Rouen Seine valley

Rouen, historic capital of Normandy, opens you the doors of its open-air museum. Every hour of the day brings a procession of colors, constantly unveiling a different city.

Near the cathedral, try and guess the famous paintings of Claude Monet, the stone facade reflecting the colors of the sun and the stained-glass windows permeating with light… In Rouen, you are definitely in the home of Impressionism.

A walk through the streets of Rouen is a walk through the history and centuries of architectural development – the cathedral Notre Dame, St Ouen abbey, the Gros Horloge, the tourist office building, the Aître Saint-Maclou...

A medieval city, a renaissance town, a contemporary municipality, Rouen has seen many changes that are still operating.  In the 20th century, the fabulous Church of St Joan of Arc was built on the old market place and the bridge “Gustave Flaubert” was constructed in the 21st century.

Rouen Seine valley is an exceptionally rich and diverse region in the heart of Normandy. The area, composed of 70 cities, is crossed by one of the most beautiful and famous rivers in the world: the Seine. Whether you choose to stay in town, on the riverbank or in the depth of the countryside, this region is the perfect place to enjoy life.

Places not to be missed in Rouen

• Gros-Horloge (the big clock, symbol of the city)
• Cathedrale Notre-Dame
• The half-timbered houses
• Joan of Arc Tower
• The antiquarian district
• Harbour activity and river tourism
• Museums: Fine Arts, Gros Horloge, Natural History, Ceramics, wrought-iron work at Ferronerie, Le Secq des Tournelles, Antiques, National Museum of Education, Flaubert, river and maritime museums.
• Gothic churches (Saint-Ouen Abbey, Saint-Maclou, Saint-Patrice, Saint-Godard, Saint-Vivien).
• Unusual sites: Aître Saint-Maclou (plague cemetery), Hôtel de Bourgtheroulde, the "Maison Sublime", the jewish Monument, the"View" ...
• The Seine valley : the abbeys road, the fruit trail, Elbeuf Theatre Circus, the green path (walking and hiking path), etc …

Getting there

• Train station: 1 hr 15 mins away from Paris Saint- Lazare.
• TGV Rouen Marseille
• Airports: Roissy Charles de Gaulle (1h30)
• Beauvais low-cost airlines (70 km) Rouen-Vallée de Seine (10 km)
• Motorways: A13, A28 (117 km from Paris) A28/A16 (210 km from Calais) A28, (260 km from Tours)

Contact

Tourist and Conference Information Centre  
25 place de la Cathédrale
76008 Rouen Cedex 1
Tel: +33 (0)2 32 08 32 40
Fax: +33 (0)2 32 08 32 44