The Old Port of La Rochelle, Port in La Rochelle, France
La Rochelle Vieux Port is the historic harbor of the city of La Rochelle on the Atlantic coast of France, sitting at the very center of the city along the waterfront. The basin is edged by old stone facades and flanked at its entrance by three medieval towers, the Tour Saint-Nicolas, the Tour de la Chaîne, and the Tour de la Lanterne.
The port of La Rochelle was established in the 13th century and quickly became one of France's main trading harbors on the Atlantic. In 1628, after a long siege by royal forces, the city was severely weakened and part of its fortifications were dismantled.
The Vieux Port is where locals and visitors come together to walk along the quays, sit at café terraces, and watch boats move in and out of the harbor. The three medieval towers at the port entrance, the Tour Saint-Nicolas, the Tour de la Chaîne, and the Tour de la Lanterne, are open to visit and give a direct sense of what the old defenses looked like.
The harbor is easy to explore on foot since the quays are flat and open at all times. Coming in the early morning or late afternoon lets you watch boats arriving in a less crowded setting.
The Tour de la Chaîne takes its name from a heavy iron chain that was stretched across the harbor entrance at night, between it and the Tour Saint-Nicolas, to block ships from entering. That same chain was also used during the day to collect harbor tolls from passing merchant vessels.
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