What to do in the rain in Rouen

You open the window and the weather is gray? Don’t panic, Rouen’s city center offers plenty of museums to discover on your own, with family or friends. Contemplate the permanent collections of the Musée des Beaux-Arts, the many species of the Museum d’Histoire Naturelle or the surprising pieces of the Musée Le Secq des Tournelles or the Musée des Antiquités.

At the Historial Jeanne d’Arc, you’ll be sheltered from the drops and have the opportunity to relive the incredible destiny of this legendary heroine through a unique, immersive digital tour!

A few minutes from Rouen, the Centre d’Art Contemporain de La Matmut in Saint-Pierre de Varengeville or the Musée Août 44 at the Château du Taillis in Duclair will let you discover another face of the Seine Valley.

Although the charm of a sunny terrace in one of Rouen’s pedestrian streets is undeniable, many restaurants or tearooms will welcome you warmly on rainy days. Leave your umbrella at the entrance, settle in and discover many local specialties or Norman recipes.

After a shopping spree, a visit to the historic center or just for a treat, discover a wide choice of brasseries, gourmet restaurants or traditional establishments to warm up while watching the rain fall through the window.

With a view of the Cathedral, the Place du Vieux-Marché or the banks of the Seine, conviviality will be the order of the day and you’ll quickly forget the few clouds present in the Norman sky.

During a light rain shower, take a cultural break in one of Rouen’s many monuments and religious buildings. Enter the Cathédrale Notre-Dame to admire its grandeur, or push open the door of the Abbatiale Saint-Ouen for a chance to admire its collection of stained glass windows.

Birthplaces, castles, manors, churches or even the Donjon de Rouen or the Cirque-Théâtre d’Elbeuf are places to visit while staying dry.

You want to keep your kids busy, spend an afternoon with friends, an evening out as a couple, the city of Rouen is full of places to have fun while staying dry. Cinemas, theaters, concert halls, fun activities like go-karting or bowling will satisfy your desire to get out and about.

A shopping afternoon, an outing for the sales, the Docks 76 or Saint-Sever shopping centers welcome you all year round. Parking lots, shopping arcades, restaurants and children’s play areas will make your shopping sprees in the rain easier.