Venue and itinerary

Located on the Atlantic Ocean at the entrance to Lorient harbour, Port-Louis Citadel is a fascinating site built in 1618. Situated in the heart of the Citadel, the National Maritime Museum presents an outstanding collection of boats, old navigation instruments and historical models. The museum itinerary is organised around two thematic areas – one dealing with the history of sea rescue and the other with shipwrecks on the route to the Indies. The East India Company Museum is also located in the Citadel, making it a first-rate museum complex.

The "Sea Rescue" itinerary tells the story of an extraordinary human adventure based on solidarity among people at sea. Created in the mid-19th century, the first sea rescue societies were made up of sailors who refused the inevitability of peril at sea. This area, unique in France, is a vibrant tribute to their heroism.

A second theme, "Treasures of the Oceans", invites visitors to sail the distant seas and the Far East’s maritime trade routes. You’ll discover ships that sank en route to India, and which have been brought back to the surface thanks to underwater archaeological excavations.