The custom in France is to have breakfast between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m., lunch between 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. and dinner from 7 p.m.

France is the country of gastronomy and all regions offer culinary specialties :

• The department of Charente-Maritime is famous for its snails (called “cagouilles” in our region), its butter pancakes, its sea salt, and its oysters of course!
• The Nouvelle-Aquitaine region is renowned in particular for its wines and spirits such as Bordeaux wines, Cognac, Pineau des Charentes, and also for its meats and cheeses.

image source: Ministry of Agriculture, Agri-Food and Forestry

Fight against social inequalities with the AFEV association:

Association of the Foundation of Students for the City: its goal is to fight against inequalities in working-class neighborhoods, and to create a link between volunteer students or volunteers in civic service and children and young people in academic or social difficulty.

Address: 99 rue Nicolas Gargot 17000 La Rochelle
Contact : +33(5) 46 41 66 47
The official website to consult is : afev.org

CDIJ : Departmental Youth Information Center

Address: École Dor – 24 rue Saint-Jean du Pérot 17000 La Rochelle
Contact : +33(5) 46 41 16 36 accueil@cdij17.fr
The official website to consult is: http://www.infojeunesse17.com/index.php

Food Help

Freegan boxes :
Open to all students every Wednesday during lockdown (every other Wednesday throughout the year).

Address : Maison de l’étudiant – 3 passage Jacqueline de Romilly in La Rochelle.
Contact AFEV : +33(0) 6 21 51 13 87 thiphaine.morvan@afev.org

Be’Epi – Red Cross student solidarity grocery store :
Baskets at 2 € every Thursday from 1 p.m. to 5.30 p.m.

Address : 2, rue Persepctives de l’Océan – Les Minimes in La Rochelle.
Contact : aammar@univ-lr.fr.

Center Campus Restos du Cœur :
Saturdays morning from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Address: 7, rue Jean-Baptiste Charcot in La Rochelle.
Contact : aammar@univ-lr.fr.

Solidarity Food Truck:
Distribution of 80 hot meals per day, Tuesdays and Fridays.

Address : Parking de l’IUT, 15 rue Vaux de Foletier, Les Minimes in la Rochelle

Pizza machine :

Offered by the CROUS and open every day in the RU République and the Cité Antinea.

Contact : ru.republique@crous-poitiers.fr

Financial help

Exceptional help:

The CDA has signed an agreement with the CCAS de la Rochelle to allow students in difficulty to benefit from aid of € 100.

Excelia Emergency Fund:
On request and file

Contact : studentlife@excelia-group.com.

Arhpej :
Rent reduction, no file to submit, automatic help.

Contact : gestion.locative@arhpej.fr.

La Rochelle University :
File to be submitted

Contact : University social service, make an appointment by telephone on +33 (0) 5 46 45 84 46.

Crous :
Specific one-off help from the CROUS social service.

Contact : service.social@crous-poitiers.fr.         

EIGSI emergency help:
Upon request.

Contact : aides-sociales@eigsi.fr   

Health

APSYTUDE (Crous) :
Free psychological support in Visio consultation, open during the day from Mondays to Fridays.

Contact : rdv.apsytude@gmail.com.

Tremplin 17 : CSAPA (Addictology care, support and prevention centers):
Mondays to Fridays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., outside these slots, by appointment only. All audiences / addiction with or without products (tobacco, cannabis, heroin, cocaine, screens, gambling, food, sex, etc.).

Address: 13 rue Franc Lapeyre in La Rochelle.
Contact : +33 (0) 5 46 68 87 17, poleaddictologie.larochelle@tremplin17.fr

House of Adolescents and Young Adults 17:
Reception, listening, information and support for any questions or problems encountered by a young person. Open Mondays from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesdays to Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Address : 5 ter avenue Kennedy in La Rochelle.
Contact : +33 (0) 5 46 50 01 49,  mdaja.larochelle@orange.fr or maisondesadolescents17.fr.

City of La Rochelle :
Vaccination services

Address: 2 rue de l’Abreuvoir in La Rochelle
Contact : +33 (0) 5 46 51 51 43 or vaccinations@ville-larochelle.fr Screening for Covid-19:https://www.sante.fr/centres-vaccination-covid.html

Departmental Council of Charente-Maritime: CPEF (family planning and education center)

Address : 49 avenue Aristide Briand in La Rochelle
Contact : +33 (0) 5 17 83 42 51

University Health Service (La Rochelle University):
Free consultations with doctors, nurses, psychologists, social workers.

 On appointment:

• Mondays to Thursdays 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.
• Fridays, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• For students registered at: La Rochelle university, Excélia, EIGSI.          

Address: 44 avenue Albert Einstein in La Rochelle.
Contact : +33 (0) 5 46 45 84 46

Association AIDES Charente-Maritime 
Sexual health hotlines, with rapid HIV / Hepatitis C screening, distribution of internal and external condoms, and delivery of self-tests, everything is free:

in la Rochelle, 19 rue Buffeterie, every 1st Thursdays of the month from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Contact : +33 (0) 5 46 31 55 36

Michel Crépeau media library

Avenue Michel-Crépeau in La Rochelle
+33(0) 5 46 45 71 71
www.bibliotheques.agglo-larochelle.fr

Conservatory of music and dance

Open to all, the conservatory offers quality education.

39 rue Thiers in La Rochelle 
+33(0) 5 46 41 07 37
www.agglo-larochelle.fr

La Coursive – National stage

Artistic and cultural program around theater, dance, music, cinema and performing arts..

4 rue Saint Jean du Pérot in La Rochelle 
+33(0) 5 46 51 54 02
www.la-coursive.com

L’Azile Café-Théâtre and Cie

29 rue Debussy 
+33(0) 5 46 00 19 19 
www.lazile.org

Comedy La Rochelle

18 rue Rambaud 
+33(0) 5 46 28 78 70 
www.16-19.fr

The Horizon

Place of research and artistic creation.

North belt road – La Pallice 
+33(0) 9 80 85 98 36
www.l-horizon.fr

Sirène 

In the district of La Pallice in La Rochelle, near the commercial port, La Sirène is the space dedicated to the contemporary music of the agglomeration

11 boulevard Delmas in La Rochelle 
+33(0) 5 46 56 46 62  
www.la-sirene.fr

Amelot Square

Cultural space that develops an artistic and cultural project around emergence: emergence of audiences, especially young audiences, emergence of artists, accompanying them in their creations, and emergence of amateur artistic practices. Each season offers shows, exhibitions, workshops, residences, festivals and cultural action.

10 bis rue Amelot in La Rochelle
+33(0) 5 46 51 14 70
www.carre-amelot.net

Espace Encan 

Place of shows and concerts.

Quai Louis Prunier
+33(0) 5 46 45 90 90

Exhibition

rue Henri Barbusse
+33(0) 5 46 30 08 50
www.parcexpo-larochelle.net

La Rochelle Aquarium

One of the largest in Europe located at Quai Louis Prunier

quai Louis Prunier in La Rochelle

The Student House / Culture Area

Offers artistic workshops such as theater, singing or astronomy

www.univ-larochelle.fr/Culture

New World Museum

It illustrates France’s relations, and in particular La Rochelle, with the Americas since the 16th century.

10 rue Fleuriau in La Rochelle 
+33(0) 5 46 41 46 50

Museum of Natural History

Scientific institution, labeled “Musée de France”, established in the heart of the city for almost two centuries, it is both a place of conservation, presentation and exchange of knowledge.

28 rue Albert 1^er in La Rochelle
+33(0) 5 46 41 18 25
www.museum-larochelle.fr

Maritime Museum

A testament to the maritime history of La Rochelle, the maritime museum allows visitors to discover maritime activity on the Atlantic coast, in particular through permanent and temporary exhibitions.

Place Bernard Moitessier in La Rochelle
+33(0) 5 46 28 03 00
museemaritime.larochelle.fr

La Rochelle bunker 

A 300m2 bunker in the city center to discover the history of the city from 1939 to May 8, 1945. Built in the greatest secrecy in 1941 to protect the officers of the German submarines from bombs, which has remained intact since 1945 it is now finally open to the public.

8 rue des Dames in La Rochelle
+33(0) 5 46 42 52 89
www.bunkerlarochelle.com

Museum of Automatons and Scale Models

Two vast exhibition halls that offer you on one side more than 300 moving figures, and on the other many reproductions of cars, old boats…

12-14 rue de la Désirée in La Rochelle
+33(0) 5 46 41 68 08
www.museeslarochelle.com

Also consult the official website of the Pass’culture of the University of La Rochelle to take advantage of exceptional prices on more than 200 shows, concerts and exhibitions:

https://www.univ-larochelle.fr/vie-etudiante/culture/passculture/

The ADRIEM association has set up a crockery loan system for foreign students during their stay in La Rochelle, which saves them from having to purchase them if their apartment is not equipped.

SUAPSE 

(University Service of Physical, Sports and Expression Activities)

A place for sporting activities and expressions for students, they can be validated in ECTS (European Credit Transfer System) and most of them are free.

www.univ-larochelle.fr/vie-etudiante/sport

The Rochelais stadium

Rochelais rugby union club, evolving since the 2014-2015 season in Top14 (the first professional division).

Lucien Maylin swimming pool

La Rochelle municipal swimming pool.

Rue Léonce Mailho, 17000 La Rochelle
+33(0) 5 46 34 67 67

Châtelaillon-Plage aquatic center

Rue du Chemin Vert
+33(0) 5 46 56 44 11
www.centre-aquatique.com/piscine-chatelaillon-plage/piscine-horaire

Palmilud 

Aquatic park in Périgny.

Avenue Louis Lumière
+33(0) 5 45 46 70 20
www.palmilud.com/index.php/fr

Urban Cabins

Climbing center next to the University Library.

22 rue Cardinal 
+33(0) 9 81 61 14 31
www.lescabanesurbaines.fr

Coastal path and cycle paths

Starting from the Vieux-Port on the 16 km greenway to Esnandes, but also the large “bike routes” Vélodyssée and Vélofrancette.

Skate Park 

Espace Encan
2 Place Bernard Moitessier

Port Neuf
69 Boulevard Aristide Rondeau

Laser Game Evolution La Rochelle 

Paid laser game practice center.

2 Rue Frédéric Sauvage 17180 Périgny
+33(0) 5 46 43 04 20

Vertigo Parc La Rochelle Aventure

Adventure center for “tree climbing”.

Le Bois du Loup, Ronflac , 17220 La Jarne
+33(0) 5 46 45 90 90

Concurrence Beach

The closest to the city center.

Minimes Beach

The closest to the student district and the most pleasant and spacious.

Chef de Baie Beach

Near the Pallice district.

Warning: the beaches of La Rochelle are only accessible at high tide for swimming, take note of the tide times: https://www.larochelle.fr/marees-a-la-rochelle

La Rochelle cinema festival

Event around the 7th art taking place between the end of June and the beginning of July.

+33(0) 5 46 52 28 96
festival-larochelle.org

The Francofolies

A very popular music festival in France that takes place on the Esplanade Saint-Jean-D’acre, usually around mid-July.

+33(0) 5 46 28 28 28
www.francofolies.fr/programmation

Roscella Bay

Music festival held in September.

roscellabay.fr

Grand Pavois 

Internationally recognized boat show, it is usually held at the end of September

+33(0) 5 46 44 46 39
www.grand-pavois.com

Documentary stopovers

International Festival of Documentary Creation taking place in November

+33(0) 5 46 42 34 16
www.escalesdocumentaires.org

International Adventure Film and Book Festival

Associative festival which takes place in November.

+33(0) 7 55 67 69 23
www.festival-film-aventure.com

Ecran Vert: Eco-citizen film festival in Charente-Maritime

Associative film festival which takes place in September.

+33(0) 7 81 18 28 68
https://www.festivalecranvert.fr

La Rochelle Student Bay

Event consisting of welcoming students during a sea trip off La Rochelle in September.

https://www.facebook.com/events/1184066881952427

Notes en Vert

Musical festival taking place in September in Périgny.

Parc des Coureilles 17180 Périgny
+33(0) 6 10 12 68 46 https://www.notesenvert.fr

Small surprises, in the joy of welcoming a foreign student, through Adriem

Our association offered to host YU Weiyi, a Chinese student, who speaks French fairly well, and who is studying Management in La Rochelle.

I meet with him regularly, every two weeks or so, for a meal. At each meeting, he brings a small gift. No matter how much I tell him it’s not necessary, he reiterates it every time.

At our last meal, Weiyi arrives with a large stick, like a cane, but larger in diameter than a traditional cane. He offers it to me a little solemnly, I am speechless, I wonder what to do with it, but I understand that it is an important gift for him.

He tells me with a smile that “you can eat it”! Indeed, it is a Lotus root, and it is very expensive! We can cut it into slices, which we do. Then we cook them “long enough” and eat them. When he left, I returned what was left of the Lotus root to him so that he could share it with his Chinese friends.

To conclude, we enjoy each other’s company, with respect and the pleasure of discovering another culture, which enriches us with each meeting.

Large groups :

• Alstom (rail transport: TGV)
• Solvay (chemicals)
• Léa Nature (organic and natural products)
• Dufour Yachts and Fountaine Pajot (nautical sites)

Sector of excellence :

• Eco activity and sustainable building
• Biotechnology and health nutrition
• Digital
• Boating

The Atlantic port :

• 6th largest French Maritime port
• 1st French port for the import of forest products and paper pulp.
• 2nd French port for the export of cereals.
• The Port of La Rochelle currently generates nearly one billion euros in added value per year and more than 16,400 direct, indirect and induced jobs.

Cruise ship stopovers

• 30,000 cruise passengers in 2018.

Port of Minimes

• 1st European marina with 5,000 berths on 70 hectares.

Chef de Baie fishing port

• 80 fishing vessels from the local fleet and 90 fishing vessels from the external fleet.
• 800 direct and indirect jobs generated by the fishing activity.

Firefighters: 18

emergency services : 15

Police: 17

European emergency number: 112

Emergencies for the deaf and hard of hearing: 114 (by SMS)

SOS doctor (the doctor comes to the accommodation): 3624 or +33 (0) 826 46 15 15

Saint-Louis Hospital in La Rochelle: +33 (0) 5 46 45 50 50

Emergency Department: +33 (0) 5 46 45 66 26

Poison Control Center: +33 (0) 5 56 96 40 80