Rouen (France) is the historical capital of Normandy and one of the most beautiful cities in France. It attracts tourists with its picturesque half-timbered houses, unique Gothic buildings, and sights dating back to the Middle Ages. Rouen has an incredibly rich history, the most striking element of which is Joan of Arc.
General information about the city
Rouen, the center of the Normandy region, is located in the northern part of France. According to data for 2023, Rouen is home to just over 112,000 people.
The area occupied by modern Rouen is 21.4 km2. The Old Town is located on the right bank of the Seine, the Saint-Sever district is located on the left bank of the river, and the island of Lacroix belongs to the city. To maintain communication between the right-bank and left-bank parts of the city, 6 bridges were built.
Interesting fact! The Gustave Flaubert Bridge is the largest drawbridge in Europe. Its two spans rise 55 meters above the Seine, allowing the largest ships to pass along the river.
Rouen’s location on the Seine River has long contributed to the city’s economic prosperity. A large port in ancient times made it possible to conduct brisk trade with a vast region-up the Seine river literally all the way to Paris. Now the port of Rouen is accessible even for sea vessels.
During the Second World War, Rouen was very badly damaged, but after the war, the most iconic monuments were reconstructed or completely rebuilt. Rouen is now one of the TOP 6 cities in France for the number of architectural and cultural heritage sites, as well as the TOP 5 for the antiquity of historical heritage.
Rouen and Joan of Arc
During the Hundred Years ‘ War, the city of Rouen was surrounded for a long time, and in 1419 English soldiers were able to capture it. After that, Rouen became the center of English power in French territory.
In December 1430, Joan of Arc was closed in the tower of one of the city’s castles. A widespread legend says that the Maid of Orleans was in the donjon, now known as the tower of Joan of Arc.
In fact, she was placed in the nearby tower de la Pucelle. You can read about this on the sign placed on the facade of the house No. 102 on Joan of Arc Street. In the courtyard of this house there is a surviving fragment of the basement of an ancient tower.
Joan of Arc Tower
One of the historic sites associated with the Maid of Orleans is located in the central part of Rouen. This is the Tower of Joan of Arc, which used to be called the Grosse Tour. The impressive donjon is the only surviving structure of the ancient Rouen castle, built in 1204 by King Philip II Augustus. The building is made of limestone, has a conical roof, in the walls there are narrow loopholes.
In May 1431, the trial of Joan of Arc was held there.
In the twentieth century, the museum of Rouen Castle was built in the donjon. The most interesting exhibition of the museum is the painting “The Last Communion of Joan of Arc” by Charles-Henri Michel.
- Place of interest: Rue du Donjon, 76000 Rouen, France.
- Tour of the tower is free, entrance to the museum is 1.5 €.
- The donjon is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, and on other days of the week, visitors can visit from 16: 30 to 23: 30.
Jeanne D’s Church’Ark on the Market Square
In May 1431, Joan d’Ark was tried as a witch and then burned at the stake. The Place du Vieux-Marche in Rouen became the place of execution of the Maid of Orleans.
In the XV century, the Cross of Joan of Arc was installed on the place where the bonfire was. Half-timbered houses were built around the entire Market Square. These houses have become a special attraction of Rouen – not only are they completely preserved, but people still live in them.
In 1979, the Church of St. Joan of Arc appeared on the square. This architectural complex has a very unusual architecture: its shape is designed to resemble the flame of the bonfire on which the Virgin of Orleans was burned. Despite the rather gloomy view from the outside, the interior of the church is very bright and beautiful. A special charm is given to it by the magnificent stained glass windows of the Renaissance period. These stained-glass windows are the only remnants of the Church of Saint-Vincent, which used to stand in this square and was destroyed by Allied aircraft during the Normandy landings.
- The church is located at Pl. du Vieux Marche, 76000 Rouen, France.
- You can visit the attraction on any day from 10: 00 to 12: 00 and from 14: 00 to 18: 00, and on Friday from 14: 00 to 18: 00.
Other Rouen attractions
For those who want not only to see photos of Rouen in France, but also to get a closer look at its sights, we have prepared a mini-tourist route plan.
Important! The Rouen Tourism Office is located in the former Financial Bureau building on Cathedral Square.
Rouen Cathedral
Even for those tourists who have seen many Gothic churches, the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Rouen in France will make a strong impression. The cathedral, whose construction began in the XIII century, and ended only in the XVI, absorbed the features of the Norman Gothic of different times.
Interesting fact! With a height of 151 meters in the 1876-1880s, Rouen Cathedral was the tallest in the world. Then this title passed to the cathedral of the city of Cologne in Germany.
Rouen Cathedral was built on the site of a Romanesque church. The old building included a bypass gallery and chapels that radiate radially from the apse – the new building retained the same layout.
The transept has an interesting design. Its outer corners are crowned with towers, which are made in the Norman style and decorated with rosettes. The walls between the towers look like the finest lace, so artfully executed are the stone carvings.
Of all the existing gates, only the northern ones have survived, covered with numerous images of St. John the Evangelist and St. John the Baptist.
A rich collection of stained glass windows, which were created in the period from the XIII century to the present day, is located inside the building.
The cathedral has a landmark that belongs not only to Rouen, but also to the whole of France. This is the grave of Richard the Lionheart, located in the choir.
- Notre-Dame Cathedral address: Pl. de la Cathedrale, 76000 Rouen, France.
- Website: cathedrale-rouen.net.
- Visiting hours: Monday from 14: 00 to 19: 00, Tuesday-Saturday from 9: 00 to 19: 00, Sunday from 8: 00 to 18: 00.
- Admission is free.
Saint-Maclou Church
Another famous Gothic landmark of Rouen is the Church of Saint-Maclou, built in 1437-1517.
The porch with five portals, stretching along the entire facade, is crowned with openwork, incredibly “light” turrets and wimperigs. Two of the portals are closed with wooden sashes with carvings in the Renaissance style, the rest are used for the entrance. Above the northern portal there is a stained-glass window “The Tree of Jesse” of the XV century, above the southern portal-the crucifixion of Christ. The facade was decorated with a round rose window.
The Saint-Maclou Church looks very impressive in the evening when the lights are turned on.
Note to tourists! On the east side of the church of Saint-Maclou is the old cemetery of the same name, which is also included in the list of local attractions. The cemetery is old, more like a picturesque garden. While walking through its territory, which is more like a picturesque garden, you should pay attention to the tombstones. Many of them have decorative elements in the form of skulls, shovels and other” things ” in the medieval macabre style.
- Saint-Maclou Church address: Pl. Barthelblockquotey, 76000 Rouen, France.
- Website: https://rouen.fr/eglise-saint-maclou.
- The attraction is open on Mondays, Saturdays and Sundays. Visiting hours in April-September are from 10: 00 to 12: 00 and from 14: 00 to 18: 00, and in October-March from 10: 00 to 12: 00 and from 14: 00 to 17: 30.
Museum of Fine Arts
Among museums of this kind, this one is one of the largest in Normandy, its permanent exhibition is located in 60 halls. The museum displays paintings and graphics, sculptures and decorative arts from the XV century to the present day.
The greatest interest is caused by a selection of paintings: the museum presents all European schools, from the XV to the XXI century. The collection of Impressionist works is one of the best in France, given to the museum in 1909 by industrialist and philanthropist Francois Depay. The collection of drawings contains more than 8,000 works created from the Renaissance to the twentieth century.
In addition, every year the museum organizes several temporary expositions, which very often cause a huge international response.
- Address of the attraction: Esp. Marcel Duchamp, 76000 Rouen, France.
- Website: mbarouen.fr.
- The museum is closed on Tuesdays, and on other days it is open from 10: 00 to 18: 00.
- Access to permanent collections is free.
Astronomical Clock of Rouen
The iconic landmark of Rouen is the city clock, placed above the arch that spans the rue du Gros-Horloge.
Interesting fact! Gros — Horloge is the first pedestrian street in France.
The mechanism of the tower clock was created in the XIV century, and the dial in the XVI. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the movement was electrified, and the clock still performs its function.
A single hand shows the hour, and a small upper window displays the day of the week and the phases of the moon.
With a guided tour, you can get to the interior of the unique tower. In the pavilion, you can see the back of the mechanism, you can see the first municipal bells of Rouen. From the height of the bell tower, you can see the spires of Gothic churches and nearby streets.
- Place of interest: Rue du Gros-Horloge, 76000 Rouen, France.
- Website: Rouen.fr.
- Guided tours are available daily, except Mondays. The last entrance is one hour before closing time. The attraction is open in April-September from 10: 0 to 13: 00 and from 14: 00 to 19: 00, and in October-March from 14: 00 to 18: 00.
- Admission is free for children under 6 years of age and disabled people. For visitors aged 6-18, students and members of groups of 10 or more, admission is 3.65 €. A full ticket costs €7.2.
Botanical Garden
The Botanical Garden, which covers an area of 10 hectares, is known not only for its large collection of plants, but also for its stunning landscape design. At any time of the year, the garden will be something to admire, because there are many thematic areas: a rose garden, gardens of irises and daylilies, a garden with medicinal and essential oil plants, huge arrays with perennial and annual flowers. On the territory of the garden there is even an area with bee hives and a lake where you can go boating.
The real attraction of the botanical garden is the greenhouse with a huge collection of exotic plants from all over the world. There are coffee and banana trees, various kinds of orchids and bromeliads, sugar cane and huge water lilies.
Note to tourists! The botanical garden sells garden plants.
- Address: 114B Av. des Martyrs de la Resistanse, 76100 Rouen, France.
- The garden is open to the public every day from 8: 00 to 20:15.
- Admission is free.
A tip! For a walk with children in the garden, it is better to come at lunchtime. It is at lunchtime that the playgrounds are almost empty, and at other times there are always a lot of people who want to play in the sand and go on a swing.
Park Hotel de Ville
Rouen is a very green city, 300 hectares of its territory are given over to garden and park complexes.
The list of the best green attractions includes the Hotel de Ville Park. Spacious green lawns, flowerbeds with bright flowers, huge trees and beautiful shrubs – all this is present in the park. There are also many different statues, for example, a stone statue of Rollo by Arsene Letelier and a bronze bust of the poet Emile Verharen by Henri Lagriful.
The Hotel de Ville Park is a great place to relax at any time of the year and at any time of the day.
- Address: Pl. Saint-Vivien 76000 Rouen, France
- Open around the clock
- Admission is free
Where to stay
Although Rouen is not a big city, its hotels have a total of over 3,000 rooms. Most of the hotels are located in the historical part of the city, within walking distance from the most important attractions. Naturally, the closer the hotel is to the center, the more expensive the cost of rooms. The most budget hotels and hostels are located near the train station. It is better not to settle on the left bank at all: there are practically no attractions there, and there are much fewer hotels.
The price of a double room in 2* and 3* hotels starts from 50 € per day. 4* hotels offer double rooms starting from 75 € per night. A luxury boutique hotel with a spa, swimming pool and fitness center is available for a fee starting from € 165 per day.
There is another great option for a settlement that will help you feel the authentic atmosphere of the Middle Ages as much as possible – a half-timbered house. You can rent such a residential attraction quite inexpensively-from 60 € per day.
How to get to Rouen
Rouen has its own airport, but it only accepts domestic flights. The best way to get to Rouen is via Paris. The distance between these cities is 135 km, and you can overcome them by different means of transport.
Train
From Paris to Rouen, trains depart from Gare Saint-Lazare starting at 6: 00. Intercites high-speed trains run for 1 hour and 20 minutes, while regional TER trains run for 1 hour and 40 minutes.
The cheapest ticket to a given destination costs € 9 and cannot be refunded or exchanged. The most expensive fare is 37.5 €. This ticket remains valid for a week and can be exchanged. There are also intermediate options.
Train schedules can be viewed on the website of the French state-owned railway company. https://www.sncf.com/en. You can also make a ticket reservation on the same website.
Bus
FixBus, Isilines, and BlaBlaBus transport passengers on the Paris-Rouen route. All carriers offer approximately the same service.
FixBus operates several flights per day. Travel time is from 1 hour and 30 minutes to 3 hours, depending on the landing site. Tickets cost from € 3.99 to €9.
The travel time of Isilines buses is determined by analogy with the previous company. Ticket prices are from € 5.99 to €14. The flight schedule is available on the carrier’s website https://www.eurolines.de/de/startseite/. Tickets are sold on the same website.
BlaBlaBus buses depart from Paris from 9: 00 to 20: 00. Based on the departure stop, the travel time is from 1 hour and 30 minutes to 2 hours. Tickets cost 5-9 €. You can buy them, as well as view the schedule for the Paris-Rouen route (France), on the website https://www.blablacar.co.uk/bus.
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