La Rochelle: my visit in the French town
After a trip of a few hours (partivo of Bordeaux, God bless BlaBlaCar!), I came to La Rochelle, a lovely town on Atlantic coast of France.
In the Middle Ages, It was one of the most important cities served by the Knights Templar and, in the first half of '600, He was besieged by King Louis XIII and Cardinal Richelieu, at the height of tensions between Catholic France and a La Rochelle which had become the “fortress” Protestants (Huguenots).
After, La Rochelle became very active in trade with “new world”, dealing in particular slaves (like nearby Nantes, which I will talk in another post) and raw materials. Just the flourishing trade across the sea, They have left a legacy that is the symbol of La Rochelle: The Old Port, the old port.
You can not miss: wherever they arrive, receiving the poi, the crowds and the traffic will take you to the harbor, guarded by three towers (Tower the Chain of Saint Nicholas, that protected the access to the port, is the Lantern Tower, that served as a lighthouse and prison).
What struck me is the imposing presence of British tourists! There must have been 80% of foreigners!
From what they told me, many Brits have owned homes in the area, and are frequently in a region of France that, all in all, not too far from the South of England.
The town is really small, it runs perfectly on foot, and yet it is well served by public transport and, unbelievable, di un park&ride in periferia, where to exchange with buses and bike sharing, which in Italy is science fiction even for some metropolises I know. 🙂
Also, the system of bike sharing at La Rochelle it is famous for being the oldest in France (and, Unfortunately, it is also noticeable in the age of bikes and stalls). Personally, to move I used the bike, but know that you will need to get a smart card first, from the cost of 2eur per 2 days, which you can get at the central station (SNCF train station).
A friend lent me a card, and I skipped this step, so much the better! 🙂
The Old Port, As I wrote above, and the beating heart of the city: Here the artists perform, Here, tourists can stroll in the cool, I eat an ice cream, or rest in one of the many restaurants where they cook dishes based on fish (try the mules with chips!).
IL Old Town and covered market (the Marché is a cute wrought iron structure dating back to 800, where I suggest you take a ride), however, They are located just to the North, and deserve a good half-day walk.
Walking in Rue des Bonnes Femmes Sunday morning…. the desert!
In total I spent two half days in La Rochelle, which are enough to see everything that's interesting.
It has been a pleasant diversion for break the journey between Bordeaux and Nantes, and I can only advise you to visit!
The photos of my visit are, Usual, in my gallery, A this address.
We come to’itinerary, in textual form, of mia visita a La Rochelle, followed by’ITINERARIO IN FORMATO GOOGLE MAPS:
1DAY (Arrive at 18):
- Take a bike from the bike sharing station n19 map of Bike Sharing, "Technoforum", a Nord di Lac de la Sole. Come up to the North and reaches the station n13 "Square Valin", placed in the upper right of the Vieux Port.
- The old Port (the old port, in the city center, with many seafood restaurants, and its characteristic towers, memories of the medieval fortifications)
- For De La Cena Tours Perot – 46 Rue Saint Jean du Perot, near the Tour de la Lanterne
2DAY (Starting at 16):
- Take the bike from the station n19 "Technoforum", and go downtown to the station n7 "Marché", su Rue des Dames, in the lower left of the market.
- Market (Market town) (in this iron structure of 1835 and, Sunday, also in its surroundings, It held the city market).
- La Rochelle Cathedral (neoclassical, It was built from 1742)
- Chapel of Our Lady of Hope (church consecrated in 1858, dedicated to the sailors)
- Hotel de Ville (Il town, dating from the fifteenth century., built in Renaissance style and surrounded by a fence in Gothic-Flemish)
- Charruyer Park (beautiful city park, which includes a free zoo)
- Tour de la Lanterne / Tour de la Chaine (chain) / Tour Saint-Nicolas (The first served as a lighthouse and prison, and the other two were to defend the port. The Tour de Nicolas is the oldest, and dates back to 1372. It is possible to climb on top of the three towers. times 10-18:30 - Input 8.5eur)
- Starting at approximately 16 towards Nantes
ITINERARIO IN FORMATO GOOGLE MAPS, WITH TWO DAYS DIVIDED BY COLOR: link
In short, we talk about a town virtually unknown in Italy, but very, much appreciated by the British, and a wheel from Belgian, Dutch and German. Data one chance, will not disappoint! 🙂