A walk through the beautiful old-fashioned streets of Rouen sure feels like a stroll back in time. There is something historical at every juncture, from the Middle Ages to modern times. For religious people, a trip to Rouen might mean a step neighboring heaven. The city has over 50 religious buildings, and many of the churches are treasures of Gothic architecture.

Many of the city’s major tourist attractions are located in its pedestrian area; an attractive zone of picturesque half-timbered houses, and twisting medieval alleys. They include an impressive cathedral, the magnificent Gros-Horloge clock tower, and the famous Fine Arts Museum.

When visitors arrive in Rouen, they can retrace the steps of the revered Joan of Arc to witness where she went to trial and subsequently executed. They can also see the destruction of WW2. The Palais de Justice’s elegant façade still bears holes from the bombings from close to a century ago.

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Here are Some of the Things That Make Rouen Worth Visiting

Appreciate Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Rouen

Located in the center of the old town, this monument is one of the most impressive and largest Gothic cathedrals in the country. Cathédrale Notre-Dame’s major structure was constructed in the 1200s, but the building was completed in the 1500s. Visitors will be thrilled by the huge façade, that inspired Claude Monet, the Impressionist painter.

The sanctuary’s central doorway was the subject of the artist’s popular painting series. At various times of the day, Monet painted the scene to catch the effects of different lighting. Atop the façade, two towers overlook Rouen. Tour du Beurre (Butter Tower) is the one on the right, and it owes its name to the fact that the believers were allowed to eat butter in Lent there. They were permitted to do this because the faithful gave donations.

At 151 meters, the Cathédrale Notre-Dame also has one of France’s highest spire. Even though the WW2’s damage was profound, the sanctuary retains some original stained glass windows. It is located at 3 rue Saint-Romain, Rouen.

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Check out Fine Art at Musée des Beaux-Arts

This museum ranks high among the most significant French museums. In a shadowed tree-lined square, the Musée des Beaux-Arts is famous for its breadth and assortment of artistic movements. The collection showcases an impressive array of sculptures, drawings, paintings, and objets d’art from the 1400s to the contemporary era.

The most captivating works include the 1600s masterpieces by Diego Velazquez, Nicolas Poussin, Philippe de Champaigne, and Caravaggio, as well as the 1800s works by Paul Delaroche, Theodore Gericault, Eugene Delacroix; and Impressionists Alfred Sisley, Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Camille Pissarro.

At the Musée des Beaux-Arts, there are rooms dedicated to landscape art, with paintings by Hubert Robert, Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot, and Gaspar. It is located at Esplanade Marcel-Duchamp, Rouen.

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See the Saint-Ouen Abbey Church

This stately 1300s building was made as a church for the influential Benedictine monastery of Saint-Ouen and is regarded as a masterpiece of Late Gothic architecture. The Abbatiale Saint-Ouen’s tower is crowned with a pinnacled part that is aptly called the ‘Crown of Normandy’. With its overwhelming proportions, the abbey’s symmetrical vaulted interior affords a quiet space for spiritual reverence.

Here, more than 80 delicately beautiful stained-glass windows let light pass through them into the church. The Portail des Marmousets can be found in the abbey’s south transept. It showcases the Virgin Mary’s events. Visitors should also check out the popular organ that Cavaillé-Coll built, which is regularly used for recorded musical concerts.

The Hotel de Ville stands on the same square as the abbey. It used to serve as the dormitory for the monks, and at its back is the old abbey gardens that now opened to the public as a park. You can find the Abbatiale Saint-Ouen at Place du Général de Gaulle, Rouen.

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Step Into the Eerie World of Aître Saint-Maclou 

The Aître Saint-Maclou is among the town’s most interesting tourist attractions and is a medical building that shelters the Ecole Supérieure d’Art et Design. The origins of this place can be traced back to the 1348 Black Death plague that claimed a third of Rouen’s residents. The space that is now a stunning courtyard was used for burials and the surrounding buildings used to be an ossuary.

Aître Saint-Maclou’s contain gruesome décor highlighting bones, skulls, objects of funeral ceremonies, and gravedigger tools. Visitors will see a cat’s skeleton that was discovered in the masonry. In the Middle Ages, cats were regarded as evil spirits, and the cat would have been enfolded here alive to fortify from bad luck. Aître Saint-Maclou is located at 188, Rue Martainville, Rouen.

Enjoy the Architecture at Palais de Justice and Monument Juif 

The Palais de Justice is a sublime example of medieval civilian architecture that bears the Rouen Law Courts, and it served as the place of meeting for the Parliament of Normandy. This exquisite Gothic piece was constructed in 1508-1509 by Roulland Le Roux. It destroyed in WW2 and later restored.

Unfortunately, the building is not open to the public, but visitors will fall in love with the beautiful façade and particularly the wonderful gargoyles. The middle wing features a glorious balustrade, towering pinnacles, and punctured buttresses. This monument was destroyed during the 1944 bombing, and the shell holes can still be seen in the walls.

During a renovation of this touristy spot in 1976, the remains of a magnificent stone building was discovered underneath the courtyard. Palais de Justice was planned to be a quaint Yeshiva’s (rabbinical school) lower room that dates back to the 12th-century. As soon as it was discovered, this Monument Julif (Jewish Monument) was quickly guarded by an archaeological crypt. As disclosed by the street name (rue aux Julif means ‘street of the Jews’), the place was at the center of the old Jewish quarter that prospered in William the Conqueror’s reign until the 1306 ejection of the Jews.

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Watch the Tour du Gros-Horloge (Big Clock Tower) Chime

Lying in the south of the Palais de Justice, Tour du Gros-Horloge is one of the most significant sites in the historic center of the city. The Rue de Gros-Horloge courses to the cathedral from the southeast edge of the Place du Vieux Marché. It is where the Eglise Jeanne d’Arc is situated. Along this beautiful route of half-timbered houses and cobblestone streets, this place touches a Renaissance pavilion.

In 1389, the Gothic belfry tower was built for defensive reasons, and the adorning clock dates from the late 19th-century. Today, the belfry clock serves its timekeeping purposes for Rouen. Tourists should take some time to appreciate the clock’s wonderful details.

Brighten your Day at Eglise Saint-Maclou

Just about a few minutes’ walks from the cathedral stand the majestic Eglise Saint-Maclou, which is known to be a gem of flash Gothic architecture. Built in 1437, it was dedicated to Saint-Malo and has remained an important site to visit any time of the year. Eglise Saint-Maclou is a twin-towered structure with an embellishing porch that bears Renaissance-era wooden doors decorated with delicately molded Biblical stories.

From the Baroque confessionals to the Gothic staircase, an assortment of various architectural styles is found everywhere in the church. During the WW2, Saint-Maclou Church was terribly damaged but is now restored today. The belfry, in particular, was repaired, and today, its five church bells ring with every day chiming. Eglise Saint-Maclou is located at Place Bartélémy, Rouen.

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Tour Jeanne d’Arc – The Joan of Arc Tower

The tower of Tour Jeanne d’Arc is the only part of the Castle of the city that can be seen today. Standing about 98 feet tall, the unique sharp-pointed roof is the tower’s emblem. And as history books have it, this was the place where the trial of Joan d’Arc took place. In WW2, the Germans converted the Joan of Arc Tower to a bunker. Today visitors can mount the tower to get a brilliant view of Rouen.

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Is Rouen Worth Visiting? – Summary

Full of history and charm, the city of Rouen is a lively city with both old and new fancies to delight visitors. If you are planning to explore the Normandy area, it will be a good idea to start at the Rouen- the historic capital of the region. Perfectly situated on the Seine River, there are a lot of attractions that offer many interesting things to do and see in the ‘city with a hundred bells chiming in the air”.

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