It would be difficult to call the home of one of Europe's largest pleasure boat marinas 'undiscovered,' but despite its popularity among Europeans, La Rochelle appeared to be anything but overused when we visited in the high season of August. This beautiful and well-maintained…Read More

It would be difficult to call the home of one of Europe's largest pleasure boat marinas 'undiscovered,' but despite its popularity among Europeans, La Rochelle appeared to be anything but overused when we visited in the high season of August. This beautiful and well-maintained port city has a long history that is easily recognized as soon as you pass through the 700-plus year-old ramparts guarding the old harbor.

In addition to being a great place to visit and enjoy on its own, La Rochelle is also a great jumping off point for the larger region which includes the world-famous homes of Bordeaux wine and Cognac. We've offered a few possibilities here after several visits, but your own discoveries are likely to prove inexhaustible as your explore le beau pays du France outside of the lights of Paris.

If you head north of La Rochelle, you come across an area known as the Marais Poitevin, certainly one of the most intriguing spots near La Rochelle. It is a region filled with canals and waterways, some which date back to medieval times…Read More

If you head north of La Rochelle, you come across an area known as the Marais Poitevin, certainly one of the most intriguing spots near La Rochelle.

It is a region filled with canals and waterways, some which date back to medieval times (and are the work of monks, I am told). Some are able to handle regular boats, while others are quite narrow. Though the Marais (marsh) is described as moss-covered by some, green slime was my initial impression of some parts. [Other canals are quite clear.] In fact, the area is called the 'Venise Vert' (Green Venice), an allusion to the canals of Venice, though there is no comparison in any other regard. Still, it is a fascinating visit.

Some areas are surrounded by lush trees, and many overhang the marshes, making for beautiful boat rides through the canals. Some inhabitants of the area still must use boats to get to their homes on little islands in what is certainly a most picturesque part of Western France.

Not far from La Rochelle on the French Atlantic coast is Brouge, the birthplace of Samuel de Champlain, one of the founders of 'New France.' Though likely a lively town at one point in history, it is now a much calmer place. In fact,…Read More

Not far from La Rochelle on the French Atlantic coast is Brouge, the birthplace of Samuel de Champlain, one of the founders of 'New France.' Though likely a lively town at one point in history, it is now a much calmer place. In fact, the water has subsided, and the marshy areas between the village and the ocean have lengthened considerably.

Brouge is a fortified village, still completely surrounded by ramparts, though they are somewhat overgrown in spots. Still, they are worth a walk, whether you are beside them, or on top. There are several interesting artisan shops to peak the visitors' interests. Though not a major tourist sight, Brouge is a pleasant stop and an opportunity to learn a bit more about history.

La Rochelle sits quietly on the Atlantic Coast of France for most of the year but truly comes alive in the summer when it is a proverbial beehive of activity with its beaches, history, language schools, street performers, and "les Francopholies," a festival of French…Read More

La Rochelle sits quietly on the Atlantic Coast of France for most of the year but truly comes alive in the summer when it is a proverbial beehive of activity with its beaches, history, language schools, street performers, and "les Francopholies," a festival of French culture.

The most common photo of La Rochelle is almost always of the old port and the two towers flanking its entrance, like sentries guarding a city: the Tour de la Chaine and the Tour St. Nicolas. A chain was supposedly suspended between the two towers in previous centuries in order to stop craft from entering the port. The towers are certainly the centerpiece of La Rochelle, though the town has much more to offer.

Another tower, the Tour de la Lanterne, a former lighthouse, now houses one of the most exciting museums in the town, the Musee du Nouveau Monde (Museum of the New World). For those with family connections to Europe and in particular France, the displays are fascinating - informative and educational. Further history can be seen in old buildings, including timbered houses, a covered market, and La Maison Henri II, which includes some displays of Gallo-Roman artifacts found in the area.

Research shows that the infamous Cardinal Richelieu, ever a backroom politician long before the term became well-used, played an important part in La Rochelle's history, as it was a Protestant stronghold until defeated by the Cardinal.

For more recent history, you can visit the port of La Pallice, just a few kilometres away, and view huge submarine bases built by the Germans during World War II.

After a day's activities, "Les Francopholies" brings together the best of French culture with groups and individuals from France, Canada and elsewhere. Whether it is Les Polyphonies Corse, Renaud with his satiric wit, or Charles Aznavour, there is something for all ages. Though a special stage is set up in the old port, and most pay for admission, it is possible to sit outside the performance area along the port with many others, nursing a beer and picking up a snack from a nearby street vendor. You can enjoy the well-amplified strains wafting across the water and watch the sun fall into the Atlantic.

Nearby, the street is alive - artists and caricaturists wait to capture your likeness, jugglers perform, guitarists, entertain, a dog act catches the interest of passers-by, pins and handmade jewellery are for sale, and literally hundreds of other vendors sell everything you can imagine. Even tattoos are available. The atmosphere is captivating.

La Rochelle offers a wealth of history and myriad other activities for its visitors. But if the heat of the day becomes too much, remember, the beaches and the cooling waters of the Atlantic Ocean are close by. Beaches are filled with sunbathers, children play with their plastic pails and shovels in the sand, badminton nets and rackets are in evidence, and some people dig for oysters. This is a popular location for sailboats and they are a prominent sight, as the crowds at the beaches swim, propel themselves through the water on paddle boards or simply lounge in the water, all within sight of the towers of history.