La Rochelle entdecken

La Rochelle Cathedral, dedicated to Saint Louis, is a Classical church begun in 1742 to plans by Jacques Gabriel and opened for worship in 1784; its east end was completed in the 19th century. The dome of its Lady chapel carries paintings of the life of the Virgin by William Bouguereau, and the medieval bell tower of the former Saint-Barthélemy church stands beside it.

The Towers of La Rochelle are three medieval towers on the Vieux-Port. The Tour Saint-Nicolas and the Tour de la Chaîne, both from the 14th century, guard the harbour entrance, which a chain stretched between them could close. The Tour de la Lanterne, completed in 1468, served as a lighthouse and a prison, and holds more than 600 graffiti carved by prisoners.

Aquarium La Rochelle is a privately owned public aquarium on the Vieux-Port of La Rochelle, run by the Coutant family since its first displays in 1972. Its present building by the architect Éric Cordier opened in 2001 and holds around 12,000 marine animals of 600 species, from Atlantic and Mediterranean fish to jellyfish, sea turtles and sharks.