Chain Tower
At the entrance.
François de Dijon — CC BY-SA 4.0 · François de Dijon — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Jpbazard Jean-Pierre Bazard — CC BY-SA 3.0 · VolleySteff — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Jpbazard Jean-Pierre Bazard — CC BY-SA 3.0
The Old Port is the heart of La Rochelle, a seaport on the Bay of Biscay on France's west coast and the capital of the Charente-Maritime department. The city has about 78,000 residents, the largest in the department. The city's origins go back to Gallo-Roman times, and the Dukes of Aquitaine granted it a charter as a free port in 1130. It has a long trading tradition and is known as a «gateway to the ocean» for its three ports for fishing, trade and yachts. A 2.9 km bridge has linked it to the Île de Ré since 1988. Two medieval stone towers, the Chain Tower and the Saint-Nicolas Tower, guard the entrance to the Old Port, while white stone houses with grey roofs, cafés and seafood restaurants line the quays. Yachts and boats bob in the basin, and the facades glow at sunset and at night. Visitors stroll the quays, climb the towers for views over the port and sea, and wander the arcaded lanes of the old town. Boats leave the port for nearby Atlantic islands, and evenings on the waterfront are lively.
At the entrance.
Seafood cafés.
The old town.
La Rochelle, Charente-Maritime, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France
Île de Ré over the bridge.
Evening on the waterfront.