The port of La Rochelle has been standing here since the XIIIth century.
It was very likely fortified from the beginning. The towers date back to the XIVth and XVth centuries. They outlived the destruction of the ramparts after the Siege of 1628. The St Nicolas Tower, the tallest, and opposite the Chain Tower (on the left) both a lighthouse and a defence tower which used to be linked to the latter by a defensive wall.
La Rochelle possesses a commercial harbour in deep water named La Pallice. The large submarine bunker built during World War II still stands there, although it is not being used. La Pallice is equipped with oil unloading equipment and mainly handles tropical wood. It is also the location of the fishing fleet, which was moved from the old harbour at the center of the city during the 1980s.
La Rochelle also maintains strong links with the sea by harbouring the largest marina for pleasure boats in Europe at Les Minimes and a rather rich boat-building industry. This where we started our ferry trip from.
One of the arcade shops.
The arch covered streets are the real charm of La Rochelle. Shopkeepers used to display their merchandise under these porches giving shelter from the sun and rain. However, they had to pay a licence to the town for that purpose.
It was very likely fortified from the beginning. The towers date back to the XIVth and XVth centuries. They outlived the destruction of the ramparts after the Siege of 1628. The St Nicolas Tower, the tallest, and opposite the Chain Tower (on the left) both a lighthouse and a defence tower which used to be linked to the latter by a defensive wall.
La Rochelle possesses a commercial harbour in deep water named La Pallice. The large submarine bunker built during World War II still stands there, although it is not being used. La Pallice is equipped with oil unloading equipment and mainly handles tropical wood. It is also the location of the fishing fleet, which was moved from the old harbour at the center of the city during the 1980s.
La Rochelle also maintains strong links with the sea by harbouring the largest marina for pleasure boats in Europe at Les Minimes and a rather rich boat-building industry. This where we started our ferry trip from.
One of the arcade shops.
The arch covered streets are the real charm of La Rochelle. Shopkeepers used to display their merchandise under these porches giving shelter from the sun and rain. However, they had to pay a licence to the town for that purpose.
We parked the car a 15 minute ferry boat ride away from the centre. The return journey was quite eventful. The wind and swell had risen so the small boat bobbed around like a cork in the washing machine so it was as good as a ride at Disneyland.
Close to the campsite were these fishing piers. A square net is lowered into the water and after a while it is raised, hopefully, full of fish.
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