La Rochelle: what to see, how to get there and much more. Open left menu La Rochelle La Rochelle France cultural life

When you hear the words “siege of La Rochelle,” the first thing that comes to mind is the great French writer Alexandre Dumas the father. Indeed, who does not remember the council of d’Artagnan, Athos, Porthos and Aramis in the bastion of Saint-Gervais? And the machinations of the treacherous Richelieu and the madness of the Duke of Buckingham? But, oddly enough, almost no one knows the details of this siege itself. Meanwhile, the history of the siege of La Rochelle is no less interesting than the adventures of the four brave musketeers. Here there was a place for betrayal, hatred, stupidity, and self-sacrifice. Moreover, upon closer examination, the Duke of Buckingham appears not as a gallant gentleman, but as a vain and militant fool, and Cardinal Richelieu, in turn, as a skilled administrator and commander.

Origins of the conflict

St. Bartholomew's Night from August 23 to 24, 1572 divided France into two irreconcilable camps - Catholics and Protestants. The era of long and bloody religious wars began, spanning the reigns of Charles IX, Francis II and Henry III. Only the Great Bearnet, Henry IV, who accepted the Edict of Nantes, was able to put an end to the fratricidal war. According to this document, Protestants received several cities in France and had the right to maintain their troops.

After the assassination of the king by the religious fanatic Ravaillac, the fragile truce collapsed overnight. Now the Calvinists have become the “fifth column” in the state. They received support from Spain and England, who were interested in weakening France. It turned out that Protestant religious communities formed a state within a state.

At the beginning of 1611, Protestant leaders gathered in Saumur. At the conference the question was: what to do next? The “cautious” party, led by Henry IV’s favorite Duplessis-Mornay, believed that it was necessary to recognize the new government and cooperate with the king. The “irreconcilables”, led by Duke Henri de Rohan, advocated direct conflict with the state.

In 1616, the Visconcy of Béarn, a small feudal formation in the foothills of the Pyrenees in southwestern France, inhabited mainly by Protestants, was declared the personal domain of King Louis XIII. Thus, Béarn lost his independence. The Viscountry Council, consisting entirely of “irreconcilables,” refused to ratify this decision. In 1620, Louis entered Béarn with a 20,000-strong army, dispersed the Council, and in its place created a Parliament consisting entirely of Catholics.

The Protestants considered this a violation of the Edict of Nantes and began military action. Soon Languedoc began to burn, and then La Rochelle rebelled.

King Louis XIII of France

In April 1621, Louis XIII approached the Protestant fortresses of Saumur and Thouars, which surrendered without resistance. The army moved on. The city of Saint-Jean d'Angely resisted the royal troops, but was captured two weeks later. For disobedience, the king deprived the city of its privileges and ordered the walls to be destroyed. Soon Louis approached Montauban, who also refused to open the gate. A siege began, which was interrupted due to an epidemic in the royal army. The troops hastily left the outskirts of the city.

As a result, the Duke de Rohan remained master of Languedoc. He set up his headquarters in the Andyuz fortress, from where he ruled the entire region. The Duke de Soubise, de Rohan's closest associate, settled in La Rochelle, a Protestant stronghold on the Atlantic coast, from where Protestant troops several times made predatory campaigns against the cities of Poitou.

This state of affairs, of course, did not suit King Louis. The royal army drove the Protestants out of Guienne, capturing all the cities that belonged to them. At the walls of Montpellier, the “irreconcilables” began negotiations. According to the decision of the assembly, the king obliged the Protestants to demolish all the fortifications of their cities and granted them an amnesty. But the peace concluded in Montpellier turned out to be only a respite.

Cardinal Richelieu

In 1624, the royal council, which included the new first minister of France, Jean-Armand du Plessis, Cardinal de Richelieu, decided to capture Castres in Languedoc and the island of Re, located at the exit from the harbor of La Rochelle. The detachment of the Duke de Soubise, who tried to prevent the royal troops under the command of Jean de Saint-Bonnet, Marquis de Thouars, from landing on the island, was completely defeated. On September 15, 1625, the French garrison occupied the fortress of Saint-Martin-la-Raye and captured the islands of Rais and Oleron. The French fleet under the command of the Duke of Montmorency managed to capture several Protestant ships, but the Duke of Soubise managed to escape to England.

The British, who had long supported the Protestants, decided to openly intervene in the conflict. This was facilitated by the French governor of Guienne, Duke d'Epernon, who captured the British merchant fleet in Bordeaux with a year's supply of claret (semi-sweet red wine) on board. In response, an enraged Charles I ordered the arrest of all French ships, many of which were captured by the British in the English Channel.

Re Island

At the beginning of 1627, England declared itself the protector of French Protestants. In March, preparations began for an expedition to La Rochelle, led by the Duke of Buckingham, the favorite of King Charles I. It was planned to knock out the French garrison from the islands of Re and Oleron, release La Rochelle and seize a bridgehead on the coast of France. Duke Soubise took an active part in the development of the operation.

On June 27, 1627, an armada of 15 ships and 50 transports left Portsmouth and headed for La Rochelle. The Duke of Buckingham was appointed head of the expedition. The military squadron included Triumph (flagship, flag of the Duke of Buckingham), Repulse (Vice Admiral Lord Lindsay), Vanguard (Sir John Burgh), Victory (Rear Admiral Lord Harvey), Rainbow , "Warspite", "Nonsuch", "Espirance", "Lion" and six small ships. The merchant ships were loaded with 8,000 soldiers.

Near Dunkirk, a Dutch squadron of 10 ships joined the detachment. According to Buckingham's plan, he was supposed to unload the troops at La Rochelle and proceed to Bordeaux, where the arrested fleet of merchant ships was still docked. But these plans were disrupted. The mayor of La Rochelle, Jean Guitton, did not allow the British to land troops in the city, saying that he would support them only when they took Reis and Oleron.

On the morning of July 20, 1627, Buckingham's fleet appeared off the island of Re. In the citadel of Saint-Martin-la-Raye, a garrison of 1,000 soldiers with 12 guns under the command of the Marquis of Thouars took over the defense. The soldiers were dispersed between two bastions: Saint-Martin proper and La Pre. The latter was not yet ready for a siege; construction work was carried out on it.

Duke of Buckingham

On July 21, the British shelled the bastions and landed 2,000 people on the eastern part of the island, at Sbalanso, located closest to La Rochelle. The Marquis de Thouara, who had too few forces, was unable to prevent the landing. Six days of bloody fighting forced de Thouars to concentrate his remaining troops (800 people) in Saint-Martin, giving the rest of the island to the enemy. A small detachment of 30 Frenchmen locked themselves in La Pre.

For one day, the parties concluded a truce in order to bury the dead, among whom was de Thouar’s brother. The garrison on the island was blocked both from land and sea, with virtually no provisions and ammunition.

In a desperate attempt to get help from the king, the French general sent three volunteers to swim across the strait, who were supposed to reach the camp of the French army, which had approached La Rochelle, and report on the plight of the garrison. Only one made it: the rest were either killed or captured.

Richelieu, informed that de Thouara was still holding out, urgently equipped a small detachment of fifteen pinnaces with food. Thirteen of them managed to break through to the bastion on September 7 with the help of high tide. The British, who did not expect such actions at all, could not stop the French.

Meanwhile, the besiegers unloaded their cannons and installed batteries opposite Saint-Martin. Buckingham’s mistake was that he initially forbade his subordinates to dig trenches, seeing this as cowardice, which is why many Englishmen died from the bullets of French soldiers.

On September 12, reinforcements from England arrived at the Duke - 1,500 Irish under the command of Ralph Bingley. In the end, it was decided to remove an additional 500 sailors from the ships and attack Fort La Pre with a joint force. However, for some reason the order was canceled, although at that time, as we remember, there were only 30 French soldiers in La Pre. The British also began to experience food problems; due to the stormy season, ships with supplies could not leave the ports.

On October 7, the French decided to once again send reinforcements and provisions to the island. This time the British were able to intercept them and captured 10 small ships out of 35. Richelieu and Marshal Schomberg, who arrived at the location of the French army near La Rochelle, understood that de Thouara was unlikely to hold out until the end of the year, so a cunning plan matured in their heads: transfer 6,000 infantry and 300 cavalry with 6 cannons from Oleron to the island of Re and hit the British from the rear.

The British, who learned about these plans, were seriously frightened. At the military council, everyone demanded to go back to England, explaining that help never came from Portsmouth and Amsterdam. On the morning of November 6, Buckingham decided to launch a general assault on Saint-Martin. 3,000 soldiers and 700 sailors launched an attack. De Thouars had about 1,200 men, of whom 600 were veterans of the siege.

Buckingham's soldiers bravely crossed the fire-raided space and rushed to the walls of the fort, holding ladders in their hands. But all the siege ladders turned out to be very short, the confused troops huddled near the walls, being shot from all sides by de Thouars’ fighters. After losing about 500 men, the British fled.

La Rochelle, view of the fortress and city in 1628

On the night of November 8, Schomberg and 3,000 soldiers landed in the north of the island of Re. To his great surprise, he discovered that the British were leaving the island and attacked their retreating units. As Alexandre Dumas wrote in the novel “The Three Musketeers,” the losses of Buckingham’s troops amounted to

« more 2000 soldiers, including: 5 lieutenant colonels, 3 colonels, 250 captains, 20 nobles, 4 mortars and 60 flags, which were brought to Paris by Claude de Saint-Simon and proudly hung in the vaults of Notre Dame Cathedral."

In reporting this data, the great novelist was absolutely accurate.

Siege of La Rochelle

The royal army approached the city in August 1627. 30 thousand people with 48 guns under the nominal command of Gaston d'Orléans, the king's brother (the actual command was exercised by the Duke of Angoulême), surrounded La Rochelle with a dense ring of 11 wooden towers and 18 redoubts.

The main leader of the siege was Cardinal Richelieu. The first minister brought Marshals Louis de Marillac, Bassompierre, and Schomberg to the siege. Richelieu demanded the most efficient management of troops and auxiliary detachments; using his ecclesiastical authority, he widely attracted capable clergy to take the place of administrators and quartermasters. For example, the king’s well-known confessor, Father Joseph, established a very effective intelligence service, from which he knew even the slightest details of life in the besieged fortress.

According to the plan of the royal architect Meteso, it was decided to cut off La Rochelle from the sea. Across the harbor, out of range of the city's guns, the French began to build a one and a half kilometer dam from cobblestones, rock, and old ships armed with cannons standing on floating platforms attached to the dam. According to the plan, the dam was supposed to have one small but highly protected entrance, capable of allowing only small vessels to pass through.

4,000 Parisian workers were recruited to build the dam, and they were promised large rewards. By January the structure was completed, and La Rochelle was cut off from the sea. On January 10, Richelieu arrived from Paris to the besieged city and received the rank "General of the King's Army at La Rochelle and in the surrounding provinces".

Cardinal Richelieu on the dam protecting La Rochelle from the sea

The food supply in the city was becoming tight, and Jean Guitton decided to release women, old people and children from the fortress so that they would no longer experience the torment of the siege. The royal troops did not allow them to leave the encirclement, as a result of which they wandered between the warring parties, begging and gradually dying from random bullets and hunger.

On March 12, 1628, an attempt was made to make a breach in the fortress wall at the Port Maubec gate, through which boats carrying salt passed into the besieged city. After the explosion, 5 thousand people were ready to rush to the assault, but a group of demolition men got lost in the dark, and the attack was postponed. This persuaded Richelieu and the marshals to think that the La Rochelles were better off “to die of hunger, not of bullets”.

At the beginning of May, an English fleet of more than a hundred ships approached the city, but all its actions were limited to a firefight with the dam batteries. Having achieved nothing, the British went home on the 18th.

The Protestants had high hopes for the new fleet that Buckingham was preparing to set out, but on August 23 the Duke was killed by John Felton. Nevertheless, on September 28, an English detachment of 114 ships approached La Rochelle and started a firefight with the dam. The fighting continued until October 4, when a storm broke out and the British retreated.

By this time, La Rochelle had already completely exhausted its defense capabilities; at least 13 thousand of its citizens had died from hunger and shelling. On October 28, 1628, the city laid down its arms and the Protestants agreed to unconditional surrender. At the time of the surrender, there were no more than 150 soldiers in the city capable of carrying weapons, and only 5,400 inhabitants from the previous 28 thousand.

Surrender of La Rochelle

According to the articles of the agreement concluded with the townspeople, La Rochelle became a Catholic city, and the fortress walls were to be torn down. However, after the establishment of royal power in La Rochelle, Richelieu canceled the destruction of the fortifications. “We will need the strong walls of this city more than once again.”, - convinced Cardinal Louis XIII.

Conclusion

At the moment when Richelieu was besieging La Rochelle, in Languedoc the troops of the Prince of Condé were fighting with Henri de Rohan. In September 1628, de Rohan, suffering one defeat after another, began secret negotiations with Spain for help. As a result, an anti-French league emerged with lightning speed, consisting of England, Spain, Savoy and Lorraine.

The rapid fall of La Rochelle prevented this Protestant conglomerate from launching active military operations against Louis XIII. On November 1, the king solemnly entered the conquered city, and on November 10, making sure that the siege ended in the defeat of the Protestants, the English fleet sailed home. On May 20, 1629, peace was signed with England.

On May 14, Louis XIII besieged Privas, the first Huguenot fortress in Languedoc. On the 19th Richelieu arrived there, and on the 21st the fortress capitulated. Next came Uzès, Castres, Nimes, Montauban. Seeing that the case was lost, the Duke de Rohan agreed to begin peace negotiations.

On June 28, 1629, an edict of reconciliation was signed in Al. It provided for a general amnesty, but all fortifications and walls of Protestant cities had to be destroyed by the residents at their own expense, and Catholic missions were returned to the cities. De Rohan received 300 thousand livres in damages, but was sent into exile for some time.

Cardinal Richelieu on the Rhone

Royal power in France strengthened.

Afterword: Cardinal Richelieu as the father of the French fleet

In January 1626, Richelieu ensured that he was appointed general superintendent of trade and minister of maritime affairs. In October of the same year, the cardinal insisted on the removal from office of the Dukes of Montmorency and Guise, who committed numerous lawlessness in the management of the squadrons entrusted to them. Back in 1625, France did not have a single ship (except for ten galleons in the Mediterranean Sea), but the very next year the intensive construction of merchant ships with small weapons began.

After the siege of the island of Re, it was decided to build a separate navy. At the beginning of 1627, Richelieu placed orders for the construction of eighteen warships in the shipyards of Normandy and Brittany. Soon, 6 more battleships were ordered from Holland. At the end of the year, the order was revised upward: 12 ships were already required. During the siege of La Rochelle, the French navy already consisted of 35 ships, although not yet combat-ready. And by 1635, France had three combat-ready squadrons (52 ships) in the Atlantic and Channel.

On March 31, 1626, with the ardent support of Richelieu, the Morbihan Partnership was created by four trading companies, which received a state monopoly on trade with the East and West Indies, Canada and the Levant. The commercial port of Saint-Malo was rebuilt, where a large (45 ships) whaling flotilla was quickly created.

Thus, Cardinal Richelieu can rightfully be considered the father-creator of the French military and merchant fleets. The siege of La Rochelle showed that until France had a strong navy, its coast would always be vulnerable to attacks by the British and Dutch. The Great Cardinal extracted an increased budget for the fleet from the Estates General. Richelieu invited captains and shipwrights from Holland, sent French volunteers to study in England and the Netherlands, and attracted engineers and architects to the development of new ships. In general, the cardinal’s actions are very reminiscent of the actions of the Russian Tsar Peter I. Unless he went abroad in disguise.

Cardinal Richelieu reviews ship designs

Unfortunately, Jean-Armand du Plessis was not able to fully enjoy the results of his labors. The French navy reached its peak in the 1680s. Many historians believe that this is solely Colbert’s merit. Without in any way detracting from the merits of this minister of Louis XIV, we can say that it was Jean-Armand du Plessis, Cardinal de Richelieu, the first minister of France, who prepared the basis for such a sudden and brilliant appearance of the French fleet on the historical stage.

Literature:

Levy, E. "Cardinal Richelieu." - M.: AST, 2007.
Tulot J.L. "Correspondance de Frederic de La Tremoille (1602–1642)". - Paris, 1848.
Baudier M. “Histoire du Mareschal de Toiras, ou se Voyent les Effets de la Valeur et de la Fidélité: avec ceux de l"Envie et de la Jalousie de la Cour, ennemies de la Vertu des Grands Hommes. Ensemble une bonne partie du Regne du Roy Louis XIII. - Paris, 1644.
Bloomfield, P. “Uncommon People. A Study of England's Elite." - London: Hamilton, 1955.
Delafosse M. “Petite histoire de l'île de Ré.” - Paris: Éditions Rupella, 1978.
Miquel P. “Les Guerres de religion”. - Club France Loisirs, 1980.

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, 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!

Where is: Poitou-Charentes region, Charente-Maritime department, the distance to Paris is approximately 480 km.
How to get there:
- by train: La Rochelle railway station is located at bd Joffre. From Paris, TGV trains depart from Gare Montparnasse 5 times a day. Travel time is 3 hours, ticket price is 75 euros. From Austerlitz train station (Gare d’Austerlitz) 2 times a day. Travel time is 5 hours, ticket price is 55 euros.
Trains leave from Nantes 5 times a day. Travel time 1 hour 45 minutes.
From Poitiers: 9 times a day, 30 minutes, 22 euros.
From Bordeaux: 6 times a day, 2 hours, 27 euros.

City `s history

La Rochelle is a city and port on the coast of the Bay of Biscay, the administrative center of the Charente-Maritime department, the capital of the ancient province of Onis. It is a lively place, often visited by artists. It retains a slight aura of mystery, so characteristic of those cities in France that were built according to classical canons.

La Rochelle in Roman times.

Founded in the 10th century on a rocky plateau among swamps, a fishing village that bore the cozy name “Little Rock”, La Rochelle soon became an important port and fortress, controlling the Aiguyon Bay. This was facilitated by the geographical location of the city: the bay in which it was located was swampy and reliably protected from the western winds by the rocky island of Re. However, gradually, with the development of salt mining, winemaking and tax breaks granted by Queen Alienore of Aquitaine, La Rochelle became a powerful trading post on the Atlantic.

In the 12th and 13th centuries it was an important city in the network of the Knights Templar, who built a large port in it. To this day, in La Rochelle there is a rue des Templiers, a street of the Templars.

Scientists are still at a loss as to what the ships that belonged to the Templars were used for. Indeed, for contacts with England, the ports owned by the Order near the English Channel were quite sufficient, especially since they were located much closer to the capital. For communication with Portugal, the land route was more reliable, especially for the Templars, who kept all the main arterial roads to this state under their control. Nevertheless, one of the largest residences of the Templars was located in La Rochelle, and the seven “Templar roads” converging in the port city led here from all corners of the country, providing quick and convenient access in case of sudden need. The main road leading from Paris was properly protected and equipped with special points for the quick change of horses. The Templars seemed to be waiting for a trick on the part of the authorities and took proper precautions. And, as we remember, not in vain. When on October 13, 1308, Philip the Fair launched an unprecedented hunt for the knights of the Order, it was here, in La Rochelle, that the Templars managed to transport their treasures. Here ships were already waiting for them, ready at any moment to set sail from the inhospitable shores of France. Which is what happened very soon.

Until the 15th century, the city remained the largest port of France on the Atlantic coast. During the centuries-long, almost permanent English rule, salt and wine were exported through the port.

La Rochelle is one of the first places in France where the ideas of the Reformation penetrated: having openly accepted the ideas, the city became the citadel of the Huguenots, the “Atlantic Geneva”. In 1570, at the end of the third religious war, the city (one of four in the country) received the status of a fortress in which Protestants were allowed to settle. Here they were guaranteed freedom of religion, which gave the city a short period of prosperity and peace. After St. Bartholomew's Night in 1572, La Rochelle became a center of Protestant resistance. In 1573, the Duke of Anjou besieged the city, but failed to take it, since the English fleet under the command of Montgomery captured Belle-Ile. In the end, La Rochelle surrendered honorably.

The signing of the Edict of Nantes brought several decades of peaceful life to La Rochelle. However, the townspeople's commitment to Protestantism, close trade and cultural ties with the British (the Duke of Buckingham set up a fortified camp on the island of Re) and after the soldiers of La Rochelle marched in battle against the royal French troops on September 10, 1627, King Louis XIII ordered a siege La Rochelle. Cardinal Richelieu personally supervised the operation.

Henri Motte "Cardinal Richelieu at the Siege of La Rochelle", 1881

The city was placed in a blockade ring, for which fortifications 12 km long were erected along all its land borders, and a dam was built into the sea (architect Meteso), blocking the entrance to the port. Fifteen months of painful famine forced the city to submit. Richelieu entered La Rochelle on October 30, 1628, and two days later Louis XIII appeared there. 23,000 people died during the siege. 5,000 survivors were spared, although rebel leaders, including Mayor Jean Guiton, were forced to leave the city for several months. The trade of the port was destroyed and the fortifications were razed.

Like any ancient port city, La Rochelle is famous for its captains, explorers and pioneers. In the 15th century, ships with colonists sailed from here to Canada, and Jean de Bettencourt set off to discover the Canary Islands. A native of La Rochelle, Delasalle became in 1681 the first European to walk from the headwaters of the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico. R. Gallier, the first European to return alive from Timbuktu, also lived here.

Shipowners from La Rochelle made large profits trading with Canada and Louisiana, and most of all with the West Indies. They made their fortune from a three-way trade that included selling cloth and buying slaves in West Africa, transporting and selling slaves to the Americas, and profitably returning home with large cargoes of colonial goods.

In 1890, a new deep-water port was built in La Pallisa, the operation of which did not depend on the level of tides.

During World War II, the Germans established a submarine base in La Rochelle, which was frequently bombed by the Allies. As a result of air raids, the city was severely damaged. It was liberated on May 8, 1945, after the surrender of Germany, the last of the French cities.

Around town

Part of the rich historical heritage of the city are its medieval houses of half-timbered architecture, rich stone facades with sculptural carvings of the 16th-17th centuries, and the austere and noble mansions of shipowners of the 18th century. Even during pouring rain, you can calmly walk along the ancient pedestrian streets without fear of getting wet - many of them are covered with arcades, which once protected street vendors from the weather.

There are several ports in La Rochelle: the Old Port (Vieux Port), founded by Alienora of Aquitaine; deep-water trading port built at the end of the 20th century; the tourist port of Minim, the largest on the Atlantic coast with 3,000 pleasure yachts; fishing port.

There is a lighthouse on Quai Velin in the Old Port. The fairway of the western cape of the Old Port Bay is quite narrow, so in the 14th century, to protect the port, special towers were erected on both sides of its alignment: on the western wall - La Chaine (Tour de la Chaine, Chain) and on the eastern wall - Saint-Nicolas (Tour St -Nicolas).

The Saint-Nicolas Tower has a characteristic slope. The reason for it is in the pile supports on which this bulky structure rests: over the past centuries they have sagged a little, which slightly knocked the tower down. The massive octagonal Chain Tower housed a drawbridge that allowed the chain to be extended from the Saint-Nicolas Tower, blocking the entrance to the port. They say that it was with these chains that Gargantua was kept in the cradle. On the ground floor of the La Chene tower there is now a small exhibition introducing the history of the local Protestant community, and there is an observation deck on the roof.

You can also climb the pentagonal tower of Saint-Nicolas, which is called a fortress for its formidable appearance and powerful walls.

The fortress wall running west from the La Chene Tower will lead to another tower - the highest (70 m) Lanterne Tower (Tour de la Lanterne, Mayakovaya), built in the 15th century in the Flamboyant Gothic style.

It once played the role of a lighthouse: before the advent of electricity, huge candles were lit in a glass lantern at the top of its pyramidal spire to show the way for ships approaching the harbor. Then the lighthouse turned into a prison - in the 17th-19th centuries, Spanish and English sailors languished here, who left inscriptions and drawings on the walls that abound in the prison premises. Tours Latern is also called the Tower of the Four Sergeants (Tours des Quatre Sergents): in 1822, garrison sergeants who were plotting to overthrow the newly restored monarchy were executed here.

All three towers and the Orbigny-Bernon Museum can be visited with a single ticket, which is sold at the La Chêne and La Lanterne towers.

The base of the Gothic tower Grosse-Horloge (Tour de la Grosse-Horloge, Clockwork) has been preserved since the 14th century.

After passing through the tower gates, we find ourselves on rue de Palais - the main shopping street of La Rochelle. To the east of it runs parallel to rue des Merciers. Between these two streets, the traditional development for a port city has 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.

The eastern harbor of the Old Port is occupied by the Le Gabu quarter. From the south it is adjacent to the Flot harbor (Bassin a Flot), which turns into the Chalutiers harbor (Bassin des Chalutiers), where Jacques-Yves Cousteau's research vessel "Calypso" is permanently laid up.

As often happens in France, antiquity easily coexists here with ultra-modern buildings. A completely new city has grown up between the sea and the historical city center, embodying advanced technologies. Its main theme is “Man, Sea and Water”.

Along the coast of La Rochelle there are numerous beaches equipped with modern resort facilities, including balneological ones.

From La Rochelle, through an openwork 3-kilometer bridge (toll), you can get to the island of Re (Ile de Re).

In former times, the main occupation of the inhabitants of this flat, intricately indented island was fishing and salt mining. The island charms with its whitewashed fishing villages, whose narrow streets are overgrown with mallow, sandy beaches at the foot of low dunes and traditional ports with elegant pleasure yachts.

Events

La Rochelle residents are creative people, and the city often hosts cultural events and celebrations. An international film festival is held here in June, and the French song festival “Francofolia” is held here in July. In September, local residents and visitors to the city are entertained by Europe's largest marine show, the Gran Pavois. This city also hosts an international festival of films and paintings on marine themes.

La Rochelle in art

The city is famous for Alexandre Dumas's novel The Three Musketeers, whose characters take part in the siege of La Rochelle (Chapter IX). In the Soviet film adaptation, the fortress in the city of Khotyn (Ukrainian SSR) was “filmed” in the role of La Rochelle.

The port of La Rochelle served as the location for the filming of Wolfgang Petersen's Das Boot and Steven Spielberg's Raiders of the Lost Ark.

The action of Georges Simenon's novel “And yet the hazel tree turns green” takes place in La Rochelle.

The siege of La Rochelle is also described in Prosper Merimee’s story “Chronicle of the Times of Charles IX”

French city of La Rochelle (Poitou-Charentes region)

La Rochelle is the most attractive and unspoiled seaside town in France. Thanks to the foresight of Mayor Michel Crépeau, the city center was cleared of developers and traffic in the 1970s to the delight of pedestrians.

The policy caused shock and horror at the time, but today it has become standard practice for the preservation of ancient centers throughout the country - proving far more successful than Crépeau's plan.

The French city of La Rochelle boasts a long history, as you would expect from such a fortified Atlantic port. In 1199, Eleanor of Aquitaine granted the city a charter freeing it from feudal duties, and it quickly became a major port, trading salt and wine and skillfully exploiting Anglo-French clashes.

However, the religious wars proved particularly destructive for La Rochelle. The city became Protestant and, due to its strategic importance, incurred the wrath of the ruthless Cardinal Richelieu, who besieged La Rochelle in 1627. To the great dismay of the townspeople, who argued that no one could organize an effective blockade of such experienced sailors as them, Richelieu managed to close all approaches to the harbor with the help of a dam.

The British sent the Duke of Buckingham to help, but his sleeping detachment was taken by surprise on the island of Re and smashed to smithereens. By the end of 1628, famine forced the townspeople to surrender to Richelieu. Of the population of 28 thousand before the siege, only 5,000 survived. The walls of the city were demolished and all privileges were taken away from it. La Rochelle later became the main port through which trade was carried out with the French colonies in the Antilles in the Caribbean and Canada. Moreover, many of the settlers (especially in Canada) came from this part of France.

Arrival and information about the city of La Rochelle

Getting around La Rochelle will not be difficult. Once you arrive at the ornate train station on Boulevard Joffre, cross onto Avenue de Gaulle opposite to enter the city centre.

As you approach the coastline, you will see on the left the tourist office (address: quai de Gabut; April-June and September), where you can buy excellent maps and a museum pass for €6.60, which includes the New World Museum, the Orbigny-Bernon Museum and Art Museum.

In addition, the CDIJ Youth Center (address: 2 rue des Gentilshommes) has an information service for young people. Most of attractions, which are worth a look, are located behind the coastline - that is, between the port and Verdun Square, where the bus station is located.

Transport in La Rochelle

The bus terminal (an efficient public transport system) is also located on Place Verdun. Once you've stowed your luggage, you can use your bike to explore the city: two free municipal bike parks await you, a legacy of Michel Crépeau's original scheme, where no ID is required, there are no restrictions, and you can pick up or leave a bike anywhere.

One park is located on Place de Verdun (address: place de Verdun; open all year round) near the bus station, the second is on the Quai Valen (address: quai Valin; only May-September) near the travel agency. By handing over any semblance of ID, you can use the bike for free for two hours - time beyond that costs just €1 per hour. You can rent a bike at the train station or at the Motive Location, opposite the Maritime Museum.

Car rental is provided by Ada (address: 19 avenue de Gaulle) and Rent-a-car (address: 29 avenue de Gaulle). The city also operates an ingenious taxi system with fixed rates for trips within La Rochelle with a 24-hour call system. The entire urban transport system is coordinated by the RTCR.

La Rochelle - maritime transport hub: boat services await you excursions around the city, as well as ferries to the island of Re, the island of Oleron, the island of Aix and Fort Boyar. Sea transportation is provided by transport companies Navipromer and Intereles. Trip costs and schedules vary depending on the season, weather conditions and currents, which sometimes also affect the functionality of the crossing.

Accommodation in La Rochelle

Accommodation in the city of La Rochelle can sometimes be a problem, so from May to mid-autumn, rooms (and even campsites) should be booked in advance. Although in the city center there are several inexpensive (often quite noisy) hotels In general, expect resort prices at most establishments, especially during peak season.

An alternative to hotels can be rented apartments, of which there are many here, especially in the Minimes area. The travel agency has a service for accommodation in rented apartments; there for a small fee for you book a hotel room .

La Rochelle Hotels

1). Hotel Le Bordeaux– Comfortable, welcoming hotel on a characteristic pedestrian street between the train station and the port. Closed in December. Hotel address: 43 rue St-Nicholas;

2). Hotel Comfort St-Nicolas– A very attractive modernized hotel on a beautiful street, two minutes walk from the port. All rooms have air conditioning and TV. Hotel address: 13 rue Sardinerie;

3). Fasthotel– Small, quiet hotel consisting of modern bungalows, near the port of Minim and the beach. Hotel address: 20 rue Alfred-Kastler, Les Minimes;

4). Hotel De France-Angleterre et Champlain– Comfortable hotel located near a large park. The venerable old part is called Le Champlain, and the new Great Western extension is called France-Angleterre: both offer everything you'd expect from an old-fashioned, modern three-star establishment. Hotel address: 20 rue Rambaud;

5). Hotel François I– A well-organized hotel in an ancient building, with a courtyard surrounded by walls, comfortable rooms. Hotel address: 15 rue Bazoges;

6). Hotel Henri IV– An excellent and very popular hotel in the very center of the city, on Place de la Caille, a ten-minute walk from the coast with the port. Hotel address: 31 rue des Gentilhommes;

7). Hotel De l'Ocean– Comfortable two-star hotel with an enviable location and air conditioning in the rooms - many rooms have views of the port. Hotel address: 36 cours des Dames;

8). Hotel Le Printania– A pleasant, unpretentious establishment in the city center, on a quiet street. Hotel address: 9 rue Brave-Rondeau;

9). Le Tour de Nesle Hotel– Large, comfortable old hotel in the heart of La Rochelle. Hotel address: 2 quai Louis-Durand.

Hostel and campsites La Rochelle

1). Hi Hostel– Large, modern hostel overlooking the Port of Minim marina, 10 minutes' walk from the beach, shops and restaurants - and with a self-service dining area and bar. Take bus number 10 from Place Verdun to Les Minimes or walk there from the station following the signs on the left. Hostel address: Avenue des Minimes;

2). Camping municipal de Port-Neuf- In the northwestern part of the city. Well maintained campsite shaded by trees, about 40 minutes walk from the town centre. Take bus number 20 from Place Verdun, direction: Port-Neuf. Open all year round;

3). Camping Le Soleil– Very well located next to hostel and next to the beaches - it is often filled with young vacationers. Take bus number 10 from Place Verdun to Les Minimes. Closed from October to May. Camping address: Avenue Michel Crepeau.

Attractions La Rochelle

In general, the center of La Rochelle is considered to be the Old Port (Vieux Port), where pleasure yachts are moored in neat rows in front of two impressive towers guarding the entrance to the harbor. The Rue du Palais, leading north from the Porte de la Grosse Horloge, reaches the cathedral and several museums on the Rue Thiers.

Between the harbor and the Port des Minimes, a new marina, 2 kilometers south of the city center, there are several excellent children's museums and a large frigate (permanently moored), where you can learn a lot about La's seafaring past. Rochelle.

Above the inland port rises the heavy Gothic gate of the Grosse Horloge, the entrance to the Old Town. The embankments in front of them are filled with ships and therefore are not conducive to walking - for this it is better to walk along the shady courtyard of the Dames (cours des Dames) towards the Chain Tower (Tour de la Chaine) of the 14th century. The tower received its name in honor of the heavy chain with which it was once connected to the opposite tower of Saint-Nicolas (Tour St-Nicholas) to close the port at night.

Today, at night, the only people who invade the city are yachtsmen from the other side of the English Channel, whose boats are much more numerous here than the work ships, which are mainly brightly painted trawlers. The steps behind the tower lead up to rue Sur-le-Murs, which follows the top of the old breakwater to the third - the Lantern Tower (Tour de la Lanterne), or the Tower of the Four Sergeants.

It was named after the four sergeants imprisoned there and executed for refusing to accept the Restoration of the Monarchy in 1822 (same opening hours and costs as the Chain Tower). You can climb higher, to what remains of the city walls, planted with greenery. Beyond is the beach, with casinos, hot dog stands and entertainment pavilions in the background, along with a vast and truly beautiful park belt that stretches all the way to the western edge of the city center and along Avenue du Mail beyond the beach, where the first seaside village was built by wealthy Larochellians.

Palais Street and surroundings

The true charm of La Rochelle awaits you on the shopping-filled main street, the Palais, leading from the Old Port to Place Verdun. Mansions of the 18th century lined it: some are half-timbered, others are made of gray stone, with characteristic La Rochelle tiles in the shape of fish scales, and the facades shops located in the back behind covered passages on the first floors.

Among the most beautiful are: the Bourse (Hotel de la Bourse) - actually the Chamber of Commerce - and the Palace of Justice (Palais de Justice) with columns on the facade (both mansions are on the left side). After walking a few more meters, you will see on rue des Augustins another grandiose building, built for a wealthy La Rochelle resident in 1555 - the so-called Henry II's mansion(Maison Henri II) with a loggia, gallery and tiled turrets where the offices of the regional travel agency are located.

Place Verdun itself, with its boring, hunchbacked, classical 18th-century cathedral on the corner, is uninteresting. The only thing that captivates there: the wonderful, luxuriously decorated cafe De la Paix with a lot of mirrors, gilding and plush furniture, where wealthy La Rochelle ladies come to drink tea with lemon and gracefully shove a couple of sweet cakes into their mouths - next door there is also a tempting sausage shop shop and fish store.

West of the Rue Palais (especially on the Rue de l'Escale, paved with granite cobblestones that were imported from Canada as ballast on La Rochelle's cargo ships), you'll see the discreet residences of 18th-century shipowners and candle manufacturers who hid their wealth behind high walls and classically austere architecture.

A much less modest gentleman built his mansion on the corner of the rue Fromentin: this 17th-century doctor decorated the facade of his house with statues of famous doctors - Hippocrates, Galen and others. On Rue Saint-Côme, closer to the city walls, is the Musee d’Orbigny-Bernon with an extensive department dedicated to local history, significant collections of local earthenware, Chinese and Japanese porcelain and beautiful furniture.

East of the Rue Palais, starting from Place de Petits-Bancs, Rue du Temple will lead you to La Rochelle town hall(Hotel de Ville), protected by decorative, but seriously fortified walls. Its construction began around 1600, during the reign of Henry IV, whose initials, intertwined with those of Marie de Medici, are carved into the gallery on the ground floor. It is a fine example of Italian style modified to French taste: the building is decorated with niches, statues and coffered ceilings - all made of stone the color of ripe barley.

If you want to immerse yourself in silence in the atmosphere of those seemingly much more noble times, there is no better place than the Cafe de la Poste terrace (right next to the post office, on a small pedestrian square outside). Freer local architecture (almost as old) awaits you further, on Rue des Merciers, another area for shopping; walk along it to the cramped and noisy market square, not far from which you will see the Museum of the New World (Musee Noveau Monde), the entrance to which is located on rue Fleuriau.

Unusually, this museum is housed in the former residence of the Fleuriot family, wealthy merchants and shipowners who, like many other La Rochelle residents, made their fortune trading slaves, as well as sugar, spices and coffee from the Caribbean islands. A fine collection of prints, paintings and photographs of old West Indian plantations awaits you; maps of America in the 17th-18th centuries; photogravures of Indians (made around 1900) with amazing names like Piopio, Maxmax, Wallawalla and Lawyer Pierced Nose. An interesting exhibition of illustrations in aquatint technique for Marmontel’s novel “The Incas” - a striking mixture of sentimentality and tender voluptuousness.

On nearby rue Gargoulleau is the Museum of Fine Arts (Musee des Beaux-Arts), where most of the exhibition is centered around the works of several La Rochelle masters - it also traces the history of art, from the most primitive to the modern.

To return to the port again, having escaped the maze of pedestrian streets around the town hall, walk down the rue St-Sauveur with its large and gloomy church, through the quai Maubec and quai Louis-Durand to Rue Saint-Nicolas (St-Nicholas) and neighboring Place de la Fourche with a large shady tree and street cafe– both are pedestrian-only and boast several antique shops, second-hand bookstores and fashion boutiques. On both streets there is a flea (antique) market on Sundays.

Towards the port of Minim

On the eastern side of the old harbour, behind the Saint-Nicolas tower, is the quartier du Gabut, where fishermen once lived in wooden houses and sheds, and now there are many bars, shops and restaurants. Behind them is a large dock, a market and buildings to serve the old fishing port. Now an aquarium has been built there. Opposite the aquarium you will see the Maritime Museum, which includes an interesting collection of obsolete ships as well as land-based exhibits.

A ten-minute walk from here you will see the Automata Museum (Musee des Automates; address: rue de la Desiree) - an amazing collection of 300 automata puppets, where you will be transported to a wonderful fantasy world. Some of the dolls are interesting from a historical point of view; others (like the puppet that can spell the word "Pierrot") are curious in their technical design. A little lower on the same street you will find the Museum of Reduced Models (Musee des Modeles Reduits).

For families, the prices seem high (especially considering that the entire excursion takes no more than half an hour), but a visit to this museum can easily be combined with a visit to the neighboring Automata Museum. There are scale models of all types and eras on display here, from automobiles to imitation shipwrecks underwater to the La Rochelle train station.

Port des Minimes is a large modern harbor where thousands of yachts moor, about 2 kilometers south of the old port. You can get there by bus number 10 from Place Verdun, as well as by the much more interesting “sea bus” (bus de mer) - a small boat that runs from the old port to the port of Minim - or just take a walk along the coast (30 minutes). There are shops, restaurants, bars and residential apartments, and young men and women flock there on weekends and summer evenings to parade along the wonderful plage des Minimes.

Where to eat and drink in La Rochelle

For food in La Rochelle, try the Rue du Port and Rue St-Sauver area, close to the shore, or the attractive Rue St-Jean du Perot, where there is everything you want: from pancake houses and pizzerias to expensive restaurants for gourmets and several establishments of exotic cuisine (including Indian and Chinese).

The city of La Rochelle is also famous for its classical French cuisine. Particularly worth paying attention to are the city's many excellent fish restaurants. Both Ernest Le Glacier (15 rue du Port) and Olivier Glacier (21 rue St-Jean du Perot) serve excellent ice cream until late.

The ship stops not near the city itself, but about 10 kilometers from it.
There is a free shuttle from the ship to the city. I still don’t understand who provides and pays for these shuttles, i.e. in some ports they cost $15 per day, and in others they are free. So, here in La Rochelle, although these buses were free, everything was organized much better than in other places! Well, just wonderfully organized!
Firstly, all the girls - guides who help both when boarding the ship and in the city - wore a uniform - it was obvious who to ask for a map of the city or the bus departure time. And they even spoke English))). In the city, there was always one of the buses near the shuttle parking lot - i.e. While you’re waiting, you can sit instead of standing (there are a lot of elderly people on the ship, not to mention the fact that everyone feels tired after walking around the city for many hours). Well, they left one after another - so there was essentially no need to wait. Then, when the ship sailed, all these girl guides, there were about 10-12 of them, stood on the pier and waved their handkerchiefs)))...
By the way, I wouldn’t be surprised if the city pays for this service - cruise tourists are considered very beneficial for the city’s economy)))

And now - the city.

The city left a very, very pleasant impression.
Well, firstly, it seemed to me somehow real, not packed to capacity with tourists. No, it was not empty, not at all - there were a lot of people in restaurants and shops, but they were clearly of French origin, which is very pleasing)))...
I also liked the local streets - so clean and cozy - there are many restaurants everywhere, which really brightens up the life of our brother-tourist - you can sit here, then there)))...

The city of La Rochelle has quite an interesting history.
This time I didn’t read almost anything at all without traveling, although I found some information and even printed it out. But I just read it now - this is how it happens...

This citadel, consisting of two towers, once blocked the entrance (for ships) to the city, to its inner harbor.
The Saint-Nicolas Tower has a characteristic slope. The reason for this is in the pile supports on which this structure rests: over the past centuries they have sagged a little, which slightly crippled the tower. The massive octagonal Chain Tower housed a drawbridge that allowed the chain to be extended from the Saint-Nicolas Tower, blocking the entrance to the port. They say that it was with these chains that Gargantua was kept in the cradle. On the ground floor of the La Chene tower there is now a small exhibition introducing the history of the local Protestant community, and there is an observation deck on the roof.

The city was the main Atlantic port of France for quite a long time - this was facilitated by its favorable geographical location - in particular, protection from the westerly winds by the island of Re.
Ships with salt and wine departed from here. Salt was probably mainly mined on the island of Re.
At least there is a lot of it in local shops...

And from there (from the island of Re) a lot of expensive potatoes are sold.
At first I couldn’t understand what kind of prices they had for potatoes, but then I remembered that the potatoes there were somehow special and very valuable. Somehow, I still doubt that I personally could feel the difference, hmm... Well, potatoes and potatoes)))...

So.
Let's go back to history).
Those. I’ll just post a few quotes here).
«... one of the largest residences of the Templars was located in La Rochelle, and seven “Templar roads” converging in the port city led here from all corners of the country, providing quick and convenient access in case of sudden need. The main road leading from Paris was properly protected and equipped with special points for the quick change of horses. ... When Philip the Fair began a hunt for the knights of the Order on October 13, 1308, it was here, in La Rochelle, that the Templars managed to transport their treasures. Here ships were already waiting for them, ready at any moment to set sail from the inhospitable shores of France. What happened very soon.»

And further...
“La Rochelle is one of the first places in France where the ideas of the Reformation penetrated: by openly accepting the ideas, the city became the citadel of the Huguenots, the “Atlantic Geneva.” In 1570, at the end of the third religious war, the city (one of four in the country) received the status of a fortress in which Protestants were allowed to settle. Here they were guaranteed freedom of religion, which gave the city a short period of prosperity and peace. After St. Bartholomew's Night in 1572, La Rochelle became a center of Protestant resistance. In 1573, the Duke of Anjou besieged the city, but failed to take it, since the English fleet under the command of Montgomery captured Belle-Ile. In the end, La Rochelle surrendered honorably.
The signing of the Edict of Nantes brought several decades of peaceful life to La Rochelle. However, the townspeople's commitment to Protestantism, close trade and cultural ties with the British (the Duke of Buckingham set up a fortified camp on the island of Re) and after the soldiers of La Rochelle marched in battle against the royal French troops on September 10, 1627, King Louis XIII ordered a siege La Rochelle. Cardinal Richelieu personally supervised the operation.
The city was placed in a blockade ring, for which fortifications 12 km long were erected along all its land borders, and a dam was built into the sea (architect Meteso), blocking the entrance to the port. Fifteen months of painful famine forced the city to submit. Richelieu entered La Rochelle on October 30, 1628, and two days later Louis XIII appeared there. 23,000 people died during the siege. 5,000 survivors were spared, although rebel leaders, including Mayor Jean Guiton, were forced to leave the city for several months. The trade of the port was destroyed and the fortifications were razed.

New persecution of the Huguenots began, culminating in the repeal of the Edict of Nantes by Louis XIV. Many Huguenots fled the country and founded the city of New Rochelle in North America in 1689.
Like any ancient port city, La Rochelle is famous for its captains, explorers and pioneers. In the 15th century, ships with colonists sailed from here to Canada, and Jean de Bettencourt set off to discover the Canary Islands. A native of La Rochelle, Delasalle became in 1681 the first European to walk from the headwaters of the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico. R. Gallier, the first European to return alive from Timbuktu, also lived here.
Shipowners from La Rochelle made large profits trading with Canada and Louisiana, and most of all with the West Indies. They made their fortune from a three-way trade that included selling cloth and buying slaves in West Africa, transporting and selling slaves to the Americas, and profitably returning home with large cargoes of colonial goods.
In 1890, a new deep-water port was built in La Pallis, the operation of which did not depend on the level of tides.”

Honestly, I don’t even remember where I got the quotes from, so I can’t give a link, but I don’t attribute the authorship to myself either)))...

So, as you can see, it’s not exactly a simple town - there are also interesting moments in its history.

By the way, regarding the last statement - that the port was made “deeper”... Hmm...
There are some incredible ebbs and flows there. We noticed this on the island of Re, and here too.
Moreover, in a fairly short time, the water either disappears or appears again.
Look here.
First this photo.
Full of so-so water...

There are even fish swimming...

Now look here!

And the difference in the photo is only a couple of hours...
And you know. I was very interested in one question - where do the fish go during low tides??? The fact is that we watched the tide on the island of Re and saw fish swarming in the shallow water there, and it felt like they were “climbing out of the mud.” Well, you couldn’t see them floating along with the water!!! I don’t even know what to think - maybe there are some special fish there?
And all sorts of mussels, oysters and snails were also stuck on the walls there... They also somehow adapted and do not die without water...

And about oysters and other reptiles)))...
We went to the local market there.
Here are their prices, maybe someone is interested (or relevant).

Look how nice the prices are here))).

And more from the market...

I saw an interesting flower there - it looks a lot like a rose, but it’s not a rose...

But this, it seems, is the Great Clock Tower.
“It once served as the city gate and was part of the fortress wall separating the Old Port from the city. The tower was originally built at the beginning of the 12th century - at the same time that the medieval city was surrounded by the first fortress wall. Then it was called Parro or Perro, since behind it there was a quarter with that name. In the Middle Ages, the tower gate consisted of two arched openings: the larger one was intended for the passage of carts and carriages, and the smaller one for pedestrians. Already in the second half of the 17th century they were combined into one large arch, which we can see now.

In 1478, a bell tower with a clock was added to the tower, inside which there was a bell that rang every hour. This bell tower lasted for several centuries and was replaced in 1746 by the present elegant structure in the Louis XV style, decorated with pilasters, vignettes and draperies that support putti. The bell now in the tower is one of the heaviest bells in the region, weighing more than two tons.”

Passing under the tower gates, you find yourself on rue de Palais - the main shopping street of La Rochelle. There are many interesting medieval houses here and in the neighboring streets. You can really feel from them that the city had a rich past - the pavements are still in perfect order, only polished over the years to a shine...

And a lot of arches!
These are great guys - in the heat you can walk under them in the shade, and in bad weather you can escape the rain!!!
Why aren't they building this in all cities???!!!

We went to different shops there - there are some interesting ones, by the way)...
There was delicious nougat here (although it seemed a little expensive, but we bought it anyway).

I also bought myself some amazing sparkling soap there with a pleasant sea scent!
(I usually don’t buy such nonsense)))))

They were surprised, for the umpteenth time, it was theirs, French!!! addiction to canned sardines!
And the prices for them, of course, are some kind of delicacy, hee hee...
Well, where have you seen such specialized stores with canned fish???
I personally - ANYWHERE else!)))

And even these stores come across - I will never understand this, who buys in these stores? This Danish mastodon has already spread in all cities and countries and their trade, by the way, is very flourishing! The crisis had a special impact in this case - people apparently began to buy things cheaper... And they don’t care about quality (((...

And another one of the towers closer...

It might be useful to read: