La Rochelle is most famous for its old harbour and its three outstanding medieval towers. But for the locals that familiar, inviting sight does not just symbolize their port's rich history: it's also a haven of style, good times and lively quayside markets

The vibrant street life attracts an international set and there are trendy bars and excellent restaurants a-plenty.

The town is full of fascinating detail : look out for the huge chain on the restaurant-garnished Cours des Dames, under la Tour de la Chaine.

According to that brazen tall story teller Rabelais, it was one off the ways used to tie the baby giant Pantagruel into his cot! In reality, it used to be slung across the mouth of the harbour, between la Tour de la Chaine and its fellow sentinel, la Tour St-Nicolas. Every day, it was lowered to let ships pass, then winched taut in the evening to close the port.

The Third of La Rochelle's sea-front towers is la Tour de la Lanterne, in which a huge candle was lit nightly as a beacon for incoming craft. It also served as a prison for a long time, and the graffiti of its forlorn inmates' are still visible. The length of wall you walk to get there from the Tour de la Chaine is all that is left of La Rochelle's fortifications, which were destroyed by Cardinal Richelieu after he conquered the town in 1628.



To fully appreciate the port's unique history, you can ask for a guide at the tourist office, but a potted history will explain the events that led up to the Richelieu's actions: in the 12th century, La Rochelle was given to the English by Eleanor of Aquitaine, upon her marriage to Henry Plantagenet, and the port grew to be an important base from which the English could attack their French enemies. Naturally, the latter would not take this lying down, and managed, in 1224, to send the English contingent packing. Years of bitter, sporadic hostilities ensued, which escalated into the Hundred Years' War... and England's eventual loss of La Rochelle.

Nevertheless the 'Rochelais' kept an affinity for the English (who had always gone easy on them with taxes). The character of the port remained quite separate from the rest of France : its inhabitants, for instance, readily embraced the Protestant Huguenot movement.

But this tendency was despised by Richelieu, who wished to crush Protestantism in the name of French unity. Then the 'Rochelais' looked to England for help...

But the cardinal had the upper hand and isolated, the townsfolk, who were reduced to eating weeds, slugs until they were starved into surrender.

A famous 19th century canvas by Henri Motte which depicts the blockade can be seen in the wonderful ornate 'hotel de Ville'. Here, you can also view the chambers that the town's Mayor and hero ,Jean Guiton, occupied during the siege.

In under a year, 23,000 of the besieged perished: so it's strange to think when you look at the town today that it actually saw and witnessed this horror taking place...

Another impressive piece architecture at the harbour is the Porte de la Grosse Horologe. behind thin portal, the town centre is a easy walk and on the bustling streets, you'll see plenty of fine architecture: evidence that, even if the town did suffer the horrors in the past, the fortunes of the traders were generally good. The old port is to small to berth to many craft, but not a mile to the South is the new marina (Port Des Minimes) which can welcome a great many pleasure craft. You can get there by taking the 'bus de mer' directly from the old port. The trip takes twenty minutes... but who's counting? The whole spirit La Rochelle can be summed up in French with one verb: flaner' which basically involves taking your time, strolling along and observing others doing the same!

The marina's aquarium is internationally famous where its spectacular shark chamber, where above and all around you, a huge, pot-bellied nurse shark does the rounds. But it' not just the big, scary creatures that makes it worth a visit worth while: as interesting are the hundreds of other, smaller species, including the elegant sea horses, voluptuous bubble coral, and the tiny, transparent shrimps...

I was told that each September sees Le Grand Pavois, a showcase for all that's new in the sailing world.

Apart from being France's main Atlantic shipping terminal, La Rochelle possesses many innovative nautical companies.

With its cafes and clubs, this is a lively and interesting town. But according to a brochure I picked up, it excels during the summer with an international film festival in mid July, the nation's top musicians come to entertain. Musicians and music-lovers from all over the world congregate for the festival. The songs may be in French but it is said that the ambiance is universal. So in the summer this does indeed call for a visit.