Rouen, the historic capital of Normandy, was the scene of the martyrdom of Joan of Arc, convicted and then burnt at the stake in 1431 on the Place du Vieux Marché. Rouen is also the "Town with a Thousand Spires", and over the centuries different parts of the town blossomed with jewels of religious architecture. Notre-Dame Cathedral inspired Monet to paint his Cathedral series.  The Church of Saint Maclou, in a beautiful setting, is also worth the visit. The laid out banks of the Seine are a wonderful area to take a stroll, and if it gives you an appetite, so much the better, for Rouen also has a reputation for its good tables. Fans of shopping will not be disappointed, and will find that Rouen is a perfect place for them.  You will certainly find what you are looking for in the numerous shops and boutiques which line the pedestrianized zones.  Rouen is a young town, with a well-developed nightlife. It's lively day and night !

 

 

Virtual tour of Rouen

Find out more about the Impressionist movement 

 

 

Worth a visit

 

 

 

• The Notre-Dame Cathedrale is remarkable for the juxtaposition of all the periods of gothic, especially on the front. This edifice has the distinction, rare in France, of having retained its archbishop's palace and the adjoining buildings dating from the same period.
  
  
• Le Gros-Horloge (City clock tower) is one of the most remarkable sites in Rouen. Take a journey through time by visiting le The Gros Horloge de l'intérieur !
  
  
• The Church of Saint Joan of Arc and its 16th century stained glass. Completed in 1979, the very modern-styled church is on the Place du Vieux-Marché, where Joan of Arc was burnt at the stake.
  
  
• Joan of Arc Museum
  
  
• Tour Jeanne d'Arc (Joan of Arc Tower) : The trial of Joan of Arc was held in this fortress.
  
  
• Church of Saint-Maclou, a gem of flamboyant gothic art. It is not far from the cathedral, in an area which is still one of the oldest and most beautiful in Rouen.
  
  
• Aître Saint-Maclou : this old parish cemetery was created during the Black Plague in 1348. It is now occupied by the Regional School of Fine Arts. It remains an almost unique example in Europe of a preserved mass grave cemetery.The details of the Cemetery.
  
  
• Abbey Church of Saint-Ouen (14th and 16th centuries) : organs and choir screens (18th century). Fine stained glass.
  
  
• Palais de justice (Palace of Justice) : It is one of the most important and finest expressions of civilian architecture in the middle ages.
  
  
• Musée des Beaux-Arts: (Fine arts museum): a rich collection of impressionist works, sculptures, drawings and objets d'art from the 16th to 21st centuries, including, in particular, the magnificent impressionist collection (Monet, Renoir, Sisley...) and works by David, Véronèse, Rubens, Caravage, Velasquez, Poussin, Géricault, Delacroix, Corot, Degas, Dufy, Modigliani, Duchamp-Villon.
  
  
• Musée de la Céramique / Musée Le Secq des Tournelles
  
  
• Musée de la Ferronerie (Wrought iron museum): in the gothic church of Saint Laurent, a unique collection comprising  12, 000 wrought iron object of every description (signs, keys and locks, jewellery, surgical instruments, tools, etc.).
  
  
• Musée des Antiquités (Museum of Antiques)
  
  
• Musée Flaubert et d'Histoire de la Médecine (Flaubert Museum and History of Medicine)
  
  
• Musée d'Histoire Naturelle (Natural History Museum)
  
  
• Musée Corneille. The birthplace of the poet.
  
  
• Public gardens and promenades in Rouen
  
  
• Jardin des plantes (Botanical gardens)

Visiting Rouen...
To travel around Rouen, leave your car (see the list of car parks in Rouen) and enjoy public transport (bus or métro). Unless you opt for free bikes from Cy'clic , available at key points in the centre of town! 



Dates for your diary

Armada Festival: Gathering of Tall Ships and nautical fun from 6th-16th June 2013