The Maritime Museum of La Rochelle: from the history of the city to the world of the oceans.

Want to learn more about the history and heritage of La Rochelle ? Head to the Maritime Museum on the quays of the Old Port! Also, dive into the temporary "Climate-Ocean" exhibition for a fun and moving experience, combining an aquatic atmosphere with the abyssal depths.

Immersion in the maritime history of La Rochelle

Is the weather forecast looking gloomy in Charente-Maritime this weekend? Don't panic. Rainy days often bring discoveries and wonderful surprises. Just a short walk from the unmissable Aquarium La Rochelle, a true cultural and heritage escape awaits us.

Located in the former trawler basin of the Old Port, the Maritime Museum of La Rochelle is distinguished by its multi-colored pavilions designed by the architect Patrick Bouchain. Its original architecture illustrates in the broadest sense, the richness of the maritime history of the city and its port. The site consists of three very distinct visiting areas and a collection with multiple faces to immerse us in the heart of a captivating maritime universe. A museum like no other, dedicated to men, boats and the ocean.

The Pavilion Gallery: the permanent collection “La Rochelle born of the sea”

The visit to the Gallery begins

From the entrance, the visit to the pavilions reveals itself as an invitation to travel through the maritime culture of the city. We discover the incredible destiny of Rupella (which means "little rock"), this ancient fishing town, founded in the 9th century on a rocky promontory, destined to become one of the very first French fishing ports in the early 1960s. The museum tour is based on the chronological sequences of the history of La Rochelle. Thanks to the research of historians and the documentation of the pieces in the collection, we go back in time since its foundation around the year 1000. Citadel of rebellion and great Protestant square of the Kingdom of France, port with a considerable role in the triangular trade, La Rochelle reveals an unusual destiny in this first pavilion, contextualized by films, maps, documents, models and scale models.

A condensed history

I am particularly touched by the model of the Euryale, the La Rochelle slave ship which, filled with merchandise, left the port for the African coast. Upon arrival, no fewer than 600 slaves were "loaded" on board to cross the Atlantic. In the Antilles, the captives were "traded" for sugar, coffee, cotton and cocoa. A heavy past to bear and one which arouses a lot of emotion : in the 18th century, La Rochelle was the second largest slave port in France.

At the heart of the auction

The covered arcades allow you to pass between the pavilions and stay dry. The other two pavilions directly open the doors to the heyday of fishing, from rowboats to industrial trawlers. We discover the old trades linked to the sea and the fusional relationship that the city maintains with the ocean. A playful reconstruction of the fish markets immerses us in the excitement of the early morning auction, from the unloading of trawlers full of fish to the packaging in the fishmongers' huts.

Models and scale models

The evolution and growth of the three ports of La Rochelle are covered, from the creation of the La Pallice floating dock to the Minimes marina and the Chef de Baie fishing port.

Ships afloat: an open-air museum

Outside the main building, the Maritime Museum's fleet includes 8 ships considered true national treasures . What a privilege for young and old to be able to admire and climb aboard some of these historic boats! Behind the museum, we admire the Joshua and the Capitaine de Frégate Leverger (SNSM lifeboat). The Manuel-Joël, a classic trawler dating from 1954, once fished for tuna and langoustine.

Frigate Captain Leverger (SNSM lifeboat).

France 1 and Saint-Gilles

In the dock, this unique fleet in France consists of the majestic France 1, a 76-meter former meteorological frigate, built in 1958 and open to the public. A must-see for La Rochelle residents between April and October, the ship houses the Bar de la Mer on its deck. This warm and festive venue offers, in addition to a breathtaking view of the port, a varied musical program and a gourmet menu between 10 a.m. and 2 a.m.

Next to the France 1, the Angoumois is a 38-metre deep-sea vessel which has had a major impact on industrial fishing in La Rochelle, being able to land between 25 and 50 tonnes of fish on its return from several weeks at sea.

Finally, the Saint-Gilles is a small tugboat from the port of La Pallice, now a listed historic monument. Its crucial role in multiple assistance missions to rescue boats in difficulty off the coast of the Île de Ré has earned it universal admiration.

The Interactive Temporary Exhibition Climate – Ocean

To conclude our visit, we enter the interior hall of the former Encan, opposite the museum entrance, to find the large “Climate-Ocean” exhibition inaugurated in November 2019. Sensitized to the major problems of pollution, overfishing, and climate change, we realize the extent to which the oceans are under severe strain.

An interactive exhibition

Designed with the support of scientists and experts, this visit allows us to understand the Ocean in all its forms, the dangers that threaten it and the challenges of its preservation for all. With human-sized and innovative multimedia devices over 300m2, scientists speak directly to visitors. In an immersive, aesthetic setting, subdued by blue light, we have the sensation of traveling through the abysses of the seabed. The exhibition mobilizes awareness around themes that highlight the fragility of the ocean: an ecosystem in its own right, ocean-climate mechanics, threats, paleoclimates, the consequences of global warming, the resilience of living things... A unique visual and sound experience not to be missed!

Learn more

Although temporary, the Climate-Ocean Exhibition inaugurated in November 2019 will continue until 2021 and is an integral part of the Maritime Museum.

For a weekend in La Rochelle, we took advantage of a "La Rochelle Océan" group ticket giving access to three sites: the Aquarium, the Natural History Museum and the Maritime Museum.