not worth it, but how can you resist such a temptation!
Where to stay in La Rochelle?
The town is quite small. There are no dangerous areas in La Rochelle. Therefore, you can live almost anywhere in the city. Of course, the old town is the liveliest and most beautiful part of the city. It is also close to the main beach from here. Find your hotel in La Rochelle using this link.
How to get to La Rochelle?
La Rochelle is located 467 km from Paris. And the two most common ways: plane and train.
By train, the road Paris - La Rochelle will take about 3 hours. A regular ticket will cost an average of 50-60 euros one way. Train tickets can be viewed on the website->>
La Rochelle also has a convenient La Rochelle / Ile de Ré airport. Many budget airlines (low-cost) planes land here. It takes 55 minutes from Paris Orly Airport to La Rochelle. Tickets to La Rochelle by plane, see here->>
Weather in La Rochelle
The warmest months in La Rochelle are June, July, August and September. The average temperature in these months is close to +25 degrees. True, in June it can be still cold to swim. The rest of the year, there is a fairly mild maritime climate. But in winter, rains cannot be avoided, snow rarely falls and does not last long.
When is the best time to go to La Rochelle?
Of course, the most touristic time in La Rochelle is summer. Specifically July-August. You will have plenty of swimming and take a boat trip. And besides, at this time in La Rochelle there is a film festival and a sailing regatta, which you can also watch.
What to bring from La Rochelle?
La Rochelle is a port and maritime (even oceanic) city. Therefore, the topic here is appropriate. In addition to standard souvenirs, such as magnets, key chains, etc. you can bring purely sea souvenirs from here. For example, a French vest or a bell.
This region produces its own quality wine, and Bordeaux is very close here, so it’s not a sin to bring it for yourself or as a gift.
How to get around La Rochelle?
The city has a very developed transport system. And in addition to buses and bicycles familiar to France, you can also use river buses as public transport. Ticket price: 1.30 euros. But the city is quite small, you can safely travel around it on foot.
In the application you can download tourist maps of La Rochelle and the city center.
Have a nice trip to La Rochelle!
On this day we visited as many as 4 cities: Vannes, Nantes, La Rochelle and Rochefort. In the latter, however, we arrived late in the evening, so almost immediately went to the hotel. Basically. this is how it was originally planned, since there is nothing particularly interesting in Rochefort.
But Vannes (South Brittany) deserves special attention, it is painfully beautiful! Ancient streets, half-timbered houses, fortress walls… Everything you need! The city is small, about 50 thousand people live here, but this only makes it cozier and nicer. If you are in Brittany, don't miss it! This is one of the most beautiful cities in our entire trip. What can I say, see for yourself!
Ermine Castle (Château de l'Hermine). Well, isn't it a miracle?
The old city is surrounded by a fortress wall, which has been well preserved since the Middle Ages.
Despite the small size of tourists, there are a lot of tourists here.
The woman opened her mouth from such beauty.
How I love these old half-timbered houses!
And now I will personally introduce Monsieur Vanna and his wife to you ... There they are, on the facade of the house ... now let's come closer ...
The sculpture is made of granite and painted, experts attribute it to the 16th century. It is a pity that the hands were not preserved. Of course, in fact, this couple does not have the surname Vann at all, as they were called 300 years later by the romantic residents of the city.
We have a busy route planned for this day, so, unfortunately, we have to leave Vannes and drive on. And how I wanted to walk along it for at least a couple more hours! But the tight schedule does not allow, and we move to Nantes, which is about 110 km from Vannes. The city is also interesting, there is where to walk and what to see, although after Vann it looked a little pale. This is a fairly large city, the sixth largest in France, the former capital of Brittany, formally no longer part of it.
Probably the most interesting attraction of Nantes is the castle of the Breton dukes (Chateau des Ducs de Bretagne), built by the last two rulers of independent Brittany, Francis II and his daughter, Duchess Anne, who was born here in 1477.
As expected, in the heart of the city - a Gothic cathedral, which houses the tomb of the Dukes of Breton. Against its background, our rented car, on which we drove more than 2000 km in France, Fiat 500L. By the way, I unexpectedly liked it very much in handling and in dynamics (I had never driven a turbodiesel before)
On the way to the hotel we stop for a couple of hours in La Rochelle, which before that I had associated exclusively with the Dumas novel ...
In the distant past, there was a rather large fishing village here, but due to its favorable location, it will soon turn into a port city. The heyday falls on the 11th century, when it receives the title of the largest shopping center on the Atlantic coast.
At present, the city has managed to maintain its status as a port.
In the Old Port, three towers of the fortress wall, built in the 14th century, have been preserved, and are now recognized as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. A chain was previously thrown between the two towers in the photo, with the help of which it was possible to block the entrance to the port for unwanted guests.
The promenade in the Starm Port of La Rochelle is a walking area, there are many cafes and restaurants where you can have a delicious lunch.
Our hotel was booked in the neighboring city of La Rochelle, Rochefort (30 km), where we are going for the night. Tomorrow is going to be another busy day!
La Rochelle or La Rochelle (as closer to the French pronunciation) is a small town located on the shores of the Bay of Biscay, known to us from the Three Musketeers and Fort Boyard, attracts thousands of tourists every year.
What to see in La Rochelle?
As we know from the novel by Alexandre Dumas, La Rochelle was a fortress city. Since then, there have been many attractions.
Three main towers: San Nicolas And La Chen served earlier for the defense of the city and were the entrance gates to the old port of La Rochelle, and the tower La Lantern used as a lighthouse. By the way, this is the last surviving large medieval lighthouse in the Atlantic. In our opinion, it looks a little strange, and looks more like a Gothic church than a familiar marine structure.
The most visited place in La Rochelle was the square in front of Gros Orloj(La Grosse Horloge) or the Big Clock. In addition to the sights themselves, you will find many bars, cafes and shops here.
old port- Another attraction of the city. From here you can go on an ocean walk, including Fort Boyard. And you can have a good lunch or dinner in small traditional seafood restaurants.
Other attractions include city hall(it is located in a 15th century castle), Church of Saint Sauveur, Palace of Henry IV.
But as the Larochelles themselves say, in the center there are only 6 streets that converge at one point - the Big Clock. These streets are worth walking around. Everything else is residential areas. So you too, walk around the old center and you will find all the sights of La Rochelle!
What to do in La Rochelle?
Visit the famous Fort Boyard. How to do this, we have described below.
La Rochelle is home to one of the largest aquariums in Europe. If you come with children, be sure to visit it.
A maritime museum has been opened on the basis of a warship in La Rochelle. If you want to see how sailors and captains live, welcome here.
All kinds of sea vessels are rented in La Rochelle: yachts, catamarans, kayaks and much more. You can rent and steer yourself (if you have a permit), or you can rent a boat with a captain who will take care of everything.
How to get from La Rochelle to Fort Boyard
Fort Boyard is to La Rochelle what the Eiffel Tower is to Paris. Everyone goes there! The fort itself is almost invisible from the city. It is located 20 km from La Rochelle. Therefore, to visit it, you need to take a 2-hour cruise from the Old Port. Such a pleasure costs about 19 euros per adult. They are not allowed into Fort Boyard itself. It seems that there are shooting around the clock for different countries of the world. So you are unlikely to see Passport or tigers. The ship will sail around the former prison and return to the port.
Everyone says that visiting Fort Boyard is not worth it, but how can you resist such a temptation!
Where to stay in La Rochelle?
The town is quite small. There are no dangerous areas in La Rochelle. Therefore, you can live almost anywhere in the city. Of course, the old town is the liveliest and most beautiful part of the city. It is also close to the main beach from here. Choose your hotel in La Rochelle using this link .
How to get to La Rochelle?
La Rochelle is located 467 km from Paris. And the two most common ways: plane and train.
La Rochelle also has a convenient La Rochelle / Ile de Ré airport. Many budget airlines (low-cost) planes land here. It takes 55 minutes from Paris Orly Airport to La Rochelle. Flight tickets to La Rochelle
Weather in La Rochelle
The warmest months in La Rochelle are June, July, August and September. The average temperature in these months is close to +25 degrees. True, in June it can be still cold to swim. The rest of the year, there is a fairly mild maritime climate. But in winter, rains cannot be avoided, snow rarely falls and does not last long.
When is the best time to go to La Rochelle?
Of course, the most touristic time in La Rochelle is summer. Specifically July-August. You will have plenty of swimming and take a boat trip. And besides, at this time in La Rochelle there is a film festival and a sailing regatta, which you can also watch.
What to bring from La Rochelle?
La Rochelle is a port and maritime (even oceanic) city. Therefore, the topic here is appropriate. In addition to standard souvenirs, such as magnets, key chains, etc. you can bring purely sea souvenirs from here. For example, a French vest or a bell.
This region produces its own quality wine, and Bordeaux is very close here, so it’s not a sin to bring it for yourself or as a gift.
How to get around La Rochelle?
The city has a very developed transport system. And in addition to buses and bicycles familiar to France, you can also use river buses as public transport. Ticket price: 1.30 euros. But the city is quite small, you can safely travel around it on foot.
In the application you can download tourist maps of La Rochelle and the city center.
La Rochelle is a small ancient city located in the French region of Poitou-Charentes, in the west of the country, off the coast of the Bay of Biscay. From Paris, the settlement, which is home to about 80,000 people, is separated by 470 kilometers.
The foundation of La Rochelle dates back to the 10th century, and in the 11th-12th centuries it was already an important center of the Knights Templar, who built a large port here. Until the 15th century, the city had the largest sea gate in France on the Atlantic coast. During the Renaissance, the inhabitants of La Rochelle accepted the ideas of the reformers and from the end of the 16th century the settlement became a haven for the Huguenots, which contributed to its short period of prosperity. In 1628, after an open confrontation with the royal troops, the city lost its political privileges for a long time. It was not until the 17th and 18th centuries that the former level of prosperity was reached, with increased volumes of maritime trade with the Antilles and Canada. The revolution of 1789 again brought La Rochelle into decline, and another revival began with the creation of a deep-water port in the 19th century.
- Area: 28 km²;
- Timezone: UTC+1, summer UTC+2;
- Population: 75,200.
At present, the city has retained its port status and, in addition, is considered the core of the cultural life of France and one of the most popular resorts in Europe, in the vicinity of which there are magnificent sandy beaches. Due to the large influx of tourists in the summer season, it is worth booking a hotel in La Rochelle in advance. 
There is an international airport 3 kilometers from the city, from where there are regular flights to major European cities. From Paris, you can get to La Rochelle by train, spending about 3 hours.
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Climatic features
The climate in the region is classified as temperate maritime with a pronounced influence of the warm Gulf Stream. The best weather in La Rochelle is in the summer - the air warms up to + 25 ... + 28⁰C, there is little rainfall, and the sea breeze ensures that there is no intense heat. The rainy season begins in October and continues until January. Winters are mild and frosts are rare. 
What to see
The main attraction and symbol of modern La Rochelle is the famous fortress - Fort Bayard, famous thanks to the TV show of the same name. The history of this ancient citadel is very complicated: it took about 60 years to build it - the foundation work on the Bayar sand spit began in 1804, and the finished object was commissioned only in 1866. Since 1966, the fort has turned into a film set closed to the public. You can get to the fortress by catamaran, but tourists can only see the building from the outside. Near the fort is the island of Re, united with the mainland by a 3-kilometer bridge. Travelers can visit this area of land, as well as swim in the waters of the Bay of Biscay. 
Worthy of attention is the local port, distinguished by three towers located along the embankment. The highest is the closed watchtower of Saint-Nicolas. The neighboring fortress of La Shen is open to tourists and is equipped with an observation deck, climbing to which you can take a lot of beautiful photos. With the help of the fortress wall, La Sheng is connected to the Lantern Tower, which once acted as a prison. 
After getting to know the port, excursion routes lead to the main square of the city - Dam, with a lot of cafes, restaurants and shops. There are also the most beautiful medieval buildings of half-timbered architecture, mansions of wealthy shipowners and merchants with stone facades of the 16th-17th centuries, decorated with sculptural carvings. 
In addition to historical sights, the city has one of the largest oceanariums in Europe, which will delight both children and adults.
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La Rochelle from A to Z: map, hotels, attractions, restaurants, entertainment. Shopping, shops. Photos, videos and reviews about La Rochelle.
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History of the city of La Rochelle
La Rochelle was founded in the 10th century, and in the 11th and 12th centuries it became an important center in the network of the Knights Templar, who built a large port here. A reminder of this time is the street of the Templars (rue des Templiers). Until the 15th century, La Rochelle was the largest port of France on the Atlantic coast, and in the Renaissance, the city openly accepted the ideas of the Reformation and from the second half of the 16th century became the center of the Huguenots, which gave it a period of prosperity and peace - though short. The confrontation with the royal troops in 1628 deprived the city of any political privileges for a long time. Former glory and prosperity returned to him only in the 17-18 centuries, with the beginning of active maritime trade with Canada and the Antilles.
After the revolution of 1789, luck again turns away from the city, and the next stage of revival begins only with the creation of a deep-water port in the 19th century.
Beautiful La Rochelle
The beaches of La Rochelle
There are no organized beaches within the city. The nearest recreational area, Les Minimes, is located 3 km southwest of the Old Port on the Quai de Valennes. But 9 km from La Rochelle is the island of Re with beautiful sandy beaches.
Popular hotels in La Rochelle
Entertainment and attractions of La Rochelle
The center of La Rochelle is the Old Port, which is a harbor surrounded by the quarters of the Old City. In the 14th century, to protect the port, special towers were built on both sides: on the western side - La Chene, on the eastern side - Saint-Nicolas. In case of danger, chains were stretched between them, blocking the entrance to the port.
The fortress wall, stretching west from the La Chen tower, will lead to another tower - Lantern, also called the Tower of the Four Sergeants. In 1822, the sergeants of the garrison were executed here, plotting the overthrow of the newly restored monarchy. The inscriptions scratched on the walls were made by English pirates imprisoned in it in the 17th century.
All three towers and the Orbigny-Bernon Museum can be visited on a single ticket. In addition, while in La Rochelle, you can significantly save on transport costs and entrance tickets to museums if you purchase the La Rochelle city pass. Cards are available for 1, 2, 3 or 7 days and are sold at the Tourist Office of La Rochelle.
After passing through the tower gates, you will find yourself on Palais Street - the main shopping street of La Rochelle. Rue Mercier runs parallel to the east of it. Between these two streets, the buildings traditional for the port city have been preserved - medieval houses with hinged slate cornices and arcades to protect from rain, Renaissance mansions, stone buildings of the 18th century, drains in the form of gargoyles ... all this creates a special atmosphere of La Rochelle.
