Our meander through France has been so enjoyable that the idea of turning in the car in Toulouse to sit in an airport to wait for a short flight back to Paris, does not seem like such a good idea after all… We decide to keep the car and drive back to Paris. The drive takes eight hours if one goes the most efficient way, without stops. Or, more to our style, we can take a couple of days at a slower pace that allows for unplanned stops and discoveries.
Off we go North toward Paris, with a long stop for a delicious steamed mussels lunch in the city of Bordeaux. A few hours more driving through the countryside hugging the Atlantic coast and then a fortuitous stop in a jewel of a city, La Rochelle. We instantly know that this is where we want to spend the night as we are mesmerized by this beautiful old city.
First sight – the Medieval gate that opens up into the oldest part of the city.
La Rochelle has a rich history (so those of you interested in history, this is for you. Others… fast forward to our stroll in town). For 10 centuries, La Rochelle had a reputation for being “different”. Ahead of its time in its democratic practices. Protestant when the rest of France was Catholic. The city developed a reputation for being “Belle et rebelle”, ie. beautiful and rebellious.
While there is evidence that La Rochelle was a trading post around the time of Asterix and the Roman Empire, the town really came into its own around the 10th Century when it was recognized officially as a city.
It then became an important harbor in the 12th century. Under the charter approved by the then King, the city obtained many privileges, such as the right to mint its own coins and to operate some businesses free of royal taxes, factors which would favor the development of the entrepreneurial middle-class, what became known as the bourgeoisie. This explains the rich architectural “patrimoine” (i.e. inherited architecture) of the city.
This early map shows the ramparts all along the front of the Atlantic ocean, which are still there today and which date back nearly a 1,000 years.
Around the same time period (circa 1100 – 1200 CE) The Knights Templar (famed for their military prowess and expansionist intentions all the way to Jerusalem, had a strong presence in La Rochelle. La Rochelle became the Templars’ largest naval base on the Atlantic Ocean.
The Templar Knights would have been the equivalent of today’s US Marines or Navy Seals ~ elite military forces able to move quickly for surgical strikes. The city retains evidence of their presence in the form of the Templar cross, which can be seen adorning the oldest remaining residences.
This building was built on top of what was the headquarters of the Templar Knights, for a couple hundred years
La Rochelle emerged as France’s largest harbor around 1500 when it became the gateway for the export and trade of wine, salt and cheese.
A painting from 1800 of the city walls. The steeples and towers remain intact today as well as a good portion of the ramparts.
As technology allowed for longer journeys, La Rochelle’s economic wealth increased as a result of high volume of trade with the New World (Nouvelle France in Canada), dealing in the slave trade with Africa, sugar trade with plantations of the West Indies , and fur trade with Canada. The wealth produced by this maritime trading activity resulted in the construction of a magnificent town and a period of artistic growth.
Building on the city’s maritime prowess, In 1864, the harbor of La Rochelle, was the site for the maiden dive experiments of the first mechanically-powered submarine in the World.
Decades later, when the Germans invaded France, during WWII, La Rochelle’s strategic location and naval expertise was not lost on the German military – they made La Rochelle their naval base for submarine activities. A German stronghold, La Rochelle was ultimately the last French city to be liberated at the end of the war.
German submarine docked at La Rochelle harbor. (PC:historic archives La Rochelle)
~ ~
Enough history, let’s go for a walk along those infamous ramparts.
See three round towers (looking like small pencils) standing guard, along the water front? that’s where we start our exploration of La Rochelle.
Peta strolling the ramparts with one of the three round towers, still standing today just as it is on the map. This tower is called the Lantern Tower. It took 30 years to build in the 15th Century. It was a light house, and then a prison.
Postcard of La Rochelle, circa 1900, with the harbor front on the right and the bourgeoisie’s residences along the waterfront.
“Plus ca change, plus c’est la meme chose”… in other words, “same same”. Same spot, 120 years later.
La Rochelle was even featured on a stamp at one time.
Postcard of a very early photograph showing the same two gates to the harbor. This is Saint-Nicolas Tower. In 1345, the French King ordered the construction of a tower at the entrance to the harbor. For centuries it guarded the entrance to the harbor, providing safety for the fishing community. Since 2009, this tower has been reinvented and rejuvenized by making it the location for the world cliff-diving championships. Facing it is the Chain Tower.
Today, the small harbor continues to be used to shield boats from the rough seas yonder. Strolling along the waters edge at the harbor is something that people have done for hundreds of years.
The creamy colored stones used in local construction allow La Rochelle to retain a fresh look.
Magnificent city gate and clock tower welcomes us into the older part of the city beyond. By its name “la grosse horloge” (the large clock) was originally one of the main doors of the Medieval surrounding walls, used to separate the harbor from the town. The base of the tower dates from the 14th century.
Postcard of an old drawing circa 1700s, of the historic center beyond the gate, which still looks much like this today. We explore the old city, walking under these very stone arches.
These arcades were the spot where traders could sell their products and be protected from bad weather. In return, they had to pay a tax to settle under the stone roof, providing the city revenue.
The creamy colored arcades, today. (Photo courtesy La Rochelle Archives).
It is not yet the summer season and we have the city pretty much to ourselves. Many of the locals have taken off to the beach during an unseasonal Spring heatwave in France. (For us, the weather is a normal day in Sri Lanka, temperature wise.)
Narrow streets give way to a large open space, where a local fruit and vegetable market beckons us to indulge in beautiful fresh produce.
This corner house is a magnificent architectural specimen from La Rochelle’s glorious trading days. The mixture of wooden beams with bricks or plaster is typical of this region.
Beautiful sweet canteloupe.
A colorful bouquet of ripe off the vine tomatoes
But La Rochelle does not only serve up beautiful veggies, it is also a hub for local oysters. Ask this girl, she REALLY really likes oysters. La Rochelle, where seafood meets French fashion?
No matter where in France, a good crepe is always within easy reach. Buckwheat crepes like these, are the specialty of the region of Normandy, straight up the coast a few hundred kilometers North.
OK so if we ever live in La Rochelle, we choose this to be our humble residence…
If you choose La Rochelle to be your residence we will be right over as clearly you will have lots of room for guests! I love the way you travel with flexibility and how in doing so you discover wonderful places such as this. I’m drawn to it for its rebellious history and oh my the architecture is astounding.It must have been terribly difficult for the people during the war to have been occupied.
I enjoyed this post immensely and will come back to review should we be planning a trip to France.
Haha Sue.
This is the only way of traveling that works out for us, down to only booking one way tickets. The pleasure for us lies precisely in the uncertainty of what’s around the corner.
If you do plan a trip, would be happy to be a resource. La Rochelle is definitely worth visiting. We could have stayed much longer if we weren’t headed on to see family in the U.S.
Ben
Love this post! Great photos that really capture the city. Thanks for sharing,
Deb
Thanks Deb for stopping by our blog. The city is picturesque and visitor friendly.
Ben
Wonderful look at La Rochelle. Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it Peggy.
Peta
Faith, military might, and the mercantile element – that makes sense for the time period in which La Rochelle developed. The creamy stone work is truly beautiful. It’s amazing the old ramparts remain nearly the same after 1000 years, either very well built or very much respected by subsequent populace.
As for that oyster shell dress – looks a bit itchy – but very creative. Me? I’ll take the crepe, thank you.
The creamy stone work is predominant in almost the whole historic part of the city and is gorgeous. The stones give everything a softness and a pastel type glow of freshness. The ramparts were extraordinarily well built except for one of the towers which was constructed on swamp land and as a result it is at an angle- definitely secure but definitely at an angle too!
Walking on the ramparts with the fresh sea air and the little row houses looking out to sea was very memorable.
Haha seems Peta agrees with you in the crepe and oyster shell dress.
Ben
I tend to think of myself as beautiful and rebellious so this is definitely my city. Oh, how I would love to sail there and stick around for a season. And I’ve got to get myself an oyster dress!
How lucky are you to have visited before the tourists arrived and to have such gorgeous streets to yourself? Thank you for sharing such beautiful imagery (sans the one from the dark period when the Nazi’s sailed their subs into port). A very interesting history indeed.
Beautiful and rebellious. A solid combination. I can visualize you wearing an oyster shell dress, you woman of the sea you.
The streets had just a few people both during the day and night, almost too quiet. Very indicative of a seasonal place that had not yet opened for the summer.
Glad you appreciate the history Lisa, not everyone’s cup of tea!
Ben
I always admire the improvisational way you travel, saying yes to everything.
Yup we are not good at sticking to predetermined plans. It just never works out for us. I would describe us as alert to opportunities when traveling and leave enough room to take advantage of whatever crops up.
Peta
A road trip in France. .what could be better? Lá Rochelle looks beautiful. I can’t believe the colour of those tomatoes? In fact the food in France is just delicious. . Crepes yummy 🙂
It is true that France is a perfect country for doing a road trip. Lots of interesting towns with beautifully preserved architecture and of course delicious food to be had everywhere. Those crepes were just yummy.
Thanks for your comments Gilda.
Peta
I remember camping near La Rochelle decades ago. Young philistines that we were, I think we spent most of out time at the beach rather than searching out the history. Today, it would be the exact opposite.
Beaches and history make for a good combination actually but in this case we had enjoyed the beach at Biarritz and we were more interested in exploring the harbor front of La Rochelle and the historic city behind it. How fun that you were there decades ago, I am sure it is almost exactly the same and has hardly changed.
Peta
I’d love to walk around here and explore the streets. There is something magical about walking here and imagining how life would have been here in the past.
Cheryl, walking around was exactly as you describe it.. magical and we were imagining the Templar Knights in their heavy metal armor going through the streets.
Ben
Yes, as other people say, I love the way you two travel with such flexibility, leading you to learn of new places and history that is monumental. Thank you for spending the time writing the history of La Rochelle here. It is fascinating. I wonder what most of the people who live there do for a living? Is it a purely tourist spot? Do they commute to Paris? Although seems that that would be too far away. Your photos highlight the beauty and glory of this French town.
Pamela thanks for your thoughtful and interesting comments and question.
I (Peta) definitely learn best by being in a place, rather than just reading about it and not remembering facts.
The economic activity in la Rochelle is more diversified than one might think. Of course the tourism sector is large (hotels, restaurants, convention center etc) but the fishing industry remains very strong. Even stronger than that is the repair capability and also sorts of technology driven activities relative to maritime life. La Rochelle also has a couple of universities, so it has all the economic activities that go along with a large student population and the high technology start ups that inevitably develop around universities. Another sector not surprisingly comes from the cities history as a trading post which in today’s environment has translated into a dynamic logistics hub for distribution of cars, furniture, etc.
The population of La Rochelle itself is only 80,000, so while there may be some commuters to Paris, the majority of people are employed locally.
I am so glad you appreciate the history, as one never knows if people are interested in reading that stuff. So it is good to know it IS appreciated.
Peta & Ben
Fascinating! Any town/city that includes a university is going to thrive, I’ve always thought. That, coupled with the fishing industry and then the up-to-date technology sector highlights how vibrant this place is. Thanks for the explanation.
I know so little about this part of France and I’m completely overwhelmed by the beauty of La Rochelle. The buildings are stunning. Have you been to other places along the Atlantic coast? I’ve been intrigued with St. Malo since a friend shared photos. I think this is probably some distance away.
Caroline, the Atlantic coast of France does have a string of beautiful coastal towns. If you look back a post you can read about another stop we did in Biarritz on the coast. St. Malo is closer to Brittany, further up North and there are beautiful towns in both Brittany and Normandy.
Ben
Thanks Ben. I remember your post that included Biarritz and was enchanted by your photos of that city too. I will have to brush up on my geography of France…perhaps best to do this with a trip! Caroline
Oh yes, a trip is required, for educational purposes of course!
Ben
Ahh, I’d been wondering about Marseille, but this had added anther possibility to the list.
Well, we hope you get to go to La Rochelle, as it certainly was an unexpected surprise for us. But if you can’t go all the way up the coast Biarritz is also worth considering (see our earlier post).
Peta
I enjoyed reading about the history and your explanation of the economy of La Rochelle. It is a very pretty city and a nice size. Not too large and not too small, and yet it has all the amenities that one could possibly need. I like the bell tower with the clock. So vey old but I am assuming that the clock has been well maintained and is accurate. I know that both of you must be having a grand time exploring France.
Yes, Yvonne, this seems to be exactly the right size kind of town that makes it very livable. If we had more time, we would have gone to the lovely gardens nearby as well as some of the beaches. We definitely had a grand time in France, it is hard not to! Thanks for your lovely comments.
Ben
This is my kind of town, full of charm, history and stories!!
Darlene, I think you would love La Rochelle. That is exactly a great summation of what the town offers.
Peta
I like your travelling style! How lovely to do this beautiful drive and find such a treasure on the way.
Carol, this was indeed a lovely surprise to reward our spontaneous approach to this trip. Just what we had hoped for! And there were other small and interesting places along the way which we enjoyed as well but have not covered in the blog.
Ben
Hi
I miss France will have to put it back on my radar. I’m in south Florida so if you are in the area lookme up. I am going to Montana in the middle of July -August. Are you going back to SL????
Hi Heidi, nice to know you are reading us and thanks for commenting. Sri Lanka is still our home base, and we are writing this from Colombo. Hope you manage to get back to France someday.
Ben
Thanks for letting me know of your new blog! Am I still following?
We had some technical issues with our blog, but hopefully it has been fixed and if you signed up as a follower you should (theoretically) get updates automatically in your email. Fingers crossed.
Peta
I love flexible traveling. My SIL lives in France with her family and our plan (when? not sure) is to use her home as our base and just GO! I think La Rochelle will be on our agenda now. I love your intermix of old pictures with new.
Janis so glad we have inspired you to include La Rochelle on your agenda for your trip to France. Wondering where in France your family lives? Thanks for commenting on the mix of old postcards with new. This road trip lends itself to this juxtaposition and it was fun for us to look through old photos and see how little really the places we were at have changed over time.
B&P
How gorgeous, such diverse scenery to that of lanka, food looks equally as Delish 🙂
Miss u xoxo
Hi Tess!! Yes, very different visuals, both the countryside and the architecture… Food equally as delish? nah, France has got Sri Lanka beat on this front. We both love Sri Lankan curries, to be sure, but… French food, well that’s a different register on the culinary scale altogether because there is so much more variety. Miss you too. You are about due for a return visit to Sri Lanka, no?
Peta & Ben
You should really visit us in Burgundy! It’s our base for almost a year now. But we just bought a camper and will be traveling France and Europe extensively for the next years to come. In August we will be house sitting in Brittany. Good for some walks along the beaches with our dog, Nyala, and a bit of a fresh breeze. It’s very hot and dry since the end of April here in Burgundy. Enjoy your drive back to Paris – did you see the movie “Paris can wait” (Netflix)?
Bourgogne! That’s a lovely part of France. A camper is a great idea to travel Europe, seeing as the cost of hotels adds up quickly. Brittany is perfect for walks with your doggie. We have always had dogs and there is no doubt that they have over the years led us to many more nature walks than we might have had without them. Bretagne has so many lovely markets in beautiful coastal town settings.
Nope, haven’t seen “Paris can wait”, but now we will! Thanks for the tip.
Peta & Ben
Smart move to stick with the car and explore spontaneously. Beautiful find.
Suzanne we don’t typically rent a car, but in this case, it certainly made sense. We were delighted with our surprise find of La Rochelle and could happily have taken more time in this charming city, but a flight awaited us in Paris.
Peta
Love it! Those crepes look yummy. What a way to travel too.
Oh yes, those crepes were delicious. A successful road trip to be sure.
P
Gosh, what a beautiful city! I’ve always been fascinated by the Knights Templar. Lovely photos, Peta!
Thanks Yvette glad you enjoyed this post and our photos of La Rochelle. Definitely steeped in history.
Ben
very humble residence:) nice photos
Haha yes, quite the opposite of where we live now in Sri Lanka! Not that we would actually want something so large and opulent, but it’s always fun to imagine.
Peta
The best kind of traveling is done unhurried and unplanned and OMG! did you pick the perfect place to roam! Thanks for the history of La Rochelle. I always find it fascinating to see how a town evolves into its present day self and the impact of the Knights of the Templar, the early development and testing of the first mechanical submarines and La Rochelle’s strategically located harbor is interesting to learn about. Loved walking the streets with you and seeing this beautiful city!
Thanks Anita for all your positive enthusiasm about our post on La Rochelle. We do love France and have done this kind of trip in different regions before, such as the South, and the North (Brittany, Normandy, Lille) as well as others. Seems there is still always so much to discover! Glad you enjoyed the history and sights of La Rochelle with us.
Peta
What a charismatic place! The old postcards are a wonderful addition to the post. I’d love to visit, Peta. 🙂 🙂
Johanna, if you get a chance to go to France I would say, put La Rochelle on the list of places to visit. It was such a lovely surprise and we would definitely go back to see more, some day. Glad you enjoyed the old postcards as much as we did.
Peta
What a very interesting history, La Rochelle has! Great photos and narrative, Peta. Love the oyster lady. 🙂
Thanks Sylvia, glad you enjoyed this post and the photos. The oyster lady was at the entrance to the covered fish market… she was aptly dressed for the job!
Peta
FABULOUS post. Thank you for the “stroll” while I sit on the couch nursing my fractured ankle – just what I needed.
Ouch Judith, that hurts!! Hope you feel better soon. Just be careful walking on those cobblestone streets.
Ben
Great job weaving the old and the new (present) in this post. I can see how one of those pencil towers could be an effective prison. Many thoughts entered my mind reading your blog and scanning the photos. “Same same, but different” is one of those expressions I remember from SE Asia. That collection of tomatoes looks scrumptious. How smelly must the oyster loving lady be? And, I like your new residence (and this fabulous historic city you stumbled across). When can we come for a visit? 🙂
Hahaha Liesbet, it is a deal. If we get the residence, then you get to visit!!
Thanks for appreciating the weaving in of the old and new. The oyster lady did not smell at all, the shells must have been very well scrubbed before her outfit was created.
Thanks for the fun commentary.
B&P
French Canteloupe are truly the best I’ve ever tasted.
See you soon!
Rasa, yes they are and SO are the strawberries amazing!!! All the produce is incredible.
Can’t wait!!
xoxo
Ahhh, the joys of a stop-when-you-feel-like-it road trip – heavenly! And what an appealing waypoint you had here. That creamy stone alone would call me to spend some extra time!
Lex, we are definitely not the kind of people that adhere well to a strict schedule haahaha. We are still talking about La Rochelle and its charms.
Peta
I really enjoyed your post, Peta!! Especially the history. I can see why you stopped here, the atmosphere is almost magical.
Thanks so much Stephanae, so glad you enjoyed a stop in La Rochelle with us. It was our best stop among many lovely ones.
Peta
We loved our time in France a couple of years ago, although it was much too short and we spent much of our time seeing tourist attractions. I would love to go back. Clearly La Rochelle is a city to consider.
We do hope you get to visit La Rochelle when you go back to France, it is worth the visit. Although, really there are SO many worthwhile villages and cities, it is endless.
Peta
Love all the quirky history here about La Rochelle. How cool that it hosts the world cliff diving championships. My sister used to be a cliff diver for a living (in Waimea Falls, Hawaii), but she never made it here. And funny how the heatwave temperature has become normal for you since living in Sri Lanka. Looks like it was an excellent idea to decide to drive back to Paris.
J.D. your sister was a cliff diver for a living?! Wow, how unusual and cool is that! Did she do performance diving or was she an instructor?
Glad you enjoyed the history…
Peta
Peta, I love your use of the old maps and postcards in this post. One of my favorite things to do is make comparisons between old maps and photos and the street layout and architecture today. Europeans, whether from planning or necessity, aren’t so quick to destroy the old to make way for the new, and a look back always speaks volumes about life in the past. NIce post. ~James
Thanks James. As you say, there is definitely a different culture than the North American “tear it down and build another one on top” mentality. Europe is more about protecting all the inherited architecture, preserving it, and upgrading it if needed and when feasible, without changing the character of the initial construction.
Oh, but to walk through the streets of a city with SO MUCH rich history! Sigh. This sounds like my kind of city – beautiful and rebellious 😉
I can understand why you would choose to stop and spend the night here. I think I might have had difficulty leaving!
Joanne, we would have loved to have had more time to spend in La Rochelle… we could easily have spent a week there. We will just have to return for another visit.
Peta
Pingback: A Dedication To Advocates AKA Champions | Bold Blind Beauty
You offer such a rich experience covering centuries of history and architecture. Your photography fleshes all of it out, taking us there with you. Thank you for such interesting and beautiful vicarious travel. Our last trip was to Albi and Carcasonne through many villages in that area of the South West of France. It’s a beautiful part of the midi-Pyrenees. Love that I get to expand my travels through you.