How to Spend a Perfect Day in Rouen
Earlier this year, I spent the day in Rouen, in Northern France. I’ve been to English port towns such as Southampton and Dover, neither of which could be described as beautiful. When I heard we were docking in Le Havre as part of a cruise, I was pretty keen to see where we could go instead. Rouen showed up on the map, and as soon as I saw the half-timbered buildings, I was sold. If you’re considering a day trip to Rouen, read on!
Where is Rouen?
Rouen is in northern France, and is the capital of Normandy. From Le Havre, it’s just under an hour on the train; from Paris, it’s about 1h20.
Why Rouen stands out
Aside from being a beautiful city, Rouen is also the city where Joan of Arc was executed in 1431. There are plenty of tributes and nods to her around the city.
Rouen was also a pretty key city during the Middle Ages, being close to the coast and along the River Seine, which flows directly into Paris. Although it suffered plenty of damage during WW2, a surprising amount of the half-timbered houses and cobbled streets still stand today.
Monet was reportedly a big fan of the city, and has a whole series on the Rouen Cathedral. Having seen the cathedral first hand, I’m not really surprised.
Okay, sounds interesting. Why should I visit Rouen?
Plenty! I spent one day here, so if you’re planning a day trip from Paris or want somewhere to go from Le Havre, here are some things definitely worth checking out:
Things to do in a day in Rouen
1. Take a walking tour
Walking tours are always going to be one of my first suggestions in a new city. I like being outside anyway, and walking tours usually move at a reasonable pace within the main attractions of a city. I’ve always found that I walk away having learned something new (with the exception of one in Milan that was, inexplicably, very focused on clocks).
On our day in Rouen, we found a walking tour through GuruWalks, but you’ll find ones for a fixed price on GetYourGuide, or a self-guided audio tour from the Rouen city website.
Tip: Some walking tours are multilingual. This is a great way to make them inclusive, but will mean that the tour moves slower as the guide needs to say everything twice.
2. Visit the Joan of Arc church and museum
The church of Joan of Arc, or Jeanne d’Arc as she’s known around these parts, is built next to the site where she was martyred. It was completed in 1979, and it’s built in an interesting brutalist style. The site previously held a church that was destroyed during WW2, the Church of St. Vincent.
During the war, St. Vincent’s stained glass windows were removed and hidden for safe keeping. Even though the church was ruined, the stained glass windows survived, and they’re now a part of Joan of Arc’s church. It’s a really interesting juxtaposition of Renaissance-era stained glass mixed with Cold War-era concrete brutalism.
Not too far away, near Rouen Cathedral, you’ll also find a museum dedicated to Joan of Arc. We didn’t get a chance to visit this, but it’s on the list!
3. Have a Galette
Galettes, a cousin to the crepe, are a speciality in Normandy. Made from buckwheat, they’re usually served with savoury fillings such as cheese or mushrooms. In Normandy, these are often accompanied by local cider. I’ve been told that for the real deal, the cider needs to be served in a bowl.
For my fellow vegans, double check that the galette recipe is vegan. Many are, although some will use eggs. We came across a charming cat cafe called Cosy Lunch that offers vegan galettes.
4. Visit the Rouen Cathedral
It’s pretty hard to miss the Rouen Cathedral if you’re spending any amount of time in the city, and it is well worth a visit.
Officially named the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Rouen, it is the tallest cathedral in France.
The cathedral was built over hundreds of years, so it’s got a real mix of Gothic architectural styles. For example, most of the facade is in a High Gothic style, while the intricate details lean more towards Flamboyant Gothic. I particularly loved the flamboyant details. Have you ever seen a building so beautiful it made you gasp? That’s how I reacted when I rounded the corner and saw the cathedral right in front of me. All the intricate carvings made me think of lace or spun sugar, and it’s just stunning.
The cathedral also makes an appearance in some of Claude Monet’s artwork and Gustave Flaubert’s novel, Madame Bovary.
5. Visit the Ossuary
Aître Saint-Maclou. If you know me in real life, you’ll know I’m partial to a cemetery or two. I find them fascinating: they’re often beautiful, but mostly because they’re museums of people. Every person there had a life and a story, often in eras far before ours. Aître Saint-Maclou is no exception.
During the the Black Death, Rouen’s church graveyard quickly became overcrowded. The city established Aître Saint-Maclou in the mid-14th century to serve as an ossuary for the city’s dead. Again, this ossuary became overcrowded, so in the 15th century, the galleries were added, with each level storing more bones.
Since its original founding, Aître Saint-Maclou has served as a school, an art college, and today it is a mix of gallery, boutiques and restaurant. It’s still a beautiful building, and you’ll still see skulls and bones carved into the original woodwork of the building.
A walking tour may bring you by this unusual place, or the ossuary offers various types of tour, which you’ll find on their website.
This beautiful city was a great find, and I wish we’d had more than a day in Rouen to explore some more. It’s only that I was looking for an alternative to spending a day in Le Havre that I started doing some research on Rouen and I’m so glad that I did. The city is lively and vibrant, even on a very cold January day, yet it’s not as crowded as Paris. It feels like somewhere you could explore very well over a weekend.
So, next time there’s a Eurostar or Easyjet sale, consider a trip to Rouen – I know I will!
You May Also Like
Exploring Strasbourg’s Christmas Markets
