Description
Considered a cultural capital of France’s Normandy Region, Rouen is a remarkable historical city sitting on the banks of the River Seine, which has been significant in one way or another since the Middle Ages. Seat of the Exchequer of Normandy and a capital of the Anglo-Norman and Angevin dynasties throughout the 11th to the 15th centuries, home to the site where Jeanne d’Arc was tried and burned alive, severely damaged during Operation Overlord in 1944, and now contributing to France’s impressive HAROPA Port – of which Le Havre and Paris also contribute – the cultural, historical, and economic importance of Rouen and cannot be overstated. With an overnight stay aboard your cruise ship in Rouen, you’ll have even more time to enjoy this remarkable city – and, of course, more time to travel inland to Paris and indulge in everything the French capital has to offer.
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Things to do
Musée des Beaux-Arts de Rouen
Established by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1801, Musée des Beaux-Arts de Rouen is one of the main regional fine art museums in France and features collections including impressionist paintings, Russian icons, Objets d’art, and more. The building currently housing the museum was constructed between 1877 and 1888 and features regular seasonal exhibitions alongside the permanent display of an incredible wealth of art from the 16th century onwards.
Le Gros-Horloge
An impressive 14th-century astrological clock in central Rouen, Le Gros-Horloge, is a marvel of technological advancements in the Middle Ages. Originally constructed without a dial, in which one revolution of the hour hand represented a day, a fresh facade was introduced in the 1520s, and the whole clock was electrified in the early 20th century. It’s one of the largest mechanisms of this type still in existence today and an impressive landmark to admire while exploring this incredible destination.
Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Rouen
Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Rouen is an impressive 12th-century Catholic cathedral in the heart of Rouen; a must-see and hard-to-miss landmark, it’s famous for its three towers, each boasting a distinct architectural style. It’s believed that Rouen’s first church, which would have been established circa 260 by Saint Mellonius, is under or close to the present location of Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Rouen. To say this site has cultural significance would be an understatement; it was also briefly the tallest building in the world from 1876 to 1880 and the subject of several impressionist paintings by Claude Monet.