LA ROCHELLE TOURS

Built facing the Atlantic, the Tour Saint-Nicolas (14th century), the Tour de la Chaîne (14th century) and the Tour de la Lanterne (12th and15th century) are remains of an extensive fortification system undertaken by the City of La Rochelle. These three towers have served as lighthouses, fortified defenses, living quarters, and even political prisons. The largest of the three is The Saint-Nicolas Tower built with walls up to six meters thick and adorned with a maze of stairways, passages, and rooms. The highlight here is perhaps the descent: choose either the easy staircase or the steep, slippery 'double helix' staircase. The Chain Tower, regarded as sacrosanct in the Protestant period, was originally constructed to monitor all port traffic and now houses an interesting series of exhibits depicting the role of La Rochelle in the migration of French people to Canada. The Lantern Tower which is relatively new when compared to the other two was built keeping functionality in mind and had served different purposes in the Middle Ages. The only medieval lighthouse on the Atlantic Coast that is still standing, this tower bears a remarkable palette of graffiti, carved into the walls by pirates and prisoners who were incarcerated there after it was converted into a prison.