Rouen

Description:

Introduction

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. It was the  Notre-Dame Cathedral that inspired Monet to paint his Cathedral series.  The Church of Saint Maclou, in a beautiful setting, is also worth the visit and the banks of the Seine are a wonderful area to take a walk.

Rouen has a reputation for good and generally inexpensive restaurants. The town has an excellent shopping area centred around the old town with many shops and boutiques along the pedestrianized zones including branches of Lafayette and Habitat as well as chic fashion shops. Rouen also has a lively nightlife with clubs, pubs and bars.

Tourism

The Notre-Dame Cathedral is a remarkable example of gothic architecture and has the unusual distinction of having retained its archbishop's palace and adjoining buildings which date from the same period.

Le Gros-Horloge (City clock tower) is one of the most remarkable sites in Rouen.

The modern Church of Saint Joan of Arc with its 16th century stained glass, but completed in 1979, is located at the Place du Vieux-Marché, where Joan of Arc was burnt at the stake.

The Joan of Arc Museum.

Tour Jeanne d'Arc (Joan of Arc Tower): A fortress where Joan of Arc was tried.

The Church of Saint-Maclou is a gem of gothic art and  not far from the cathedral in an area which is still one of the oldest and most beautiful parts of Rouen.

Aître Saint-Maclou: this old parish cemetery was created during the Black Plague in 1348 and is the location of the Regional School of Fine Arts. It remains a rare example in Europe of a preserved mass grave cemetery.

The abbey Church of Saint-Ouen (14th and 16th centuries) with its fine stained glass. and its organ and choir screens date from the 18th century.

Palais de justice (Palace of Justice): This is one of the most important and best expressions of the secular architecture of the middle ages.

Musée des Beaux-Arts: The fine arts museum has a fine collection of paintings (including impressionist works), sculptures, drawings and objets d'art from the 16th to 21st centuries. In particular, the collection includes a magnificent impressionist collection with paintings by Monet, Renoir, and Sisley, and other works by David, Véronèse, Rubens, Caravagio, Velasquez, Poussin, Géricault, Delacroix, Corot, Degas, Dufy, Modigliani, Duchamp-Villon.

The Musée de la Céramique/Musée Le Secq des Tournelles

Musée de la Ferronerie (wrought iron museum): Housed in the gothic church of Saint Laurent,visitors can see a unique collectionof 12,000 wrought iron objects of all kinds: signs, keys and locks, jewellery, surgical instruments, tools, etc.

Worth a visit

Vsitors to the town should also consider a visiting: the Musée des Antiquités (Museum of Antiques), the Musée Flaubert et d'Histoire de la Médecine (Flaubert and the history of medicine), the Musée d'Histoire Naturelle (natural history), the Musée Corneille (the birthplace of the poet and playwright Corneille).  Rouen also has a number of public gardens and promenades and the Jardin des plantes (botanical gardens).

Visiting Rouen...

Rouen is very accessible and there are numerous large car parks (see the list). You can also enjoy the freedom of public transport to get you around the city (bus, métro and free bikes from Cy'clic, available at key points in the centre).