Arts

Rouen is indeed the capital of Impressionism! This is where Monet, Pissarro or Sisley and, in their wake, a whole school of painters with nuanced palettes invented the world’s best-known pictorial movement. A veritable open-air painting, Rouen and its surroundings offer limitless inspiration to artists: loops of the Seine, majestic cathedral, unique industrial port, timber-framed houses, … offer unique landscapes tinged with a singular light.

Spirits festival-goers, Rouen has plenty to seduce you! Each Norman season has its own festivities, and each festival has its own particularity: exceptional setting, ode to art and creation, wacky animations, local crafts, must-see events … Of course, this is just a non-exhaustive list of the festivities taking place all over the metropolis… Now it’s up to you to prepare your program to your heart’s content, and get your loved ones together for maximum sharing!

Hang on to the clocks of time, the journey is sensational! For Rouen preserves traces of all its History. From the Vikings to the Reconstruction, the Norman capital unfurls a heritage spanning several millennia, the vibrations of which we can still feel today. Here’s a brief historical summary of a city with a lot of potential!

The city’s monuments have stood the test of time and retain their traces, discover the Big Clock from the inside, admire the Notre-Dame Cathedral or observe the dentelle de Saint-Maclou. Rouen also offers unique and inimitable places such as the Aître Saint-Maclou, don’t miss out!

The work of the hand and the wonder of the eyes. From iron to stained glass, via faïence and the subtlety of textile, Rouen is a city where artisanship works wonders. It is the oldest ceramics center in France and opens its workshops to enthusiasts and the curious alike, book your earthenware clay modeling workshop!!
The plurality of Rouen’s know-how has given rise to an incredible ironwork museum, France’s oldest ceramics center, a stained glass collection spread across numerous monuments, and so many other iconic places to discover and observe!

If Rouen is a city of art and history, it continues to inspire the artists of today. Daring buildings, construction of eco-districts and creative bubbling are its signatures. Major figures in contemporary architecture have signed important buildings in Rouen. Want to discover them?

Street art, exhibitions, statues, photos, contemporary artists express themselves all year round and exhibit their works throughout the city.