La Rochelle is an appealing, old town, a vibrant collection of the old and the new. Its ancient streets are centered on its harbor, the remarkably picturesque Vieux Port. Standing sentinel on either side of the harbor are the fortress-like 14th-century towers known as Tour St. Nicholas and Tour de la Chaine. One of the most handsome French ports, La Rochelle has long been a favorite with painters, who set up their easels along the water's edge to capture the lively bustle of the harbor in emulation of the Impressionists here before them. The town itself was once a major trading port though today it is dedicated to fishing and yachting. La Rochelle boasts the second largest boating harbor in Europe. There is much to see and do for the visitor from the daily fish auction to the ramparts, towers and walkways through lovely parks leading down to the beach. Every street around the vast harbor is full of history.