Rochefort, Maritime city and naval base in Charente-Maritime, France
Rochefort is a town in the Charente-Maritime department, spreading on both banks of the Charente River and planned as a former royal naval dockyard. The settlement consists of perpendicular streets lined with stone facades from the 17th and 18th centuries, public gardens, and wide riverside paths along the water.
The finance minister of Louis XIV selected this river location in 1666 to create a sheltered harbor for the royal war fleet. Over two centuries, frigates and ships of the line were built here until the dockyard lost its strategic value in the mid-19th century.
The wide avenues and symmetrical squares follow a strict military grid that still shapes how residents move through town. Street names honor admirals and shipwrights, while the central market hall offers regional produce from the marshlands each morning.
The compact center is easy to explore on foot, with shaded avenues offering comfortable walking in summer. Several bridges connect both riverbanks and allow a circular route through the different neighborhoods.
The steel transporter bridge over the Charente is one of only eight working suspended ferries worldwide. A rolling platform connects both shores without obstructing ship traffic.
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