La Rochelle, a seaport on the Bay of Biscay, a part of the Atlantic Ocean is a city in western France. It maintains strong links with the sea by harbouring the largest marina for pleasure boats in Europe at Les Minimes, and a rather rich boat-building industry. The city, known for its specialised activities in the fields of economy, sailing and tourism, is expected to reach a population of 100 000 inhabitants by the year 2010.

In the seventies, before anyone else was talking about the quality of urban life, La Rochelle was expanding its greenspaces, protecting its coastline and controlling air, water and noise pollution. The city has beautifully maintained its past architecture, making it one of the most picturesque and historically rich cities on the Atlantic coast. This helped develop a strong tourism industry.

It founded the first protected urban area in France, its pedestrian precinct and its famous "yellow bicycles". La Rochelle is the pilot city for testing and using electric vehicles, also instituting in 1997 the first ever "Day without cars". With a new and expanding multidisciplinary university, a highly successful commercial port, the high speed train (TGV) and the extension of the airport, La Rochelle is geared for the future.

One of the biggest music festivals in France, "FrancoFolies," takes place each summer in La Rochelle, where Francophone musicians come together for a week of concerts and celebration. 2004 marked the 20th anniversary of this event.

La Rochelle's main feature is the "Vieux Port", which is at the heart of the city, picturesque and lined with seafood restaurants. The city walls are open to an evening promenade. The old town has been well-preserved. From the harbour, boating trips can be taken to the Île d'Aix and Fort Boyard. Nearby Île de Ré is a short drive to the North. The countryside of the surrounding Charente-Maritime is very rural and full of history. To the North is Venise Verte, a marshy area of country, criss-crossed with tiny canals and a popular resort for inland boating. Inland is the country of Cognac and Pineau.