Located between La Rochelle and Ile d’Oléron in Charente Maritime, Rochefort experienced its golden age from 1666 to 1927. The city then grew around its Arsenal, this military complex wanted by Louis XIV and his minister Colbert to ensure the defense of the coasts threatened by the English incursions.
Nearly 550 warships will be built there. Then dozed off, the city woke up in 1966 to the sound of a musical by Jacques Demy, The Young Ladies of Rochefort. Since then, it shows its strengths.
On the road of the Forts
Pilgrimage in the streets drawn with a line to the Corderie Royale, spread over 374 meters, the length of the building conditioning that of the hemp ropes. On maneuver, the seamanship experts put you a head in the knots
. Not far away, a replica of l’Hermione can be visited in the company of gabiers. In 2015, the elegant three-master set out across the Atlantic in the footsteps of La Fayette, who left in 1780 to join the American insurgents in the fight for their independence.
The region lends itself well to soft mobility. We get on our bikes to travel along the coast, “the ring of fire” of forts with a defensive vocation. From Fort Vauban which dominates Fouras-les-Bains to the charming Fort Lupine, enthroned between tamarisk and blueberries, passing, according to the rhythm of the tides, by Fort Enet, placed on a rock or the Fort of Île Madame, for a while transformed into a Spartan holiday center. A highlight, a catamaran ride allows you to admire in the middle of the waves, the most recent of them, completed in 1859, the imposing Fort Boyard, new television star.
A naturalist paradise
Along the cycle paths, we follow the spectacular Martrou ferry bridge, more than 50 meters high, to allow boats to pass through the low houses of a fishing district.
We soak up the typical atmospheres of the marshes where reed beds, samphire and jumping gherkins grow along the banks punctuated with squares on stilts. Everywhere, the subdued light bathes these natural landscapes and the estuary with golden hues.
This setting takes the place of a little bird paradise. Near the lagoon station, 160 species stop
, according to Christophe Boucher, ornithologist. Through the spyglass, we can see a host of crested lapwings, avocets and egrets which love these brackish waters. An image of rediscovered serenity that encourages people to return to these places, like the faithful migrants.
Convenient
Information : Rochefort-sur-Mer tourist office, www.rochefort-ocean.com/. Phone. : 05 46 99 08 60. Obtain the essential tide timetables from the tourist office.
Stay : In the center, the Hôtel de France, www.hoteldefrancerochefort.com/
Lunch : Opposite the marina, the Vivre (s) restaurant by Grégory Coutanceau, vivres.net/le-restaurant/
Oyster tasting : Eric Bénard’s oyster hut at Pointe de la Fumée, near Fouras.
To do : Visit of the Arsenal des Mers and the Hèbre museum in the footsteps of Pierre Loti, a native of the country.
Guide : The Charentes (Michelin Green Guide, 2020 € 14.90).
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