Towers of La Rochelle Ticket

What to expect

In the Old Port of La Rochelle, in the region of Poitou-Charentes, you will see three magnificent medieval towers that controlled the transit of merchant ships. Saint Nicholas, the Lantern, and the Chaîne are the 14th-century watchtowers that were built as a defense for the city.

With this ticket, you will have access to the Lantern tower, the tallest of the three, and the only medieval lighthouse left on the Atlantic coast. You will also enjoy entry to Saint Nicolas and Chaîne tower, which were used to monitor the movements of ships. You will hear all about how these two watchtowers were linked by a chain.

Timetables

• From October to March: the towers open every day from 10 am to 1 pm and from 2:15 pm to 5.30 pm. They are closed on the first Monday of every month. On 24th and 31st December last entry will be at 4 pm.
• From April to June and in September: they are open every day from 10 am to 1 pm and from 2:15 pm to 6 pm. They are closed on the first Monday of every month.
• July and August: They are open every day from 10 am to 1 pm and 2:15 pm to 6 pm.

Please bear in mind that the last admission is 45 minutes before closing.

Skip-the-line

With this ticket, you will avoid the queues at the ticket offices. However, you will have to wait in line to for the security checks.

Free admission

Admission to the La Rochelle is free for the following individuals:

• Young people from the European Union between 18 and 25 years old.
• Children under 18 years old, regardless of their nationality.
• Unemployed people, people with disabilities and one companion, journalists, architecture students, tourism professionals, military, police, and other state security forces.

Admission is also free for everyone on the first Sunday of the month between January 1 and March 31, and between November 1 and December 31.

In order to acquire the free admission mentioned above, you'll have to go to the site’s ticket office and present a certifying document of your eligibility for a free ticket.

Temporary closures

The towers of La Rochelle will be exceptionally closed on the morning of Monday, June 13. The Lantern tower will also be closed from June 13 to June 16 (inclusive).