During our trip we went to both the Natural History Museum and the Maritime Museum. I simply didn’t have enough time for the rest since we were attending college classes. My friends made it to others, so I have an idea about the rest.
Well, La Rochelle is rich in museums. When I arrived in the city, I didn’t even realize how many of them there are here.
Natural History Museum
Let's start with one of the most interesting - the Natural History Museum of La Rochelle. It is very large, with many halls. First, you walk through the halls where stuffed animals from all over the world are exhibited.
Then begin the halls dedicated to the cultures of the peoples of Central Africa, Oceania and America.
I really liked the museum. Moreover, there is a very picturesque park nearby.
Ticket costs 6 EUR for adults. For children under 17 years old - free.
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 I really enjoyed was the La Rochelle Maritime Museum. It is located on a ship and was used as a mobile meteorological station. It contains a collection of more than 8 ships.
The most interesting thing is that there you can go into almost all the compartments and cabins of the ship: from the captain’s cabin to the technical rooms.
Ticket price - 8 EUR. For children from 18 to 14 years old - 5 EUR. Free admission for students, disabled people 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 of La Rochelle. It features works by local artists as well as French and Italian artists.
Ticket price is 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 (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
There is also a New World Museum in the city. As a seaport, La Rochelle was closely linked by trade, including the slave trade, with the colonies in North America and then, after independence, with the United States. That is why such a museum was opened, in which you can see items from the everyday life of the Indians, as well as paintings with views of La Rochelle of that era.
Entrance fee is 6 EUR, and for children under 18 years old - 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 unique museum is the La Rochelle Bunker. This museum tells the history of the city during its occupation by the Germans. It contains photographs, videos and other materials through 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. A museum dedicated to Protestantism remains in the city. There, in particular, you can see several works by John Calvin.
Ticket price is 4 EUR, from 18 to 23 years old - 2 EUR, and under 18 years old - free.
Opening hours: Visits are only possible by appointment.
Automata Museum
In addition to them, you can go to the Automata Museum, where a collection of various machines from all over Europe is collected, dating back to 1900.
Entrance fee is 12 EUR and 8 EUR from 3 to 17 years old.
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, there is Museum of the Reduced models or toys. Its rates and schedule are the same as those of the Automata Museum.
La Rochelle or La Rochelle (as is 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.
As we know from the novel by Alexandre Dumas, La Rochelle was a fortress city. There are many sights left here from those times.
The most visited place in La Rochelle was the square in front of Gros Horloge(La Grosse Horloge) or the Big Clock. In addition to the attraction itself, you will find many bars, cafes and shops here.
Old Port- another attraction of the city. From here you can go on an ocean cruise, including to 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 San Sauveur, Henry IV's palace.
But as the Larochellians themselves say, in the center there are only 6 streets that converge at one point - the Big Clock. These streets are worth walking along. And everything else is residential areas. So, take a stroll through the old center and you will find all the attractions of La Rochelle!
What to do in La Rochelle?
Visit famous Fort Boyard. We have described how to do this below.
La Rochelle is home to one of the largest aquariums in Europe. If you come with children, be sure to visit it too.
A maritime museum has been opened at the base of a warship in La Rochelle. If you want to see how sailors and captains live, you are welcome here.
All kinds of sea vessels are available for rent in La Rochelle: yachts, catamarans, kayaks and much more. You can rent and steer yourself (if you have permission), 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 is going there! The fort itself is practically invisible from the city. It is 20 km from La Rochelle. Therefore, to visit it you need to take a 2-hour cruise from the Old Port. This pleasure costs approximately 19 euros per adult. They are not allowed into Fort Boyard itself. It seems that filming for different countries of the world is going on there around the clock. 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 you shouldn’t visit Fort Boyard, but how can you resist such temptation!
Where to stay in La Rochelle?
The town is quite small. No dangerous areas were observed in La Rochelle. Therefore, you can live almost anywhere in the city. Of course, the old town is the busiest and most beautiful part of the city. From here it is also close to the central beach. 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.
By train, the journey from Paris to La Rochelle will take about 3 hours. A regular ticket will cost on average 50-60 euros one way. You can view train tickets on the website->>
La Rochelle also has a convenient airport, La Rochelle / Ile de Ré. Many low-cost airlines land here. From Paris Orly Airport to La Rochelle it takes 55 minutes. See plane tickets to La Rochelle 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. However, in June it can still be cold to swim. The rest of the year, there is a fairly mild maritime climate. But in winter, rain cannot be avoided; snow falls rarely and does not last long.
When is the best time to go to La Rochelle?
Of course, the most tourist time in La Rochelle is summer. More precisely July-August. You can swim to your heart's content and take a boat trip. And, in addition, at this time there is a film festival and a sailing regatta in La Rochelle, which you can also watch.
What to bring from La Rochelle?
La Rochelle is a port and sea city (even oceanic). Therefore, the topic here is appropriate. In addition to standard souvenirs, such as magnets, keychains, etc. you can bring purely sea souvenirs from here. For example, a French vest or bell.
This region produces its own high-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 the usual buses and bicycles in France, you can also use water buses as public transport. Ticket price: 1.30 euros. But the city is very small, you can safely travel around it on foot.
In the application you can download tourist maps of La Rochelle and the city center.
Enjoy your trip to La Rochelle!
On this day we visited as many as 4 cities: Vannes, Nantes, La Rochelle and Rochefort. The last time, however, we arrived late in the evening, so we almost immediately went to the hotel. Basically. this was originally planned, since there is nothing particularly interesting in Rochefort.
But Vannes (South Brittany) is worthy of special attention, it’s absolutely 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 more comfortable and nicer. If you're in Brittany, don't miss it! This is one of the most beautiful cities of our entire trip. What can I say, see for yourself!
Hermine Castle (Château de l’Hermine). Isn't it a miracle?
The old town is surrounded by a fortress wall, which has been well preserved since the Middle Ages
Despite its small size, there are quite 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 you to Monsieur Vannes and his wife... 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's just a pity that the hands weren't preserved. Of course, in fact, this couple does not bear the surname Vann at all; that’s what romantic residents of the city called them 300 years later.
We have a busy itinerary planned for this day, so unfortunately we are forced to leave Vannes and move on. And how I wanted to walk around it for at least a couple more hours! But our busy schedule doesn’t allow it, 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 Vannes it looked a little pale. This is a fairly large city, the sixth largest in France, the former capital of Brittany, but formally no longer part of it.
Probably the most interesting attraction in Nantes is the castle of the Dukes of Breton (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 it should be, in the heart of the city is a Gothic cathedral, which houses the tomb of the Dukes of Breton. Against this background is our rental car, in which we drove more than 2000 km across France, Fiat 500L. By the way, I unexpectedly really liked the handling and 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 associated exclusively with Dumas’ novel...
In the distant past there was a fairly large fishing village here, but due to its favorable location it will soon turn into a port city. Its heyday dates back to the 11th century, when it received the title of the largest trading center on the Atlantic coast.
Currently, the city has managed to maintain its port status.
In the Old Port, three towers of the fortress wall, built in the 14th century, are preserved, and are now recognized as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. There used to be a chain between the two towers in the photo, which could be used to block the entrance to the port for unwanted guests.
The embankment in the Starm Port of La Rochelle is a walking area, there are many cafes and restaurants where you can have a delicious lunch.
We had booked a hotel in the town of Rochefort, neighboring La Rochelle (30 km), where we are going for the night. An equally busy day awaits us tomorrow!
La Rochelle or La Rochelle (as is 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. There are many sights left here from those times.
Three main towers: San Nicolas And La Shen previously served for the defense of the city and were the entrance gate to the old port of La Rochelle, and the tower La Lanterne was used as a lighthouse. By the way, this is the last surviving large medieval lighthouse on 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 Horloge(La Grosse Horloge) or the Big Clock. In addition to the attraction itself, you will find many bars, cafes and shops here.
Old Port– another attraction of the city. From here you can go on an ocean cruise, including to 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 San Sauveur, Henry IV's palace.
But as the Larochellians themselves say, in the center there are only 6 streets that converge at one point - the Big Clock. These streets are worth walking along. And everything else is residential areas. So, take a stroll through the old center and you will find all the attractions of La Rochelle!
What to do in La Rochelle?
Visit famous Fort Boyard. We have described how to do this below.
La Rochelle is home to one of the largest aquariums in Europe. If you come with children, be sure to visit it too.
A maritime museum has been opened at the base of a warship in La Rochelle. If you want to see how sailors and captains live, you are welcome here.
All kinds of sea vessels are available for rent in La Rochelle: yachts, catamarans, kayaks and much more. You can rent and steer yourself (if you have permission), 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 is going there! The fort itself is practically invisible from the city. It is 20 km from La Rochelle. Therefore, to visit it you need to take a 2-hour cruise from the Old Port. This pleasure costs approximately 19 euros per adult. They are not allowed into Fort Boyard itself. It seems that filming for different countries of the world is going on there around the clock. 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 you shouldn’t visit Fort Boyard, but how can you resist such temptation!
Where to stay in La Rochelle?
The town is quite small. No dangerous areas were observed in La Rochelle. Therefore, you can live almost anywhere in the city. Of course, the old town is the busiest and most beautiful part of the city. From here it is also close to the central beach. Choose a 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 airport, La Rochelle / Ile de Ré. Many low-cost airlines land here. From Paris Orly Airport to La Rochelle it takes 55 minutes. Airplane 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. However, in June it can still be cold to swim. The rest of the year, there is a fairly mild maritime climate. But in winter, rain cannot be avoided; snow falls rarely and does not last long.
When is the best time to go to La Rochelle?
Of course, the most tourist time in La Rochelle is summer. More precisely July-August. You can swim to your heart's content and take a boat trip. And, in addition, at this time there is a film festival and a sailing regatta in La Rochelle, which you can also watch.
What to bring from La Rochelle?
La Rochelle is a port and sea city (even oceanic). Therefore, the topic here is appropriate. In addition to standard souvenirs, such as magnets, keychains, etc. you can bring purely sea souvenirs from here. For example, a French vest or bell.
This region produces its own high-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 the usual buses and bicycles in France, you can also use water buses as public transport. Ticket price: 1.30 euros. But the city is very 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. The settlement, home to about 80,000 people, is separated from Paris by 470 kilometers.
The founding 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 refuge for the Huguenots, which contributed to a short period of its heyday. In 1628, after an open confrontation with the royal troops, the city lost its political privileges for a long time. It was possible to achieve the previous level of prosperity only in the 17th-18th centuries, 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;
- Time zone: UTC+1, summer UTC+2;
- Population: 75,200.
Currently, 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.
A selection of profitable air tickets through Aviadiscounter (searches like Aviasales + a selection of airline promotions and sales).
And to select intercity transport (planes, trains, buses) in Europe, try, the service offers the best ways to travel along popular routes.
Or make your own route.
Climatic features
The climate in the region is classified as temperate maritime with a pronounced influence of the warm Gulf Stream Current. The best weather in La Rochelle is in the summer - the air warms up to +25...+28⁰C, there is little precipitation, and the sea breeze ensures that there is no extreme 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: its construction took about 60 years - work on laying the foundation on the Bayar sand spit began in 1804, and the finished object was commissioned only in 1866. Since 1966, the fort has become a film set closed to the public. You can get to the fortress by catamaran, but tourists can only view the building from the outside. Near the fort is the island of Re, connected to 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. 
The local port is worthy of attention, distinguished by three towers located along the embankment. The tallest is the closed watchtower of Saint-Nicolas. The neighboring fortress of La Chene is open to tourists and equipped with an observation deck, which you can climb to take a lot of beautiful photos. With the help of the fortress wall, La Chene is connected to the Lantern Tower, which once served as a prison. 
After exploring the port, excursion routes lead to the main square of the city - Dam, with a lot of cafes, restaurants and shops. Here you can also find 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 attractions, the city is home to one of the largest aquariums in Europe, a visit to which both children and adults will be delighted.
Services for tourists that will allow you to save or get more for the same money:
- Insurance: the journey begins with choosing a profitable insurance company, allowing you to choose the best option for your requirements;
- Flight: Aviasales looks for the best tickets, you can also find airline promotions and sales in Aviadiscounter;
- Trains: reliable service for searching train tickets ZHDBILET.COM;
- Accommodation: first we choose a hotel through (they have the largest database), and then see which site is cheaper to book it through RoomGuru;
- Movements: you can order an inexpensive transfer to the airport and back, you can also rent a car at
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 Templar Street (rue des Templiers). Until the 15th century, La Rochelle was the largest port of France on the Atlantic coast, and during 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 - albeit short-lived. The confrontation with the royal troops in 1628 deprived the city of all political privileges for a long time. Its former glory and prosperity returned to it only in the 17th and 18th centuries, with the beginning of active maritime trade with Canada and the Antilles.
After the revolution of 1789, luck again turned away from the city, and the next stage of revival began only with the creation of a deep-water port in the 19th century.
Beautiful La Rochelle
Beaches of La Rochelle
There are no organized beaches within the city. The nearest recreation area is Les Minimes, 3 km southwest of the Old Port on the Quai de Valens. 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 Old Town quarters. 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 Chene Tower, will lead to another tower - Lantern, also called the Tower of the Four Sergeants. In 1822, garrison sergeants who plotted to overthrow the newly restored monarchy were executed here. The inscriptions scratched on the walls were written by English pirates imprisoned there in the 17th century.
All three towers and the Orbigny-Bernon Museum can be visited with a single ticket. In addition, while in La Rochelle, you can significantly save on transport costs and entrance fees 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 La Rochelle Tourist Office.
After passing through the tower gate, you will find yourself on the Rue Palais, the main shopping street of La Rochelle. Mercier Street runs parallel to its east. Between these two streets, traditional buildings for a port city have been preserved - medieval houses with eaves of slate and arcades for protection from rain, Renaissance mansions, stone buildings of the 18th century, gutters in the form of gargoyles... all this creates the special atmosphere of La Rochelle.
