A trip back in time
Rochefort loves the sea and ocean voyages. It offers an array of impressive sites which are definitely on our list of must-sees. The Hermione in Rochefort is a familiar name. We’d followed its American odyssey in the media, and today we’re off to see it in real life.
After its Grand Journey to the United States in 2015, in 2018 the frigate set a course for the Mediterranean. We’re going to enjoy its return to its birthplace and home port, Rochefort.
The famous three-mast sailboat faces us in the centre of the dockyard of the Corderie Royale, just steps away from the Royal Ropery. This impressive vessel is a replica of the frigate. It took La Fayette and his men to the scene of the American Revolution.
The exhibitions and workshops and the tour of this old sailboat, guided by a passionate boatswain, are fascinating. We discover all of the secrets behind the frigate’s adventures. Also, we observe the boat’s hidden depths – the canteen, the cannon area and the sailors’ berths.
The visit had given us a taste for adventure. So, we couldn’t resist trying our hand at being boatswains by climbing the rigging at the Accro-Mats, a fantastic adventure park built in the shape of a dry dock. After zooming down the zip lines and climbing the rigging and masts, the view over the Hermione, the Charente River and the town of Rochefort from 30 metres up was incredible!