Musée maritime de La Rochelle, Maritime museum in La Rochelle, France.
Description
The Musée maritime de La Rochelle displays a fleet of nine historical vessels anchored in the Old Port basin, including three ships open for visitors to explore inside. The collection also includes around forty smaller pleasure boats representing different styles and periods of maritime transport.
History
The museum grew from preservation efforts to save ships from being scrapped, protecting vessels that document France's maritime heritage. This conservation initiative reflects the importance of these vessels in understanding how people worked and traveled by sea across centuries.
Culture
The museum houses a collection of small pleasure boats that reflect how people enjoyed the water and spent their leisure time in different eras. These vessels show the personal side of maritime life beyond commercial shipping.
Practical
Visitors can explore the ships through guided tours at the dock or join sailing excursions during the operating season. Check opening hours before visiting, as access and sailing trips vary depending on the time of year and weather conditions.
Did you know?
The red ketch Joshua, built in 1962, made a solo voyage around the world but was nearly destroyed by a cyclone in 1982 that tore it from its moorings. This ship stands as evidence of both the durability of its design and the dangerous adventures sailors faced on the ocean.
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La Rochelle documents over seven centuries of French maritime history through its medieval fortifications and Renaissance architecture. The old port is guarded by three stone towers from the 14th and 15th centuries - the Saint Nicolas Tower, the Tour de la Chaîne, and the Lantern Tower - which once...
La Rochelle and its surroundings offer families a range of activities along the French Atlantic coast. The city itself holds several attractions, including the aquarium with over 12,000 marine animals, medieval towers at the Old Port, and various museums such as the Maritime Museum and the New World...
Aquarium de La Rochelle
298 m
Tour Saint-Nicolas
614 m
Gare de La Rochelle
464 m
Tour de la Lanterne
760 m
Tour de la Chaîne
652 m
Grosse Horloge
868 m
Église Saint-Sauveur de La Rochelle
890 m
La Coursive/Scène Nationale La Rochelle
774 m
France I
106 m
La Rochelle rear range light
705 m
Musée des modèles réduits
455 m
Clocher Saint-Jean de la Rochelle
775 m
Église des Carmes
747 m
Bastion du Gabut
519 m
Porte des deux moulins de la rochelle
827 m
Hôtel particulier, 15 rue Verdière, La Rochelle
851 m
La grande roue - La Rochelle
549 m
Maison Pillaud
900 m
Slipway
124 m
Maison Léon
884 m
Passerelle Nelson Mandela
783 m
Admiral Duperré
835 m
Memorial to the Soldiers and Sailors of Charente-Inférieure
757 m
The Wave
612 m
Maison, 1 rue Chef-de-Ville (La Rochelle)
899 m
La Rochelle front range light
603 m
Fortifications maritimes de La Rochelle
681 mDiscover hidden gems everywhere you go!
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