I'm not going to reproduce here the fascinating history of Colbert's great maritime city but I'd like you to share the pleasure we have every day from being situated opposite such a wonderful site.

At daybreak, the River Charente gradually appears from the mists of the marshes… the river that passes in front of the Corderie royale, the royal rope-making works, which so resembles a 300m long liner moored by the quay. This unusual town was a naval arsenal but it nevertheless offers a whole range of sensations, so different from the time when enlisting for the navy was seen as a way to survive.

The visitor comes away with the feeling that these military buildings have taken over the beauty of the site but in reality it was military strategy that dictated the forms of these splendid buildings.

With fortresses of all sizes, the dockyard was highly protected - altogether a dozen forts were needed to protect us from the English. Starting from Fort Boyard and passing Fort Enet and Fort Lupin the jewel in the crown, the Corderie, is finally visible.

It is a paradox to note that today, we are still besieged by the English … but now they come as friends, delighted by this city situated in the centre of an immense marsh, with an estuary that lives with the ebb and flow of the tides and its mild oceanic climate. The naval dockyard is in the process of becoming a splendid UNESCO world heritage site.

Living here means accepting the complex social history of the past; this is a provincial town where all levels of society live easily together. Let us know your feelings, your impressions. Write a few words in our visitors' book! Don't hesitate to come and see us… we will welcome you with pleasure!

Thanks to Dimitri, the creator of this site, for his patience and listening skills !