Charente-Maritime: La Rochelle, the Islands, and Cognac Country
Charente-Maritime has one of the longest coastlines of any French department, stretching from the Gironde estuary to the Marais Poitevin. La Rochelle, the largest city, has a fortified old port that once made it one of France's most important Atlantic harbours. The city withstood a famous siege by Richelieu in 1627-1628. Today La Rochelle is known for its aquarium, its university, and its maritime festivals.
The islands of Re and Oleron are connected to the mainland by bridges and are major summer holiday destinations. Rochefort, built by Colbert as a naval arsenal in the seventeenth century, has the Hermione, a full-size replica of the frigate that carried Lafayette to America. Cognac, the brandy, is produced along the Charente river. Saintes has a Roman arch and amphitheatre. The population exceeds 668,000. Royan, rebuilt in modernist style after wartime bombing, is a seaside resort at the mouth of the Gironde.
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Charente-Maritime has one of the longest coastlines of any French department, stretching from the Gironde estuary to the Marais Poitevin. La Rochelle, the largest city, has a fortified old port that once made it one of France's most important Atlantic harbours. The city withstood a famous siege by Richelieu in 1627-1628. Today La Rochelle is known for its aquarium, its university, and its maritime festivals.
The islands of Re and Oleron are connected to the mainland by bridges and are major summer holiday destinations. Rochefort, built by Colbert as a naval arsenal in the seventeenth century, has the Hermione, a full-size replica of the frigate that carried Lafayette to America. Cognac, the brandy, is produced along the Charente river. Saintes has a Roman arch and amphitheatre. The population exceeds 668,000. Royan, rebuilt in modernist style after wartime bombing, is a seaside resort at the mouth of the Gironde.
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