Along with the Chaîne tower and the Lantern tower, the Saint-Nicolas tower is one of the three towers on the seafront in La Rochelle, in Charente-Maritime. It is the majestic gateway to the Old Port and formerly defended the pass.
Listed as a Historic Monument, it was built in the second half of the 14th century. Thirty-seven meters high, this circular tower is fortified by four semi-cylindrical turrets engaged and a rectangular turret. Entirely in limestone freestone, it reveals walls three to six meters thick in which visitors walk through a maze of corridors, small rooms and staircases.
On the second floor, the Saint-Nicolas tower has a chapel with a ribbed vault with a Gothic altar and altarpiece. The rampart walk on the third floor offers a breathtaking view of the city, opening onto the terrace.