Museums
Whether you're a couple, a family, a group of friends or colleagues, visiting for the weekend or a week... La Rochelle is the place to be, and here's what you won't want to miss when you stay in our beautiful city!
Museums
Discover the city's astonishing collection of museums as you stroll under the 13th-century arcades and through the cobbled streets of the historic center.
Natural History Museum
Maritime Museum
Museum of Fine Arts
New World Museum
Museums
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old port
Sightseeing and the Old Port
The Vieux Port de La Rochelle is getting a facelift, quay by quay. Since this autumn, the Quai Valin has been offering its new esplanade of light-colored flagstones to the eyes of the people of La Rochelle and visitors to the city. Alongside a brand-new square frequented by children and adults alike, and the Bassin à Flot where most of the harbor's pleasure boats are moored, a wide bicycle path gives pride of place to non-motorized two-wheelers. Operational since completion of the Quai Valin redevelopment project, this new path will be extended before the end of the year to link up with Quai Georges Simenon. At the end, the footbridge spanning the Ancien Bassin des Chalutiers will also be refurbished, but it will still be possible to cross on foot or by bicycle to enjoy a unique panorama of the three Towers of La Rochelle, the access channel to the Vieux Port and the Atlantic Ocean.
Towers
Arcades and old town
Discover the old town of La Rochelle, with its 13th-century arcades, cobbled streets and numerous town houses and monuments.
Aquarium
Opened in 1988 with a surface area of 8845m² and over 12,000 animals of 600 marine species divided between 75 aquariums with over 3 million liters of seawater.
An inspiring setting for your teams
La Rochelle Towers
The Tours St Nicolas, de la Chaine and de la Lanterne are the vestiges of La Rochelle. Standing guard over the Atlantic, they bear witness to La Rochelle's power over the centuries.
- TOUR SAINT NICOLAS: A veritable urban keep and palatial residence facing the ocean, this military edifice symbolizes the power and wealth of La Rochelle. At 42 meters high, its architecture is built around a labyrinth of staircases and corridors set into the thickness of the walls.
- TOUR DE LA CHAINE: Gateway to the Old Port, the Tour de la Chaîne monitored boat movements and port traffic, and collected duties and taxes. New from January 1, 2018: Tous à la plage exhibition, a panorama of seaside towns from their origins to the present day...
- TOUR DE LA LANTERNE (Dite des 4 sergents): The last medieval lighthouse on the Atlantic coast, 55 meters high and topped by an octagonal Gothic spire, the tower served as a lighthouse and prison throughout its history. It contains over 600 graffiti carved by inmates over 3 centuries.
- Open every day except the 1st Monday of the month.
- Opening hours April to September: 10am-1pm and 2.15pm-6.30pm
- Opening hours from October to March: 10am-1pm and 2.15pm-5.30pm
Towers
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Town Hall
The beating heart of our maritime city since the 13th century, La Rochelle's Hôtel de Ville almost succumbed to the flames of a spectacular fire in 2013. Now rebuilt, this historic edifice, so dear to the hearts of the people of La Rochelle, can once again be visited.
Guided tours
A stopover in the heart of the Old Town and Old Port through the great hours of this free trading city: the memory of Eleanor of Aquitaine, the escapades of Henri IV, the siege of Cardinal Richelieu... today, the liveliness of its quays and terraces, the colors of its market and the tranquility of its English-style parks will seduce you.
The market
Entirely devoted to food, this veritable local institution offers its setting to promote flavors made in France. Facing a half-timbered Renaissance house, a 19th-century covered market is packed with fishmongers, cheese-makers, delicatessens and other delicatessens offering the high-quality products for which our region is famous.
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