"We want the children to be actors of their visit, that they take ownership of their trip in the same way as their parents," says Hugues Bioret, the boss of Éditions Bonhomme de Chemin founded in 2011 with his wife Stéphanie.
Read alsoIn La Rochelle, a new tourist pass to encourage you to visit the surroundings
Based in Niort, this couple publishes this Wednesday "La Rochelle des enfants", a new tourist guide dedicated to young people aged 7 to 12. The idea? To show and understand the maritime city in an "accessible, synthetic and recreational" way, explains Hugues Bioret, who wrote all the texts.
Looking at the city through children's eyes
The 64-page book, entirely illustrated by Stéphanie Bioret and Julie Godefroy, mixes historical and heritage content with anecdotes and many games to better clear your head. Tours of La Rochelle, town hall, maritime museum, aquarium or Stade rochelais: this guide is full of useful information to explore the city.
"We revisited La Rochelle from top to bottom and, if possible, with the eyes of children," says Hugues Bioret, who has lived and studied there for a long time. The city's painful past – the Great Siege of 1627 or the triangular trade – is also addressed directly. "We must not be afraid to rub shoulders with history and open doors," says the publisher who had previously worked on large cities such as Paris, Nantes or Bordeaux.
This guide for children also focuses on Rochefort, the islands of Ré and Oléron via the mythical Fort Boyard or "L'Hermione", the famous replica of the frigate of the Marquis de La Fayette.
« La Rochelle des enfants », published by Éditions Bonhomme de Chemin, 64 pages, €10.90.
