"A taste of provincial France" Rochefort by frenchderek

Rochefort-sur-mer (to give it its full name, rarely used) is still a typically provincial French town: yet it has its attractions. The town lies on the River Charente, not by the sea, despite its name.

Rochefort was developed from a tiny village by Colbert, who had been commissioned by Louis XIV to find a new Atlantic coast naval base. The offshore islands of Ré, Oléron and Aix (each worth a visit) provide shelter from the winds - and help to keep the climate reasonable through the year. The yacht-basin has visitor berths.

The original stone buildings of the mid-17th Century have been, or are being restored (the naval base closed in 1927, and the Nazi occupiers fired the Corderie Royale as they were leaving in 1945). The original grid-plan street layout makes it easy to get around.

It's a compact little town with plenty of historical gems to discover (guide- books in many languages, walking tours, etc, from the Tourist Info Bureau next to the main - free - car-park, on Ruy Bry (try getting your tongue round that!). There's a street market Tues, Thurs and Saturday; or you can sit and watch the world go by while sipping your preferred brew in one of the outdoor cafe's on Place Colbert.

Must-sees include the Corderie Royale (the old rope-walk) 370m, 440 yards long. Apart from the permanent display showing the making of rope (right from hemp-picking through to winding), there is always a temporary display based on a sea-going or naval theme. Groups can pre-book a guided "tour" which includes trying your hand at rope-making.

Then, L'Hermione - see below.

There are plenty of other gems to discover (buildings, museums, etc) as you wander but you must find time for Pierre Loti's house. A naval officer who travelled to some exotic locations (for his day) and brought back ideas for re-creating what he had seen and experienced on his travels in his Rochefort house. It looks pretty ordinary on the outside but you must see the inside (sorry, Im saying no more - go see). You have to pre-book; and tho they say English and German guided tours are available, it's a lenghty wadge of paper (to be handed back, sadly).

During the 1770's the American 'colonists' were in revolt against British rule. Both Britain and France were short of money after years of fighting each other. Britain needed its American revenues whilst France (thrown out of America by Britain) wanted revenge. The French Marquis de La Lafayette wanted both revenge and personal glory. His early visits to see George Washington to offer French help in achieving American independence were well-received: and he returned to France to gather the King's support and an army.

On 10 March 1780 La Fayette sailed from Rochefort bound for America. His small armada slipped into Newport, Rhode Island in July. And - well, you should know the rest!

However, we now have a near-replica of La Fayette's ship, l'Hermione, being built in what was the first double dry-dock in Europe. This has to be rated as a "must-see".

• Pros:Easy-going town full of architectural and historic interest
• Cons:Still clings to its provincial ways (eg small shops closed for the summer)
• In a nutshell:Warm people, everything within walking distance