Top tip for visiting this aquarium - book your tickets in advance online otherwise you will queue for ages to buy tickets only to be given a later time slot to return! Once inside, the aquarium is full of amazing tanks full of fish and other sea life. The tanks are well labelled in both French and English and you can follow the numbered tanks around the aquarium so that you don’t miss anything. We visited on a Monday during summer school holidays - the aquarium was really busy, but you still get to see everything.

A wonderful and informative aquarium, well maintained and clean. Highlight was the sharks of course, but had lots to see and examine. Reasonable priced too, especially if you're from the UK where aquariums are prohibitively expensive. One other thing to note, it is all accessible for pushchairs, prams and wheelchairs.

There's a lot to see hear, from the jellyfish at the entrance to the sharks at the end and endless fish in between. It's divided into different areas, Mediterranean, Carribbean and tropical for some and the tour flows well. It was quiet when I visited, but can get very busy, so I would recommend choosing a quieter time.

Practical side: Practically speaking, it was a mess. We had bought our tickets online, thinking it would save us time. Our slot was at 11:00, so we joined the line early since we didn’t know how long it would take. By 10:45 we reached the staff member at the entrance, but he told us we were too early and had to leave the line. Just five minutes later, people with 11:00 tickets were allowed in! When we rejoined, the line had tripled in length. So instead of saving time, we ended up waiting much longer. They even split the line to “speed things up,” which actually delayed us even more. On top of that, special discounts (for students, people with disabilities, etc.) weren’t available when booking online. The visit: As for the visit itself, it was one of the dullest aquaria I’ve ever seen. First of all, it was extremely crowded – surprising for a Thursday in late August – to the point where it felt claustrophobic and we often couldn’t even see the tanks. We walked through everything in about half an hour. Some fish were kept in very small tanks, with no mention anywhere about animal welfare or what the aquarium does to prevent harm. Many tanks just looked artificial, with fish placed in unnatural settings. There was also no clear storyline or structure. In other aquariums you often see a logical build-up (from shallow to deep water, or small to large species) but here it was just one similar-looking room after another: blue walls and a few glass tanks. There were no interactive elements, no feeding demonstrations, and no educational content about pollution, climate change, or conservation – all things you’d expect nowadays. For that, paying €18.50 is way overpriced.

Too many tickets sold per time slot. Our slot said 150 tickets left so we thought it would be quiet, instead met with massive queues, crowds and stressful experience.

Very amusing, especially for kids. We went on a rather quite time of the month, so we h didnt have to wait in line and the aquarium wasn't very busy. Very lovely experience, I'd go there again!

Huge aquarium. Good time for kids. The map of the aquarium is not clear and no signs inside the aquarium. Still worth the visit

Fantastic Medieval Tower The tour Saint-Nicolas is beautiful and very impressive defensively. You can see how it could have been a way to keep the enemy out of the harbour and would have scared of potential invaders. Today it is a great place to walk to and take a stroll around this historical building. It is an amazing sight and also has lots of amenities around. Highly recommended visit!

This whole area is actually very pretty and depending on the time you pass there it can look very different and the photos are very different.

Sit and enjoy around the sea view at this place

The Saint Nicolas Tower is one of the three medieval towers guarding the harbor. For €9.50 you can visit all three towers. Definitely recommended.

It's free to get in if you are under 26. You can climb up the stairs up to the top and get a beautiful view of the Vieux Port of La Rochelle.

Very well preserved, great access to explore in your own time. A little pricey.

Beautiful tower, a symbol of La Rochelle! Is very impressive to see it when you arrive in the city.

Had a great ride out and came across what looked like the smallest museum in the world, once we entered it was surprising what awaits inside. A real insight into the era and how time was. Thoroughly recommend a visit, even got a couple of really unusual fridge magnets for souvenirs

Great location, full of fascinating history, especially the details of resistance against fascism which is unfortunately one of those things we need to keep in mind these days when we'd all much rather we had all learnt the lesson a long time ago. We timed our visit for just after it opened and were glad of this upon leaving and seeing how many people were about to come in (we were in the city as part of a cruise stop, so something to consider). The rooms are full of information but not very large so it could get quite cramped if busy. Definitely worth a visit, however.

Its a magnificent structure. I walked there last Thursday evening from Place de Verden as Google provided directions. Sadly you still cannot go in it and so the nearest I got was the other side of the fence along the road bordering the Industrial Estate. Also don't even bother trying to walk to the coast along that road as there are more fences and signs prohibiting entry.

It is more than a place to visit, it is an extraordinary experience. It is the second bunker you visit in France, the first being in Caen, but I find it much more interesting. It contains a lot of objects that can't help but arouse your curiosity, the historical and emotional load of this place makes it extraordinary. Without any hesitation I recommend visiting it

Very nice place to visit in the center of La Rochelle, there is plenty of equipment from WW2 exposed here, some nice models and a lot of descriptions about life in La Rochelle during the war. Some explanations are only in french though, but the staff can give translated leaflets (I speak french so it wasn't an issue)

Interesting small museum with lots of information in English as well as French.

If you’re a 2nd world war and history buff, this museum is wonderful to walk through. Takes about 1 hour max to go through it.

Google directions to parking is a bit misleading but easy to figure out. Parking can be an issue in holiday times. There is a market with clothing shops and restaurants as well as the light tower, the old tower is just behind it.

Very cool place to go to learn about the local history of the island and the lighthouse and as well the other lighthouses that dot French coastline. Worth the drive to the tip of Île de Ré.

Cool little destination when bike riding the Ile de Re. Plenty of ice cream spots also.

Wonderful old lighthouse. We walked up 257 steps to the top, had beautiful views

Nice place to visit to get a great view from the top of the lighthouse

Wonderfull wiew, strong wind and sunset is stunning.

I always like a good lighthouse, especially if you can climb it. Entrance is round the back (seaward side) and provides excellent 360 degree views. There is a small museum nearby.

Really interesting, a lot of ruinas to see. We enjoyed especially the old school naval spectacle. The best part - they allowed our little dog in

This model museum has sections on cars, ships and trains. We particularly enjoyed the model railway room, which has several working layouts. The same ticket also grants access to the Puppet museum on the other side of the car park.

This is another hidden treasure in La Rochelle. Loved it as a kid, still love it as a grown-up kid ;)

Really nice experience for the kids and the adults. Lots of stuff to learn.

Brilliant museum

Super

(Translated by Google) Good surprise for these 2 small museums. The collections are rich but what is most attractive is the presentation of the collections. Ship atmosphere for ship models. Railway atmosphere for the room dedicated to trains. The visit is quick but very pleasant. To do. (Original) Bonne surprise pour ces 2 petits musées. Les collections sont riches mais ce qui séduit le plus, c'est la mise en scène des collections. Ambiance navire pour les maquettes de bateau. Ambiance ferroviaire pour la salle consacrée aux trains. La visite est rapide mais très plaisante. A faire.

A great place to visit with kids! The expositions are nice (make sure your French is up to speed though), but the main attraction is obviously the walk through the MNS France 1 (English booklet available).

This is a must place to visit in La Rochelle. Kids went free and 8 euro per adult. We visited 3 ships and the additional museum rooms, it was a fantastic day out. We all loved it.

A nice museum with much to see outside. They have even 3 big ships for visitors. I got a german paper guide with a lot information. The description on the signs are all in French, but ok. I spend 3 hours, but you can make it in 2. The museum is not too big and for the whole familly. Sometimes climbing stairs can be tricky and steep.

It was so interesting. It has three parts - visiting boats and ships, an inside museum and a hall with another exhibit and gift shop. Great for families as we saw lots of them and couples like us!

Good museum to visit, it’s a fair price for how big it is. Three ships and two separate indoor exhibitions. Staff speak English and are very polite. Would recommend to all.

Honestly for non boat fans this is rather boring. But it is amazing for people who love boats. A little boring for the kids and really scary and creepy for the kids inside the France 1. It takes forever to go through the 3 boats especially France 1 where it feels like a maze and you can never get out. The other sections of the museum were a little blah too. Would recommend only for boat buffs. Lots of ship ladders to climb.

A nice experience, will take longer than you think but stays interesting throughout the visits to the boats and the building exhibits. Althought there were many visitors it did not feel crowded at any point. There is a children's activity area at the far end of the building that was a nice surprise. Staff was incredibly nice and there were a number of them who spoke multiple languages proficiently. The special exhibition which covered a large history of a maritime television show popular in France (Thalassa) was very interesting, makes me want to see if I can find it subtitled so I can watch it in the future.

Ocean pass La Rochelle good product especially for 2-3 days as it offers "free" entry to a lot of activities. However, I found it to be a shame that for the 7 days pass, you are not entitle to 2 boat trips and 2 different type of visit in the city (time and price are basically double, but you don't have access to more museum or activities).

Very useful and convenient. For people who wish to discover the city on public transport, the pass provides unlimited access to buses and even the sea bus. And the unlimited access to the TER was very helpful. There are so my places easily accessible to discover with the pass. Verity of activities to choose from.

LA ROCHELLE OCEAN PASS: Multiple touristic sites and attractions are already included, plus the bus! Easy to use and the app is very friendly. I was truly impressed with La Rochelle Ocean Pass. Highly recommended!

Lovely walking around the town and lots of good restaurants around.

The La Rochelle Ocean Pass offers outstanding coverage of sites and transportation! It was well worth the cost of the pass. It was very challenging at times, though, as the app required internet access to function, which we did not always have. Thankfully the pdf versions were accepted at museums, and transit drivers were sympathetic.

Called in for a street map open in the morning closed at lunchtime open 14 00 hours staff are very helpful

Excellent and easy service renting a wheelchair for the day.

Good place with fixed and temporary exposition. Free on the first sunday of the month.

Absolutely amazing. Came during the near exhibit, it was fantastic!!

Great museum! An impressive collection, definitely worth a visit.

This was way beyond my expectations! Absolutely magnificent museum and gardens 🦍🦋🦆

I would like to thank Dorothy our tour guide for a lovely morning in this wonderful museum which houses a diverse collection of animals and artifacts from around the world. Looking forward to returning.

Visited an interesting exposition here :)

Very interesting museum that reopened partially on 1July 2022. Lots of fascinating displays but for some of the identification of exhibits the signage was very difficult to read. Upper floors were full of diverse cultural artefacts. Major issue was that they are still working on ticketing, which was a painful process as no cash accepted! (Apparently this museum is piloting a cashless payment system for La Rochelle museums: bad idea as it is exclusionary for those who don't have or want smartphones.) The system still needs work too. It took us ten minutes to pay and then, as we couldn't get a data connection on our phone we couldn't show the emailed proof of payment. Frustrating!

Large, varied, wonderful park.. its also part zoo. A beautiful walk on a summers day. -jesusAntonio d'Perez y'Gracia janthony

Incredible, full of young people, music, so beautiful, the white monuments, the seashore on the sunset light! Must go!

Wonderful park my kid just loved it with all the animals there.

Lots of greenery and quite, place for a picnic the attraction of the lake with birds where chilldren are delighted!

Nice place to visit & trip to the neighbourhood island's

What a fantastic park. Our hotel was situated in the middle of the park which was great for walking our 2 dogs. Nice open spaces but also plenty of shade for the hot, steamy days. One of the nicest parks I’ve had the pleasure to visit.

A tranquil and charming park area towards the end of the Lantern Tower. Huge avenue that divides the beach and the animal park. The promenade to the water side is magnificent and quite pleasant for a stroll. From this side of the promenade you can see the Nelson Mandela passage on the opposite side. Even in Winter when I was exploring this lovely and green park it was a joy to explore without the crowd. There's street parking all along the avenue that runs through this park. There's kids playground and picnic benches dotted along the water side making it ideal for family outings in warmer weather. Great spot with only a short stroll from the heart of the old city. There's public lavatory here as well.

Loved the fact that you can pick and taste all you want.

Just get the oysters.

(Translated by Google) Top advice! Quality of teas! I recommend eyes closed and taste buds wide open! (Original) Conseil au top ! Qualité des thés ! Je recommande les yeux fermés et les papilles bien ouvertes !

(Translated by Google) Coming on vacation to La Rochelle, we had the pleasure of drinking iced tea, squeezed orange juice and a chocolatine! A real pleasure, with a warm welcome! I recommend ☀️ (Original) Venues en vacances à La Rochelle, nous avons eu le plaisir d’aller boire un thé glacé, un jus d’orange pressé et une chocolatine ! Un réel plaisir, avec un accueil chaleureux ! Je recommande ☀️

(Translated by Google) Perfectly velvety cappuccino accompanied by a tasty pain au chocolat. An oasis of flavors and tranquility in the middle of the stalls. All overwhelmed by the smiling welcome and the kindness of the service. (Original) Cappucino velouté à souhait accompagné d'un savoureux pain au chocolat. Une oasis de saveurs et de quiétude au milieu des étals. Le tout emballé par l'accueil souriant et la gentillesse du service.

(Translated by Google) Sandrine is very pleasant and smiling. A big thank you for her smile. (Original) Sandrine très agréable et souriante. Un grand merci pour son sourire.

(Translated by Google) I visited the La Rochelle market at the end of June and discovered Zen-Cha. A loose-leaf tea shop run by a charming couple, who recommended a simply exquisite tea, the Lady Pink. Thank you for the advice and the smile. (Original) Je suis passée fin juin sur le marché de La Rochelle et j'ai découvert Zen-Cha. Un magasin de thé en vrac tenu par un couple charmant, qui m'a conseillé un thé tout simplement exquis, le Lady Pink. Merci pour les conseils et le sourire.

An amazing show ! The Polymni choir of 9 persons was exceptional. Magical moment.

Wonderful place for praying and visiting, morning time for free but night time with ticket for light and sounds

I visited St. Louis Cathedral in La Rochelle for the evening 360° immersive show - LUMINISCENCE. It’s a large, historic cathedral, and the whole city feels like stepping back in time. Every narrow street is filled with history and charm.

Cathédrale Saint-Louis de la Rochelle is a stupendous national monument of this gorgeous city of La Rochelle. It may look unappealing from the outside but inside is impressively breathtaking! I was struck by the ambience of this church and even more blown away by the stained glass windows by Antoine Lusson, Lobin and Emile Hirsch. As you explore the side chapels, there are some spectacular artworks like "Let the little children come to me" by Louis Matout. Of importance are the Chapel of the Virgin and the Sailors' Chapel with the "Sapphire" oil on canvas inside this chapel. The Choir and the High Altar is mesmerizing. The organ is something to behold. There's so much history attached to this cathédrale that it's worth reading up on it. But you couldn't leave here without exploring the Saint-Barthélémy Bell Tower, a Gothic style structure attached to the chevet of the cathedral, which is a historical monument since the 30th October 1906 according to archive information available. Worth exploring especially families and young children and all backgrounds.

Beautiful cathedral with amazing stained glass windows. It's almost as wide as it is long. Situated right on a lovely square too.

A really beutiful cathedral. And entry at no charge. Highly recommended for a visit. Great ambience and sense of history.

Nice Cathedral, not the prettiest or visually stunning from the outside, but worth visiting the interior for a nice vibe in the heart of La Rochelle

Beautiful and atmospheric point. Good for photoshoot any time. Meny cosy places around

One Of My Favorite Places In The World 😍

Beautiful old clock tower and building. Well worth seeing.

This place including the tower seems very good during christmas.

The original gateway with the door being listed as national monument in 1978. Standing from the south side looking at this gate is amazing with the statue of Duppré in front. The north side façade is far more elaborately decorated being the side towards the town it used to enclose. It's still one of the most spectacular passages between the quay side and the old city. There's a museum of sorts in the upper part of this tower that houses scientific and military paraphernalia. Absolutely worth visiting as it has the most stunning views of the old port and the quayside.

Beautiful place right next to the sea and 5 minutes walking from Place de Verdun where you can find buses that cover all the area There's a lot of restaurants near this place : french , turkish , lebanese and many more ... ice cream places , souvenirs , clothes , shoes and whatever you need ... Perfect place to watch the sunset on the Atlantic ocean.

Ancient tower and tour in the ancient city. Very beautiful walk around. Near there are a lot of shops, particularly a good bakery.

I waited till dark. Definitely worth it if you like city lights. Only safety fence was too high but I guess its necessary thees days.

Lovely views up here and only €6 per person is a bargain. Was good to see the city from up above before exploring it. It is a stunningly beautiful city. Would recommend to all visiting the city.

extremely cool. totally worth the visit to see la rochelle from above.

Enjoyed this ferris wheel. Pretty good value for money - you get three rotations of the wheel. Lovely views across La Rochelle Port. Wasn’t too busy and we didn’t have to queue.

Good idea to visit La Grande Roue: you get a perfect view of downtown La Rochelle, it's only 5 euro and you'll never forget it so it makes it the perfect souvenir for yourself! We loved it. And oh...the people here are very friendly and helpfull.

You go round 3 times, which doesn't take very long, but some nice views of la rochelle

Great view and nice gondolas with glass sides