It's ships ahoy at the Maritime Museum at la Rochelle in the Charente-Maritime!
The Maritime Museum (Musée Maritime) at La Rochelle floats – its exhibits are housed on three ships, each of which is classed as an historic monument. Visitors can tour the ships as well as see the displays that tell of La Rochelle’s eventful seafaring history, from the many battles to its time as an important trading centre.
The three ships open to the public are the 1958 meteorological ship France I; the Angoumois, an old fishing trawler that one was of the last plying its trade in the seas off La Rochelle; and the tug boat Saint-Gilles which was the last in France to operate using a reversible engine.
Five other boats are on display at the Maritime Museum, but cannot be boarded. These include the ketch, Joshua, sailed around the world by Bernard Moitessier, the first man to do so sail solo, as well as a 1906 dredger, frigates and yachts. French oceanographer Jacques Cousteau’s famous boat, Calypso, is no longer at the museum.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Opening hours:
The Musée Maritime is open seven days a week from April 1- September 30, between 10am-6.30pm (7pm in July/August). Last entry one hour before closing. Allow a couple of hours of your visit.
Tickets:
Adultes: €8
Children 4-16 ans and students : €5.50
Children under 4 years : free
Family ticket ( €5.50 per person for two children accompanied by one or two adults.)
Contact:
Quai Sénac de Meilhan; La Rochelle
Tel : 05 46 28 03 00
Website: www.museemaritimelarochelle.fr