Experience the best of La Rochelle

La Rochelle grew rich as a trading port, and the old harbour is still guarded by the Tour Saint-Nicolas and the Tour de la Chaîne, between which a chain was once hung to close the entrance. In the 16th and 17th centuries the town was a Protestant stronghold, and it fell to Cardinal Richelieu after a siege of more than a year in 1627 and 1628.

Arcaded streets run through the old centre to the Grosse Horloge, a clock gate, and the harbour front is lined with cafés. The aquarium has sharks and jellyfish, and the maritime museum includes a former weather ship, the France I. Offshore, the Île de Ré, reached by a long bridge, has white villages, salt pans and cycle paths, and the Île d'Oléron lies to the south. Rochefort, a naval town with a rope-making hall and a replica frigate, is a short drive away.

Oysters and mussels from the nearby coast are the local pleasure, with mouclade, mussels in a creamy sauce, and sardines grilled at the quayside. Pineau des Charentes, a sweet aperitif, and cognac come from the countryside inland. The sea climate is mild, with more sunshine than much of the Atlantic coast.