The maritime dockyard of Rochefort: The "Versailles of the sea" of the Sun King
In the 17th century, Louis XIV dreamed of reigning as master on land and on the seas... To do this, he needed a place to build and arm his ships for war. He chose Rochefort to install the most beautiful naval dockyard of the kingdom thanks to the Charente river nearby.
Nestled in the middle of a meander of the Charente river, the Naval Dockyard of Rochefort nicknamed the "Versailles of the Sea" is a place of technical innovation in shipbuilding. Between its opening in 1666 and its definitive closure in 1927, nearly 550 warships were built !
The Corderie Royale, the symbol of the naval dockyard
Serving the navy for almost two centuries, Rochefort was built around this dockyard, the most beautiful symbols of which today are the Corderie Royale and the frigate Hermione* ...
Pass the “Porte du Soleil” on the outskirts of the National Marine Museum, and a few steps away, embark on the replica of the frigate Hermione* ! Right next to it, test the Accro-masts, an adventure park unique in the world ...
The maritime dockyard of Rochefort is also the perfect spot for a walk in the gardens “Jardin des Retours”, along the Charente river. Enter the Corderie Royale and discover this amazing 374 m long rope factory!
Don't forget to go at the great Corderie's bookshop, where you can buy a large collection of books about sea or travels !
