12 essentials: what to see and do in La Rochelle in one day

If you plan for this year a trip through western France, or you go to Brittany, La Rochelle It should be an essential stage on your route.

This city of medieval origin, which you find in the region of Poitou-Charentes, offers you some truly charming corners, such as its port whose entrance is flanked by some medieval towers,

But also in its surroundings places as paradisiacal as the Île de Ré.

For you to situate yourself La Rochelle It is on the Atlantic coast, two hours north of Bordeaux a little less than two hours west of Poitiers.

Curiosities of the history of La Rochelle

From the first moment you arrive La Rochelle You see that this charming city oozes history from every corner.

Not for less La Rochelle, which was born in the 10th century as a small fishing village, during the following two centuries it became a strategic point of maritime trade between France and England, based on wine and salt.

Therefore it should not surprise you that the center of your visit of La Rochelle will be your historic port flanked by several towers who tell us a story of attacks.

La Rochelle It also had a history of independence from the central power, which meant that when the new ideas of reform, in a Catholic country like France, became a free and Protestant city.

Built on marshes, during the medieval period it was a walled city, so during your walk you will walk through narrow streets and you will see that it maintains the characteristic style of a medieval city.

La Rochelle It also became the gateway from France to Canada, as well as trade with the Nordic countries.

A good reflection of the latter are the Nordic style houses next to the port, in one of which you find the city's tourist office.

But you will also see that La Rochelle It shows a bourgeois style, a combination that makes it a very pleasant city to walk around, especially when a good part of its streets are pedestrian.

In fact, during the 70s it became the first French city to be pedestrianized.

What to see and do when visiting La Rochelle in one day

In your walk through the historic center You will go through narrow pedestrian streets and pass under arches and arcades of which more than three kilometers still remain.

You will also see that caring for the environment is part of the DNA of La Rochelle with the possibility of using bicycles or driving small electric cars, which you find next to their charging bases on the streets of the city.

Houses with white stone facade in La Rochelle

On your walk through the city you will still find some half-timbered houses Built with wood and slate.

But almost all of their houses have white stone facades from the 17th century that give La Rochelle a peculiar beauty, although in the historic center the buildings date from between the 15th and 18th centuries.

On your walk through the center of this coastal city you will also find Renaissance style mansions.

As for its historic port, it had great fishing activity during the 70s.

But currently there are actually three ports, one for commerce, another for fishing built in 1994, and the large pleasure port of Minimal, which annually hosts a boat show.

Below I will give you some Tips for your visit to La Rochelle, on the coast of western France.

Medieval port of La Rochelle

From the outset, your visit should focus precisely on the historic port.

The entrance of the known as Puerto Viejo de La Rochelle It is framed by two large towers, which have become the image of the city.

But in said port area there are actually four towers.

Saint Nicholas Tower in La Rochelle

Oriented to the sea you have the St. Nicholas Tower, from the 42th century, which with a height of XNUMX meters, inside you find a labyrinth of stairs and corridors, and houses a vaulted Gothic-style room.

It was a military building that fulfilled the surveillance function.

Tower of Chains in La Rochelle

In front of it is the Tower of Chains, from the same era and of lower height, which was used to monitor the movements of ships and traffic in the port.

It was also where fees and duties were collected.

As a curiosity, it acquired this name because at the time both towers were joined with a chain to close the port.

Lantern Tower in La Rochelle

The third of the towers that frame the entrance to the port of La Rochelle is Lantern Tower, which stands out for its octagonal Gothic spire.

At 70 meters high, it is the tallest of the three and was built as a lighthouse; in fact it is about last medieval lighthouse of the Atlantic coast.

But Lantern TowerAbove all, it is known for housing a prison for three centuries where British, Dutch and Spanish privateers, as well as military and religious prisoners, were locked up.

In your visit of the Lantern Tower of La Rochelle You can see traces of the time when it was a prison.

Is graffiti made by the prisoners on the stone walls, which reflected scenes of the time. If you plan to see them all, you have to keep in mind that there are about 600 graffiti.

But, also, from the viewpoint at the top of it, you have excellent panoramic views of La Rochelle.

Clock Gate in La Rochelle

A fourth tower that will also catch your attention is the one that connects the port area with the old part of the city through a lower passage.

This is the Great Clock Tower, XNUMXth century.

Old Fisherman's Market in La Rochelle

Next to the port, the old building stands out fisherman's market, completely restored and is now a cultural center, headquarters of the international Film Festival which every summer takes place in La Rochelle.

In the historic center you will walk through its narrow streets, through its arcades, and you must reach the neighborhood of Renaissance mansions and mansions.

In the ancient medieval city There is another tower that will also catch your attention, that of the Town hall, which showed a very interesting façade until a devastating fire that occurred recently.

It was about most visited monument in La Rochelle.

Buy oysters at La Rochelle Market

You must also walk through the market, where the oysters and cheese They become great protagonists, a charming corner that awakens your stomach.

In this regard you should know that La Rochelle It is one of the areas of oyster production most important in France, specifically those in the nearby Oléron island They have the reputation of being the best in the country.

The oysters They are bred every year from the month of August in the marsh areas on the banks of the Charentes river.

Then in the month of April they are collected and grouped in bags according to their size, to grow for three more years and finally rest in channels of clay soil with sea water.

La quality It is the same in all the oysters in the area; The difference in category and price is in the sizes.

So, in the Oléron oyster designation of origin there are three qualities that in the La Rochelle market You will be able to see that they are identified with different numbers.

The size standard It is number 3, which amounts to 12 oysters per kilo.

Similarly, category 2 groups larger oysters, 8 to 10 per kilo.

Here you have more information about La Rochelle oysters.

La Rochelle Aquarium

Another highly, highly recommended visit is the fantastic La Rochelle Aquarium, owned by the same family company that has built large aquariums in Europe, such as the Lisbon Oceanarium or the Valencia, and that hardly has anything to envy them.

At dusk, of course, the La Rochelle atmosphere concentrates again on the port, on its cafes and terraces.

What to see and visit around La Rochelle

If you have more time for your trip to La Rochelle, we suggest you visit the nearby Île de Ré, a small island where nature is combined with charming towns, and where the bicycle becomes the ideal means of transportation.

Do not stop go up to the Whale Lighthouse, from where you will have excellent panoramic views.

And if you have one more day on your vacation in this area of ​​the western France, in the southern area of ​​the estuary, you can extend the visit with your excursions to the Oléron islands y Aix.

Once again, bicycle excursions and charming towns with beautiful fishing ports are the protagonists.

Of course, in the La Rochelle islands The historic fortifications, lighthouses and charming fishing ports become great tourist attractions.

In this regard, I highlight the charming corner of the ancient fishermen's houses in the port of Chateau d´Oléron, or the Boyardville fishing port, together with Fort Boyard, In the Oléron island.

Map: where it is and how to get to La Rochelle

La Rochelle It is located on the Atlantic coast, western France, and you can arrive in an hour and a half by car heading west from Poitiers, or heading south from Nantes.