"ROCHEFORT - THE STORY OF HERMIONE" Rochefort by Toyin

Rochefort Travel Guide: 23 reviews and 26 photos

The Hermione - Frigate of Liberty

Rochefort is a town in the Western France, essentially it was a French ship building city, now a home to the French Gendermairies. I found out that there was no travel hint on Rochefort, hence, I decided to be the first on this site.

To do Rochefort by road from Paris, it takes about 6hrs, but by the TGV, it is 3hrs to Surgese, then you drive for another 30minutes to Rochefort. The town is sandwished between ROYAN and LA ROCHELLE. The significance of the ROCHEFORT will not come to VT members untill the year 2007! This is when the HERMIONE would be lunched, that is when the story would be told, and some of you will say... ooooh I remember, Yeah Toyin said it.

In Greeks mythology, Hermione is Menelaus and Helene's daughter who herself was Ocean's daughters. Hermione is therefore Oceans grandaughter.......

In the XVIIIth century, the Hermione was a frigate that was built in Rochefort, on which embarked the young Marquis de La Fayette. It was a frigate that was destined to participate in the birth of a nation: The United States of America.

Ocean's Grandaughter

Hermione

Building the replica of this Frigate is part of Rochefort's ambitious political project. The Maritime Arsenal of Colbert and his jewel, the 'Corderie Royale', is rehabilitated, the dry docks of the XVIIth, XVIIIth and of the XIXth century have been excavated out of the mud of the marshes.

Construction of New Hermione

Hermeone under construction - June 2004

To be able to recapture a full sense of Rochforth's uniqueness in Europe, it was necessary to reconstruct a vessel of the era because France has not preserved its floating heritage. Above all, this frigate is part of a wider project which concerns all the Charente estuary.... The project is expected to be commissioned in 2007. The first port of call is Boston in the US? It will then sail back to Rochefort where it will be used for tourism.

Pros and Cons

Pros:Very peaceful town, but of great historical value in the sphere of ship building in 18th century
Cons:Too quiet for the young at heart, Nearby La Rochelle is more lively.
In a nutshell:The new home of the Gendermairies and a great future for the Hermione.

Last visit to Rochefort: Jun 2004
Intro Updated Nov 23, 2004
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Reviews (23)

Transbordeur Tourist Traps (1)

Maison du Transbordeur is at rue de Martrou 17620 Echila. It is very popular, but aside a coffee shop that operates... more travel advice

Souvenir Shop Things to Do (4)

A section of the complex is dedicated for souvenirs. Here you can purchase sea man equipments and instruments including... more travel advice

Renovated Corderie Royale Things to Do (4)

The building is very long to be able to take care of the lenght of the rope that has to be made. This is because,... more travel advice

The inside view of Corderie Royale Favorites (7)

This picture shows the technical arrangements for the making of Heavy cordage ropes for the Man O War, and Merchant... more travel advice

Off The Beaten Path (8)
See All Forts
Transportation (1)
Do it yourself

Comments (20)

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KiKitC Sep 14, 2009 at 2:52 AM

Very interesting history. Thank you for the tour. Love the reconstruction of the ship and the forts.
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yumyum Jan 14, 2007 at 3:19 AM

That reconstruction of that ship is very interesting! Thanks for sharing!
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keeweechic Jul 10, 2005 at 4:27 AM

Wonderful to visit during National Day and what a rare piece of Roman architecture to be able to preserve. I think the guided tour is advisable in this historical maritime town.. wonderful.
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matcrazy1 Apr 18, 2005 at 3:42 PM

Great historical town and additionally the last Transporter Bridge in France! Add surely famous cheese :-)
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tpangelinan Apr 1, 2005 at 8:26 PM

Great page, wonderful photos and informations, sounds like a perfect place to visit. Thank you for sharing with us. :o)
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kyoub Jan 10, 2005 at 1:11 PM

That is quite a fete to be first on VT. Excellent page and history on Rochefort.
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Dialing Dec 29, 2004 at 5:44 AM

Salut! Great to see your Rochefort views and reviews! Viva la France! See ya on July 14th - well, may be :) Best regards!
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Lady_Mystique Nov 22, 2004 at 1:33 PM

What a discovery! To find the place that made the ship that brought Lafayette to help America! They need another Lafayette to bring them to their senses! Merci beaucoup!!
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Daja123 Nov 15, 2004 at 1:36 PM

Wonderful page of Rochefort! Lovely pics too. Thank you Toyin.
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Maillekeukeul Nov 14, 2004 at 4:10 AM

Gaaaaaarde à vous !!! ;-D Nice pics