Rising on the shores of the French Atlantic coast, La Rochelle maintains its defiant and independent air , hiding its many charms only for those who deserve to discover them. We should not be fooled by the fact that its foundations sink into marshes with an inconsistent face, since this was a almost unconquerable stronghold of the French Huguenots during the wars of religion, and is still eminently Protestant today.
The hard and impregnable aspect of the port of La Rochelle contrasts, however, with the warmth of its squares, shops and restaurants tastefully decorated, beautiful centuries-old buildings and that air of absolute tranquility that overwhelms the small coastal cities that left behind, relieved, the long centuries of disputes, assaults, fights and looting.
But the port of La Rochelle not only lived under fire and steel , but also served as starting point for successful and exciting expeditions to the Americas , in a coming and going of boats that brought with it a huge amount of exotic goods and wealth to the city.
THE ROCHELLE TOWERS
These goods were examined by the inquisitive eyes of the customs officers who were in the chain tower , which acted as a checkpoint for the entry and exit of ships to the old port.
When visiting its three floors we look out to see, right in front of it, the slightly inclined mass of the tower of San Nicolás . The chain that closed the access to the port every night for centuries stretched between these two twin watchtowers that were built in the 14th century.
Tower of San Nicolás and the Chain.
San Nicolás, with its imposing 42 meters high, it is a real defensive fortress and in the visit of its five floors open to the public you can admire an authentic labyrinth of stairs that was used by the reinforcement troops. Governors room , with an octagonal plan and covered by a beautiful ogival vault, represents the noble part of a tower that offers great views of the cove, the bay and the nearby island of Aix from the top floor.
Although if we want to have the best panoramic view of the city of La Rochelle , we must climb to the top of another tower newer than those that guard the port. The Lantern Tower was completed in the 15th century and has the honor of being the only remaining medieval lighthouse on the Atlantic coast.
Its architecture seems to indicate that it was more of a stylish tower than an impregnable fortress. However, looking closely at the stone walls of its upper floors, we can see signs of human desperation.
Lantern Tower.
And it is that English, Dutch and Spanish pirates, corsairs and soldiers were imprisoned there , trapped in that endless war for control of maritime trade. They were the ones who engraved messages, drawings and even poems on the rock, without imagining that we, men and women of the 21st century, would feel moved by their eventful lives so many years later.
THE GASTRONOMY OF LA ROCHELLE
But not only battles and misfortunes brought the waters of the Atlantic to La Rochelle.
One of the most valued delicacies of its varied table comes from the seabed: oysters. We can see them in their bars, restaurants and the attractive stands of their Central Market (Marche Central) where they are open and splendid, sharing the spotlight with other magnificent secondary actors, such as lobsters, prawns and mussels, which are served here cooked with a tasty sauce made with cream and white wine.
The Marché Central is a great place to take the pulse of the locals. Shoppers exchange greetings and friendly conversation with each other. vendors whose stalls wake up full of fruit, vegetables, meat and fish , all tastefully arranged to create a beautiful myriad of colors.
Oysters in La Rochelle.
And what dishes can be created with such good raw material? For this we only have to approach some of the best restaurants in La Rochelle.
Christopher Coutanceau's restaurant has not been awarded three Michelin stars by chance. The French chef offers diners a true immersion in the sensory facets of the nearby ocean. Nobody exploits the flavors of the sea like him, and all this in a unique space with views over the Bay of La Rochelle. There is no better place for a romantic dinner in the city.
Also near the port, La Kase is the ideal place to taste some of the best proposals of French cuisine.
A HISTORICAL TOWN WITH WEALTH FROM ANOTHER TIME
Just behind the harbor and these great restaurants, the cobbled streets of the historic center of La Rochelle they show part of the wealth and opulence of yesteryear.
An irrefutable proof is his Town Hall, which was built, in the Renaissance style , in the sixteenth century. The square that this building overlooks is presided over by the statue of Jean Guiton, the Huguenot mayor who was in command of the square during the siege perpetrated by the troops of Louis XIII, between 1627 and 1628.
Near this square, Rue du Palais and Rues des Merceries are dotted with beautiful 17th-century palatial houses , with its towers on the corners and wide arcades on the lower floors. Walking through them we feel as if we had entered a time tunnel.
A FIRST LEVEL AQUARIUM
We will also find a tunnel, but made of glass and in which dozens of marine species appear, at the Aquarium La Rochelle. Is tourist attraction, suitable for both children and adults , is the most popular in La Rochelle, receiving more than 800,000 visitors a year.
Is about a first class aquarium , in which more than 12,000 marine species are distributed in about 150 water tanks of different sizes.
La Rochelle Aquarium.
Here we can learn many things – also helped by an audio guide – about the biodiversity present in the Atlantic, the Mediterranean and the Tropics.
THE ISLAND OF RÉ, A PERFECT GETAWAY
If we want to complement the many charms of La Rochelle with an excursion nearby, there is no better plan than to visit the Ile de Ré.
A bridge spanning the waters of the ocean allows us to get from La Rochelle to the Ile de Ré no need to take a boat. We will leave the car in Saint Martin de Ré, the main town on the island that has a pretty harbour, churches, low houses with whitewashed facades adorned with flowers and various fortifications impressive, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and built by the great military architect of the 17th century, Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban.
From there, the best way to explore Ré is by bike . Thus we will discover vast fields covered with flowers (especially in spring), long solitary beaches of golden sand and the famous donkeys with Ré pants.
Ile de Ré (France).
They say that the tradition of putting pants on these woolly donkeys arose in 1860, when a local had the great idea of doing it to protect the animal from diseases caused by insect bites.
The truth is Ré donkeys look like authentic Rastafarians of their kind . Perhaps they thus symbolize the relaxation and peace they feel in a place that has already paid, and more than paid, all its tributes to the war when the world was younger and just as crazy as it is now.
Rastafarian donkeys on the Ile de Ré.