Escale street

The Rue de l'Escale, in La Rochelle

The Rue de l'Escale is one of the most historic and refined streets of La Rochelle, the only one to keep its round cobblestones, vestiges of the ballast of the merchant ships. The La Rochelle audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this arcaded street lined with private mansions, witnesses of the prosperity of the great traders of the town.

The cobblestones come from the open sea

The Rue de l'Escale is one of the historic streets of La Rochelle, and one of the most refined. Look at its cobblestones: it is the only street of the town to still reveal round cobblestones. These cobblestones have a fascinating maritime origin: they came from the merchant ships that arrived from Canada and the north of Europe. They were loaded in the holds of the boats to serve as ballast, that is to say as weight ensuring the stability of the ship; for the boats sometimes came empty or lightly loaded to recover in France the precious goods, wines, salts and brandies of the region. Once at the quay, this ballast become useless was unloaded, and it is thus that these cobblestones come from the open sea ended up paving the streets of La Rochelle. The Rue de l'Escale has kept the memory of it under our feet. But this street is also lined with the emblematic arcades of the town, as well as some fine private mansions, witnesses of the wealth and the refinement of the great traders and shipowners of La Rochelle, who made their fortune in maritime trade and built here sumptuous dwellings with sculpted portals and elegant inner courtyards. Calm and elegant, a little apart from the bustle, the Rue de l'Escale offers a dive into the prosperous past of the merchant town. A street paved with cobblestones and a setting of private mansions, the Rue de l'Escale is a fine stop of the discovery of La Rochelle.

What to see

Here you discover one of the most refined streets of La Rochelle, the only one to keep its round cobblestones, vestiges of the ballast of the merchant ships come from Canada and the north of Europe; lined with the emblematic arcades of the town and fine private mansions, it testifies to the wealth of the great traders and shipowners of La Rochelle. The Rue de l'Escale is a historic street of La Rochelle. It is a fine stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The Rue de l'Escale lies in the heart of the old town of La Rochelle, reachable on foot. It is a freely accessible street, recognisable by its round cobblestones, lined with arcades and private mansions. You walk along it during a stroll in the historic centre.

Where do the cobblestones of the Rue de l'Escale come from in La Rochelle?

From the merchant ships that arrived from Canada and the north of Europe: these round cobblestones served as ballast in the holds to stabilise the boats sometimes coming empty to recover the goods of France, then were unloaded at the quay; the Rue de l'Escale is the only one of La Rochelle to keep them, lined with arcades and private mansions of great traders.

Where is the Rue de l'Escale in La Rochelle?

In the heart of the old town of La Rochelle, in France.