Rue sur les Murs

Rue sur les Murs is the only remnant of the town’s ramparts spared by Richelieu, who chose not to demolish this part , not because it is one of La Rochelle’s most beautiful promenades, as you would expect, but because it represented a strategic asset for keeping an eye on the English. It links the Chain Tower and the Lantern Tower along a small path that used to run alongside the ocean, lined with the white stone houses that are typical of the town. Nowadays, it’s no longer the ocean that lines this rampart, but a car park used for the Francofolies, one of La Rochelle’s biggest events. Founded in 1985, the Francofolies is a music festival that attracts over 150,000 spectators every year during its 5-day event in July. The festival is known for its lineup of singers who predominantly perform in French. It’s here, in this car park, that the biggest stage of the festival is set up to host some of the biggest singers of the moment. Although other stages are set up around the town, the most prominent is the one in this large car park, which can accommodate thousands of festival-goers. As you can see, people come to La Rochelle for the beach and sunbathing, but also for one of the most famous music festivals in France! The festival is part of a group of festivals known as the Francofolies Confederation, which includes festivals in Montreal, Reunion Island and New Caledonia.