La Rochelle
April 13 in France ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C
Today was my first day of school, and this afternoon I had a small city tour planned.
La Rochelle is a port city in western France, located in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, with a population of 79,851. In 2010, the greater metropolitan area had a population of nearly 210,000.
It's is a member of the modern Hanseatic League, among other things. It lies on the Atlantic coast, on the Bay of Biscay opposite the Île de Ré, and is an important shipping, trade, and tourism center. It is about 150 km north of Nantes, 190 km south of Bordeaux, and 460 km northeast of Paris. On the Atlantic coast, it borders directly on the Estuaire de la Gironde et Mer des Pertuis marine nature reserve.
In ancient times, the Santones, a Gallic tribe, settled in the area around La Rochelle. The area around Saintes, known as Saintonge, took its name from them. The Roman occupation forces developed the cultivation of wine and the production of salt along the Atlantic coast, practices previously unknown there, and supplied their entire empire with these products. Evidence of this era includes archaeological excavations of Roman villas in Saint-Eloi and Les Minimes, as well as salt marshes and salt pans.
The name La Rochelle translates as "The Little Rock," referring to a raised limestone plateau in the area of the present-day city. During the Migration Period (late 4th to mid-6th centuries), Alans migrating from the Danube settled there permanently. In that sense, it's kind of my city 🤪 .
Shipbuilding, fishing, and the chemical industry are the city's most important sectors. Tourism is a significant pillar of the economy.
The Old Port (Vieux Port), the heart of the old town, is bordered by the waterfront streets: the Quai Duperre to the north and the Cours des Dames to the west. At the angle of the two streets stands the statue of Admiral Duperre, born in La Rochelle in 1775 and commander of the French fleet during the capture of Algiers in 1830. On the Cour des Dames esplanade, sardines were once sold and fishermen mended their nets.
Since January 1, 2000, the starboard approach to the old port has been marked by the Phare du Bout du Monde, a lighthouse modeled after the one on Isla de los Estados off Tierra del Fuego.
The Tour St. Nicolas is slightly leaning and was built between 1317 and 1345. It exhibits the characteristics of a fortress and, together with the opposite Tour de la Chaîne, forms the symbol of La Rochelle. It has a pentagonal base and is 42 meters high. There is also a third tower: the Tour de la Lanterne.
The old town has a regular layout with streets running at right angles to each other and has preserved the character of an old trading and commercial town. The commercial district essentially surrounds the town hall. Numerous arcades and covered passages offer strolling pedestrians shelter from all kinds of weather.
The oldest houses are half-timbered, their wooden posts and beams often protected with slate tiles. The clock tower with its gateway marks the entrance to the old town from the harbor side. The Hôtel de Ville (town hall) is, as is so often the case in towns with a Protestant history, the highlight of La Rochelle's city center and its most important building.
You can easily stroll through the old town in two hours, and afterwards I sat for a very long time at the old harbor, watching the activity while enjoying a shandy. Eventually it got too sunny, my skin was stressed, and I cycled around to do some shopping and then back home along the seafront. I would call that a successful first day of school.Read more