Its main attraction, le Vieux Port (Old Harbour), is at the heart of La Rochelle. Headcity of the Charente-Maritime département, its old town has maintained a rich and well-preserved architectural heritage, which makes La Rochelle one of the most dynamic and attractive cities on the Atlantic coast, alongside Bordeaux and Nantes. The old harbour opens into a strait that has been protected over centuries: the Pertuis d’Antioche.įor ten centuries, La Rochelle liked to be different: democratic ahead of its time, protestant when the rest of France was catholic, the “ rebel” city is still a stop not to be missed when you travel through France! The French city of La Rochelle is a seaport located on the Bay of Biscay, a part of the Atlantic Ocean.
“ La Rochelle : belle et rebelle“, as the saying goes.