Rouen France

This was as far west as our Viking River Cruise travelled during our "Paris & the Heart of Normandy" cruise. Our goal here was a day trip to the WW2 Gold & Omaha Invasion Beaches, as well as some free time in the city, which we put to good use!

Rouen, the historic capital of Normandy in northern France, is a city rich with culture, history, and art. Here are ten of the most interesting facts about Rouen:

• Joan of Arc's Trial and Execution: Rouen is famously known as the city where Joan of Arc was tried for heresy and burned at the stake in 1431. You can visit the Church of Saint Joan of Arc and the Joan of Arc Tower, the remains of the castle where her trial was held.
• The Rouen Cathedral: Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Rouen is one of the most famous Gothic cathedrals in France. Its façade was painted many times by the Impressionist artist Claude Monet, making it one of the most depicted buildings in art history.
• Capital of Normandy: Rouen was historically the capital of the Duchy of Normandy, an influential region during the Middle Ages, and the place where William the Conqueror prepared his invasion of England.
• Impressionist Art Connection: Besides Monet, Rouen has strong ties to Impressionism. The city's light and its picturesque medieval streets inspired many painters. The Musée des Beaux-Arts de Rouen holds an impressive collection of Impressionist art.
• The Great Clock of Rouen: The Gros-Horloge, or Great Clock, is one of Rouen's most iconic landmarks. Installed in 1389, it is a beautifully decorated astronomical clock that showcases the city's medieval craftsmanship.
• Viking Heritage: Rouen has Viking roots, having been founded by Viking invaders in the 9th century. The name Normandy itself comes from the "Norsemen" or Vikings who settled the region, and Rouen was a key city in their territory.
• Famous for its Timber-Framed Houses: Rouen is known for its beautiful half-timbered houses that line many of the streets in the old town. These buildings, dating back to medieval times, give the city a distinct and charming character.
• Historical Capital of the Duchy of Normandy: As the historical capital of Normandy, Rouen played a central role in the region's politics and commerce during the Middle Ages. It was the seat of the Dukes of Normandy, including William the Conqueror.
• Rouen's Museums and Culture: Rouen boasts many cultural institutions, including the Musée des Beaux-Arts, which holds works by artists like Caravaggio, Rubens, and of course, Monet. The Historial Jeanne d’Arc museum is also a must-visit for those interested in the story of Joan of Arc.
• A Place of Religious Significance: Rouen has long been an important religious center in France. In addition to its famous cathedral, it is home to many historic churches, such as Saint-Maclou and Saint-Ouen Abbey Church, which display extraordinary examples of Gothic architecture.

Rouen's compact layout, charming medieval streets, and well-preserved historical landmarks make it easy and enjoyable to explore on foot. Many streets in the old town are narrow and either pedestrian-only or have minimal traffic. This creates a relaxed atmosphere for walking, especially in the areas near the cathedral and the half-timbered houses.

This is the actual site (the sign marks the spot) where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake. In fact, the entire area is a memorial to Joan, who is now considered a saint. It is a truly somber thing to stand at this spot, you cannot help but be moved to think of Joan went through here.

It was odd to think that such a thing could have been done to a true French patriot, as well as a woman. But the English were eager to remove Joan from the war with the French, and the French King was convinced that he should not ransom Joan, so her doom was concluded at this very spot.

Joan actually died of smoke inhalation. The Cardinal of Winchester is recorded as having ordered her to be burnt a second time. Her organs still survived this fire, so a third burning was ordered to destroy the body completely. Her cinders and debris were to be thrown into the Seine.

If you are interested in the Joan of Arc story, click here for the short version in Wiki. If you have ever seen any of the "Joan of Arc" movies or read any of the books, then visiting this site is fascinating, as it brings history to life!

NOTE: The building on the right of this image is the Catholic Church of St Joan of Arc.

This area is directly across the street from the Joan of Arc execution site and the Catholic Church, the area has several eating establishments (Cayman's in the center of image # 1 for example) as well as several take-out shops. Many people will purchase their lunch in one of these shops, and then sit on the stones to enjoy their meal.

Here we are walking up the Rue du Gros Horloge (one of the many scenic streets in Rouen), you can also easily discern that this is a "pedestrian only" street, and it is equipped with a number of sidewalk cafes, pubs, shops, etc.

Rouen is a very walkable city, and on a nice day (like we had) we easily covered the entire downtown pedestrian area in a matter of hours.

Image # 1 is the front side of the Cathedral, and image # 2 is of the rear-side of the Cathedral.

Even though the Rouen cathedral had some exterior work being performed, you can still see how beautiful it is. Very similar architecture to Notre Dame in Paris, and in fact, a similar interior layout as well. However, the Rouen Cathedral has the distinction of being the tallest in France

A church was already present at the location in the late 4th century, and eventually a Cathedral was established in Rouen as in Poitiers. It was enlarged by St. Ouen in 650, and visited by Charlemagne in 769.

All the buildings were destroyed during a Viking raid in the 9th century. The Viking leader, Rollo, founder of the Duchy of Normandy, was baptised here in 915 and buried in 932. His grandson, Richard I, further enlarged it in 950. St. Romain's tower was built in 1035. The buildings of Archbishop Robert II were consecrated in 1065. The cathedral was struck by lightning in 1110.

Construction on the current building began in the 12th century in Early Gothic style for Saint Romain's tower, front side porches and part of the nave. The cathedral was burnt in 1200. Others were built in High Gothic style for the mainworks: nave, transept, choir and first floor of the lantern tower in the 13th century; side chapels, lady chapel and side doorways in the 14th century. Some windows are still decorated with stained glass of the 13th century, famous because of a special cobalt blue colour, known as "the blue from Chartres". The north transept end commenced in 1280.

Note that this is the tallest cathedral in France at 151 meters, in comparison, Notre Dame Paris is 96 meters tall.

This is a very large cathedral; 144 meters in length, 61.6 meters wide, central spire is 151 meters in height, the other two towers are 75 and 82 meters in height. There was quite a bit of damage from WW2 bombings, and over the previous five centuries, damage has been done from other wars - including damage from a hurricane in 1683!

These pictures should give you a wee bit of an idea how large the Rouen Cathedral interior is, and how similar it is to Notre Dame de Paris.

The Rouen cathedral is substantially newer than the Notre Dame de Paris, as it was opened in 1876 - however, it is important to note that there has been a church there for many years and the current church was consecrated in 1063. In comparison, Notre Dame de Paris construction was started in 1176 and it was completed & opened in 1345.

Celeste and I decided that for our last night in Rouen, that we had to go ashore and find ourselves a sidewalk restaurant that served mussels, french fries & beer. This was not a negative response to the food on the ship, it was consistently quite good, but we wanted to have a real French sidewalk cafe experience with "real" French cuisine.

We found Le Rocher on Yelp, and when the concierge on the Viking Spirit confirmed that she knew of it as well, we decided to hike over there and give it a try.

To say that it was good does not really do it justice, it was excellent, we had a great sidewalk table, it was a beautiful evening and we enjoyed having a romantic dinner together! Not sure what the name of the beer was, but it was bière ala pression (beer on tap) and it was the perfect complement to our meal.

POST EDIT: In an absolutely amazing coincidence, we found that the people that owned the Le Rocher Restaurant had relocated to Nice, France and we wound up eating dinner there on a subsequent trip to France. You will find images and a description of that visit on our Nice, France page.

NOTE: Please note that there is no link to their previous location in Rouen, as they are now located in Nice, France. Therefore, the link we have here is for their new location.

• Just Traveling Thru European Travel Tips
• Just Traveling Thru Travel Planning Tips
• Rouen History on the 'Britannica' site
• Things to see & do in Rouen on the 'Crazy Tourist' site
• Things to see & do in Rouen on the 'Trip Savvy' site
• Things to see & do in Rouen on the 'Culture Trip' site
• Google Search Results list for "Rouen Restaurants"
• Google Search Results list for "Rouen Accommodations"
• Rouen: Private Walking Tour with a local Guide from the "Get Your Guide" Site
• Amazon Search Results for "Rouen France"
• Youtube Search Results list for "Rouen France"
• Visit our Youtube Channel
• Rouen Wikipedia Article
• Our Rouen Image Gallery
• Google Images set for Rouen
• Google Reviews for Rouen, France