_DSF9246© Benoit Eliot 1_DSF9246© Benoit Eliot 1
©_DSF9246© Benoit Eliot 1|Benoit Eliot 1

Visit in 2 days

We take you on a two-day trip to discover Rouen and the sites you should not miss during your visit to the capital of Normandy. Mixing arts, history and modernity, the museums and monuments of the city and the Seine Valley will not leave you indifferent.

Day 1

To discover the surroundings of Rouen

Go discover the beautiful landscapes of the Seine Valley and head to Jumièges, located in the heart of the Boucles de la Seine Normande Regional Nature Park.

First, set offfor a guided tour of Jumièges Abbey and its gardenswhere you can admire the majestic testimony of Norman Romanesque art with its open-air nave, the abbaye de Jumiègesimmediately imposes itself as an emblem of the Romanesque landscape, surrounded by a 15-hectare English-style park. Destroyed after the revolution, its magnetism earned it the nickname of “the most beautiful ruin in France” by Victor Hugo. Then, you canlunch at the ruins’ innand go foraging with chef Christophe Mauduit, a reference in wild plant-based cuisine. He will share his secrets with you…

To end your day, you can takean electric bike ride on the fruit road that winds through bucolic orchards for about 60 kilometers. One finds, here, a very favorable microclimate for fruit growing, due to the presence of the river, less rainfall and the white chalk cliffs that reflect heat and protect from cold winds.

Day 1

Rouen otherwise

In the afternoon, you can go to the Cailly valley, to the Corderie Vallois which is an old hydraulic spinning mill that invites you to a journey into the 19th century. The period machines still work in this museum that awakens the 5 senses. A few steps away, the workshop-boutique Les Confiseurs takes place in a former industrial site. The opportunity to discover the manufacture of the famous apple sugar. Unless your journey takes you to Elbeuf, a former cloth-making city that retains many testimonies of the era.

To end this day rich in discovery, we recommend spending a nice evening enjoying abeer at the Brasserie Ragnar, a church brewery set up in the garden of the Saint-Nicaise church. If you’re in the mood to try the gustatory adventure of the famous duck à la rouennaise, you’re in the right place! You will experience a unique moment, to share with family or friends. This traditional recipe is served to you in 4 restaurants (Café Victor, La Couronne, Les Capucines, Le Parc – remember to reserve).
At dusk, the Notre-Dame de Rouen Cathedralis highlighted each summer with asoundand light show that mixes heritage and dreaminess.

Day 2

Rouen and its treasures

Start your new day by discovering the half-timbered houses, the mythical Cathedral, the Place du Vieux-marché where Joan of Arc was burned, the famous Gross Clock, the luminous abbatiale Saint-Ouen
And you’ll get a taste of the atmosphere so conducive to strolling around downtown Rouen.

Once you’ve finished your contemplation, head to one of France’s premier museums for the richness of its collections:The Museum of Fine Arts covering all periods from the 16th to the 20th century in paintings, drawings, sculptures and decorative objects. Caravaggio, Velasquez, Poussin, Rubens, Delacroix, Géricault, Modigliani, Duchamp are on display. One can also admire the most important impressionist collection in Franceafter Paris with Monet, Pissarro, Renoir, Sisley…

Day 2

The must-sees of the Normandy capital

In the afternoon, discover, after more than two years of restoration work, this former ossuary from the 16th century that fascinates visitors. It is one of the last surviving gallery cemeteries in France and its fantastic decorations are unique examples preserved in Europe. Classified as a Historic Monument in 1862, this exceptional place has kept all its fascinating atmosphere. The Saint-Maclou Oyster is an unusual place not to be missed!

Another unmissable visit on the city Rouen: the oldest Jewish monumentof France being named The Sublime House. This unsuspected place was discovered by chance in 1976, during work under the courtyard of the Palais de justice. Built around 1100, just after the 1st Crusade, it is, for some, the only surviving example of a medieval-era rabbinical school in the world. Others defend the thesis of a private residence. Intriguing, isn’t it?

And finally, in the historical center of Rouen hides a show route… The Historial Jeanne d’Arc is dedicated to the history and memory of La PucelleWitnesses, reenactments and audiovisual effects take you to the heart of the fifteenth century, in the very places where Jeanne d’Arc was judged and then restored! Unusual experience guaranteed!

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