Old Town

The old town of La Rochelle

The old town of La Rochelle is the historic district of the town, famous for its singular arcades, its medieval and Renaissance houses and its lively lanes. The La Rochelle audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this old centre remarkably preserved, formerly protected by the towers of the Vieux-Port, where shops, cafés and heritage mingle.

The old centre with arcades

Here you are in the unmissable old town of La Rochelle, the historic district with singular arcades that shelter the shops of the town. Thanks to the flawless defence of the towers of the Vieux-Port, that long protected the town, and despite the terrible siege of 1628, the old town has remained remarkably well preserved: you cross there numerous historic buildings, medieval half-timbered houses and fine Renaissance and classical dwellings, that adorn the narrow lanes and make this centre one of the most charming of the Atlantic coast. The great particularity of La Rochelle is its arcades: these covered galleries, built over the centuries by the merchants to shelter their stalls from the bad weather, run along numerous streets and allow to stroll under cover, whether it rains or whether the sun shines brightly. They give the old town its unique character and its timeless atmosphere. A very lively district, notably in summer when the visitors flock, it is also a place of life and festivities, where the students gather on the squares to meet and eat. Between shops, terraces, markets and monuments, you like to get lost there without a goal. At the bend of a street, the white stone, omnipresent, gives the town a particular light, especially at the setting sun. A historic heart and a maze of arcades, the old town is a fine stop of the discovery of La Rochelle.

What to see

Here you discover the historic district of La Rochelle, remarkably preserved thanks to the defence of the towers of the Vieux-Port, with its medieval half-timbered houses, its Renaissance and classical dwellings of white stone and its singular covered arcades that run along the streets; a very lively district, it mingles shops, terraces, markets and monuments. The old town is the historic heart of La Rochelle. It is a fine stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The old town stretches in the heart of La Rochelle, between the Vieux-Port and the Place de Verdun, reachable on foot. It is a freely accessible district, to be explored through its arcaded lanes, its shops and its monuments, very lively in summer. You discover it during a walk.

Why is the old town of La Rochelle so well preserved?

Thanks to the flawless defence of the towers of the Vieux-Port, that long protected the town, the historic district has kept its medieval half-timbered houses, its Renaissance and classical dwellings of white stone and its singular covered arcades, built by the merchants to shelter their stalls, that make the timeless charm of the town.

Where is the old town of La Rochelle?

In the heart of La Rochelle, between the Vieux-Port and the Place de Verdun, in France.