La Rochelle

Location:

La Rochelle is a city of Western France, located on the Atlantic coast and is the main town of the Charente-Maritime.

Presentation:

The area is quite warm throughout the year due to the influence of the Gulf Stream waters, and insolation is remarkably high, on a par with the French Riviera on the Mediterranean Southern coast of France.

The city has beautifully maintained its past architecture, making it one of the most picturesque and historically rich cities on the Atlantic coast. 
La Rochelle's main feature is the "Vieux Port" ("Old Harbour"), which is at the heart of the city, picturesque and lined with seafood restaurants. The city walls are open to an evening promenade. The old town has been well-preserved. From the harbour, boating trips can be taken to the Île d'Aix and Fort Boyard. Nearby Île de Ré is a short drive to the North. The countryside of the surrounding Charente-Maritime is very rural and full of history. To the North is Venise Verte, a marshy area of country, criss-crossed with tiny canals and a popular resort for inland boating. Inland is the country of Cognac and Pineau.

Economy:

- Population : Approx 100,000 inhabitants
- Density : 3517 hinhabitants/sq km
- With more than 3 million visitors each year, La Rochelle is the third most visited city in France.
- Fishing trade, boating: La Rochelle is a "must" on the Atlantic coast. Its four ports make it one of France's most important harbours for tourism and trade. 
- The city also focused on the R&D through technologies of the future and quality of life.


Colleges and universities:

Opened in 1993, La Rochelle University is the youngest in France. The first stone was layed by Francois Mitterand and Helmut Kolh. It stands out by offering innovative courses in business law and the Asian-Pacific world. 
At the start of the year 2000 there were 6 000 students. 
Alongside these university courses there are other colleges like the hotel school, the law school, the business school, etc.

Museums:

  • The Orbigny-Bernon Museum
    Though specialised in ceramics the museum also possess an important collection of oriental art.
  • The Natural History Museum
    This "classified museum" is the only natural history museum in Europe to have an 18 th century curiosity cabinet on show. Rich of the diversity of its collections and its exotic botanical gardens, it will become the "of the Great Scientifiquc Expeditions" in 2002.
  • The Fine Arts Museum
    It offers wide range of art from the 15 th to the 20 th century (Eustache Lesueur, Camille Corot, Gustave Doré, Maurice Denis, Chassériau, Fromentin or Bougereau...)
  • The New World Museum
    This museum houses the vestiges of France's relations with America between the 16th and 19th centuries.

 Easy Access:

  • By plane: Ryanair provides a direct flight service from Dublin to La Rochelle(1h50). Easy jet flies direct to La Rochelle from Bristol(1h20). Direct flights from Cork to La Rochelle with Aer Arann(1h10).
  • By train: With TGV Paris-La rochelle : 2h50
  • By car: From Paris : 467km

 

 

 
Web Design Ireland by Willows Consulting