One of the best preserved port towns in France, La Rochelle has been an important harbour since the 12th century and remained the largest on the Atlantic coast for 300 years.
| Country: | France |
|---|---|
| Capital: | Paris |
| Population: | 65,073,482 |
| Time Zone: | GMT +1 |
| Currency: | Euro |
Now a major tourist destination, restaurants serving sublime seafood line the narrow streets surrounding the old port and it is a Mecca for sailing enthusiasts. As well as Clipper 09-10, the town will also play host to the start and finish of the VELUX 5 OCEANS race in 2010.
Le Port des Minimes is the largest marina in Europe for pleasure boats and shortly after the Clipper fleet leaves La Rochelle it will once again be host to the world’s largest floating boat show, Le Grand Pavois.
In the 1970s the mayor of La Rochelle took the decision to preserve the 17th and 18th century architecture around the old port rather than let loose the developers on the area. His plan was roundly criticised at the time but, in the intervening years, has proved a success.
The floating harbour is the site of the maiden dive trials for the first mechanical submarine in 1864. During the Second World War Germany established a submarine base at La Pallice, the main commercial port in La Rochelle. The structure is still there - now film-makers use it as a set and you may have spotted it in Raiders of the Lost Ark or Das Boot.
La Rochelle’s aquarium is one of the best in Europe; fans of Jacques Cousteau’s television series in the 1970s can see his ship, Calypso, at the Maritime Museum; boat trips run daily to the Ile d’Aix and Fort Boyard (made famous around the world by the TV show of the same name) and the beautiful and peaceful Ile de Ré is only a short drive from the city, linked by an impressive toll bridge. Vineyards producing some of the finest Cognac in the world and the local fortified wine, Pineau, are just inland.
The official Tourism Office sites have more information in English and French.