Towers & old town

The Atlantic “White City” of Charente-Maritime: three medieval towers guarding the Old Port, arcaded streets, museums, the painters who loved its harbour, a thousand years of history and the islands offshore.

La Rochelle stands on the edge of the Atlantic, off the Pertuis d’Antioche, sheltered from storms by the islands of Ré, Oléron and Aix. The first VisitLaRochelle.com summed it up in a line: a city with a strong commercial tradition, whose port was active from its very origins.

First recorded as “Rupella” in 961, the town became a free commune in 1199, a great wine and brandy port, a Huguenot stronghold besieged by Richelieu in 1627–1628 and, in the 18th century, a major Atlantic and slave-trading port. Foreigners called it the “White City” because it looked dazzling white from the sea.

This section takes you through it page by page: the towers and the old town, the museums, the painters of the harbour, the history of the city and the islands and coast around it.

The entrance of the Old Port between the Saint-Nicolas and Chain towers — photo Jebulon, Wikimedia Commons (CC0)

In this section

Towers & old townThe Saint-Nicolas, Chain and Lantern towers, the Grosse-Horloge, the cathedral and the arcades

MuseumsMaritime Museum, Natural History Museum, New World Museum and the aquarium

Painters of La RochelleVernet (1762), Corot (1851), Signac, Marquet and Callot

HistoryFrom “Rupella” in 961 to the commune of 1199 and the siege of 1627–1628

Around La RochelleÎle de Ré, Fort Boyard, Île d’Aix, Île d’Oléron, Rochefort and Châtelaillon-Plage

Town hallRenaissance courtyard behind a Gothic wall — reopened in 2019 after the 2013 fire

Towers & old townThe Saint-Nicolas, Chaîne and Lanterne towers, the Grosse Horloge gate, the town hall, the cathedral and the arcaded streets, with map and hours.
MuseumsMaritime Museum, Natural History Museum, New World Museum, Aquarium and Protestant museum: hours, prices, passes — and the Fine Arts museum, closed until 2027.
Painters of La RochelleJoseph Vernet (1762), Camille Corot (1851), Paul Signac, Albert Marquet and Henri Callot painted the harbour of La Rochelle.
HistoryFrom “Rupella” in 961 to the free commune of 1199, the siege of 1627-1628, the Atlantic trade and the modern port city.
Around La RochelleÎle de Ré and its bridge, Fort Boyard, Île d’Aix, Île d’Oléron, the Royal Ropeworks in Rochefort and the beach town of Châtelaillon-Plage.

Good to know (October 2026): the Saint-Nicolas Tower is closed until further notice for consolidation works (the Chain and Lantern towers are open); the Fine Arts Museum is closed for renovation; the Automata Museum closed in November 2023.

Sources: Wikipedia (La Rochelle, en) · Wikipedia (fr) · Tours de La Rochelle (Centre des monuments nationaux). Checked 14 October 2026.