5 Best Things To see In Rouen (France)

Rouen is a Norman city ideally located between Paris and the port of Le Havre on the banks of the Seine.

In the medieval period, the fact of the city is a paradise for merchants, and Rouen is considerably developed in the XIVe et XVe siècles lorsque les commerçants sont installed près de la Rive Droite et sont construits de belles maisons à pans of wood.

Hundreds of these old buildings still stand along beautiful cobblestone streets.

Rouen also offers world-famous monuments to steal your heart, whether it's a working medieval clock, a record-breaking cathedral, or sites that recall the last days of Joan of Arc's life. 

Let's explore the best things to do in Rouen :

1. Rouen Cathedrald

For four years in the late 1870s, Rouen Cathedral was the tallest building in the world.

This was after the Neo-Gothic tower had been completed, replacing a Renaissance tower destroyed by lightning earlier in the century.

There are some very distinguished burials in this impressive building: namely Richard the Lionheart and early Norman rulers like Rollo and William I. Many stained glass windows made in the 1200s have survived, and there are some wonderful ones to see in the south. transept dating from the 16th century.

The cathedral's delicate west façade was the subject of some of Monet's most famous paintings: he made 30 between 1892 and 1893, capturing it in different climates and at different times of the year.

2. Big clock

One of Rouen's great medieval landmarks, the Gros Horloge is an astronomical clock with a mechanism from 1300 mounted on a Renaissance arch and corridor.

The structure is a bell tower that was erected in the 15th century to replace the wooden one destroyed during the Harelle Revolt in 1382. The clock is considered the largest mechanism of its kind still intact, and its dial dates from 1529, depicting a sun with 24 rays on a blue sky background.

Rue du Gros Horloge is one of Rouen's main shopping streets, where department stores stand alongside wonderful half-timbered houses, some of which still show damage from World War II.

3. Museum of Fine Arts

Rouen's world-class museum of fine arts was opened in 1801 when precious objects seized from churches and stately homes during the Revolution were nationalized.

It ranks as one of the richest provincial museums in the country with objects of art, sculpture and decoration from the 16th to the 20th century.

Here are some of the names you may know: Caravaggio, Poussin , van Dyck, Velázquez, and Veronese .

The Impressionists, very active in Rouen, are also very present, with works by Sisley, Renoir, Degas, Monet, Pinchon and Pissaro .

4. Old Rouen

When Rouen's walls were destroyed in the 18th century, they were replaced by wide boulevards that continue to mark the boundaries of the old medieval center.

This part of Rouen has 227 registered historical monuments, which places it sixth among French cities.

With each step, there's yet another reason to pull out your phone or camera.

Old Rouen has around 2,000 half-timbered houses, the oldest of which date back to the 1200s, and the older they get, the more charming and twisted they become.

The oldest are on rue Étoupée, rue Saint-Amand, rue Damiette, and rue Abbé - de-l'Épée , to name just four of the many streets.

5. Jardin des Plantes

Just south of the old town, Rouen's main park is the site of many family outings, but it also has scientific value, caring for plants from five different continents.

The park is fabulous from April to November.

In spring, wisteria, lilies, camellias and rhododendrons produce a riot of colour.

Then in summer the rose gardens are in bloom, and fall brings those famous reds and oranges.

If you come in winter, life goes on inside the garden's greenhouses, where tropical species thrive year-round.