Established in the 17th-century by Jean-Baptiste Colbert, Rochefort is a historic naval town on the Charente River. It’s renowned for its Royal Arsenal, which was envisioned to be the most beautiful dockyard in the world and is home to beautifully preserved mills, foundries and a monumental rope factory.
Things to do in Rochefort
For insight into France’s naval history, pay a visit to the Musee National de la Marine, which occupies the Hôtel de Cheusses, a former residence of the Commanders of the Navy. In addition to model ships, vintage navigation equipment and historic maps, it features an exhibit dedicated to the creation of the dockyard by Louis XIV in 1666. In the museum’s courtyard is a replica of the Medusa, which ran aground off the coast of Mauritania in 1816.
Housed within the historic Hôtel Hebre is the Musee d’Art et d’Histoire where you’ll find an impressive collection of paintings and objects from Oceania, Africa and Asia. Browse the archaeological artefacts discovered in Rochefort’s dockyard, then admire the relief map of the town created by the engineer Touboulic. Temporary exhibitions are regularly showcased on the ground floor of the museum.
Rochefort’s maritime history is brought to life on board the Hermione, an 18th-century frigate that carried General Lafayette to America to fight in the American Revolutionary War. In 2015, a recreation of the original completed the same Atlantic crossing and is now docked in Rochefort. Step aboard to explore this legendary vessel, which was constructed using 400,000 pieces of wood.
Getting around Rochefort
Rochefort is around 35 minutes’ drive from La Rochelle – Île de Ré Airport, which has flights to destinations across Europe. Regular trains connect to the Rochefort railway station and buses travel throughout the city. The centre of Rochefort can easily be explored on foot.