Rouen Touring -
Information on the capital of Normandy
Rouen touring info, links and more for visitors to the capital of Normandy.
Rouen is a bustling city, just over 130kms north of Paris, situated on the banks of the Seine. Many tourists heading north from Paris might easily pass the turn off to Rouen from the motorway without a second thought, but it’s worth a detour. The compact setting of the old town centre and places of interest makes it an good stopover for those that are time poor.
Rouen Touring TIP: When you do turn off the motorway, don’t pay too much attention to, or be deterred by the industrial outskirts. Follow the signs and head straight to the Centre Ville (city centre).
Rouen Touring TIP: There are some small car parks dotted around the city centre. Be sure you check parking hours and ticketing. Some places have car park personnel that walk around and issue parking dockets for the duration of your stay and if your stay ends up being shorter they will reimburse you the hours not used. For public carpark listing
click here.
For the official Rouen tourist information site click here.
Rouen has four remarkable churches: Three of gothic style, including the famous and recently cleaned Rouen Notre Dame Cathedral, St Maclou Church and the St Ouen Abbey. The fourth, Eglise St Jeanne d’Arc (Joan of Arc church), is a modern geometric wonder built in 1979, in honour of Joan of Arc, who was charged with heresy, condemned to dead and tragically burnt at the stake in May of 1431.
Rouen Notre Dame Cathedral
The astonishing intricacy of stonemasonry in the façade of this cathedral is what first catches your attention. The central spire tip lies 151 m from ground level. In the "tallest building" stakes in France, it overtook the Notre-Dame Cathedral of Strasbourg in 1876 (at 144m) and was the tallest building in the world between 1876 and 1880 (taken over at that time by another Gothic cathedral: the Dom of Cologne in Germany). The Rouen Notre Dame cathedral was the central theme of numerous interpretations (under different light conditions) by French Impressionist painter and
Giverny
local,
Claude Monet.
The Joan of Arc church can be found in the Place du Vieux-Marche (old market square). This site is historically significant, since it’s the location where Joan of Arc was burnt at the stake after being unjustly and indefensibly judged as a heretic. Jean of Arc was used as a pawn in the political tug of war between the English who feared her leadership in successes against them in France & the ungrateful King Charles (VII) of France who she aided in achieving coronation and subsequent right to the throne. The towering cross situated by the church marks the spot of her execution.
If you are not an enthusiast of churches, skip the rest but definitely see this one for the astounding architecture, breathtaking stained glass windows and sweeping wood panelling of the ceilings inside. It is a true monument to a young heroine declared patron saint of France & embraced by her nation after her execution. The following is a French website but you can view the
church interior here.
The main pedestrian thoroughfare is named Rue du Gros Horloge (banally: Great Clock Road) after the 14th century renaissance clock faces mounted in the Roman archway spanning the entrance. You can access the tower for views over the city. Open everyday except Monday.
Some of Rouen's architecture dates back to the Middle ages.
Rouen Touring TIP: The tourist office is situated opposite the Cathedral Notre Dame. Drop by for a brochure (or download below) or pick up an audio guide to cover all the sites not to be missed.
To download Tourist Map, click here.
For other sites of interest in Rouen, including museums, click here.
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