HISTORICALLY Rochefort – a former naval town nestled in the Poitou-Charentes region of France – has been quietly proud of its boat-building roots.

The Maritime Museum is a subtle nod to its history and the palatial frontage of the Corderie Royale – where rope was made for the boats’ nets – is a pleasant building on the skyline.

But the town’s 25,000 strong population has reignited its boat-building passion with the culmination of a project to recreate L’Hermione – a ship originally built in the town centuries ago.

L’Hermione is no normal ship, taking 15 years to build just the hull and costing a total of 25million euros for the finished project, it is the first to be built in the town for more than 200 years.

More importantly, as the French will proudly explain, it is a symbol of hope and freedom.

The original L’Hermione was built in Rochefort in the 18th Century and took Lafayette to North America, where he met George Washington during the war of independence.

And it is hoped that in March 2015, when the replica ship has been fully equipped and her sails attached, L’Hermione will once again make her way across the Atlantic Ocean to the USA.

And the townspeople of Rochefort have every reason to celebrate this milestone.

Not only have they watched each stage as the ship has been lovingly crafted in the old dockyard, but it has once again been used as a symbol of hope, with the promise of a fresh breath of life for the town.

Since the last trace of Rochefort’s boatbuilding history was eradicated during the Second World War, when the Germans bombed both the ropebuilding factory and the dockyard’s gate, the town’s tourism pull slipped and many of its gems were overlooked for its neighbours La Rochelle and Royan.

Fortunes began to change in 1967 when film director Jacques Demy picked the aesthetic streets to stage his famous creation The Young Girls of Rochefort. This put the town back on the map and inspired its leaders to rebuild its factory and re-open its dockyard.

And since then – hand in hand with the building of L’Hermione – visitor numbers have grown and grown for the town.

And rightly so.

After just a short hop (one hour and ten minutes to be exact) from Southampton by air, I felt my previous experiences of France had missed a trick.

Not only is the under-stated Rochefort seeped in history – it proudly hosts France’s first surgical training hospital, now preserved as a 19th century medical museum, a naval base chosen by Louis XIV as a defence against England, and France’s last transborder bridge, built in 1900 – the old town also showcases some of the country’s most beautiful architecture.

Built from stone transported along the river, the buildings bask in a soft pinkish gleam as the sun reflects off the gentle waterway, which meanders alongside the town. And with boats drifting along the river, coming to rest in one of the two harbours, the town could not be more picturesque.

And there are plenty of places to sit and watch the world go by with a beer and a sandwich in one of the many pavement cafes that line the street.

But if this is not relaxation enough, the weary traveller can make use of the town’s many thermal spas.

I stayed in Hotel Remparts, ideally situated close to the train station and just a ten minute walk from the centre.

But better still, it has lift access to the Thermes de Rochefort, making it an easy saunter to some very luxurious treatments.

Rochefort is also the ideal location to uncover more of France’s unspoilt spots, with two sandy beaches at Fouras, just a 15-minute drive away.

From here the handful of islands surrounding Rochefort are easily accessible, where salt and oysters are harvested.

Just 30-minutes away is the city of La Rochelle and an hour away is France’s main brandy-making region Cognac.

Bicycle hire is another pleasant way to tour Rochefort and its surrounding areas, due to the flat and rural landscape dotted with many cycling lanes.

A many-sided gem, Rochefort was an unexpected and thoroughly enjoyable holiday destination.