Tourist information on Rouen, France

Rouen is a large city in northern France, the capital of both the Seine-Maritime department and Haute-Normandie (Upper Normandy) region. Situated on the banks of the River Seine, about 135 km from Paris, it is a major industrial port and, in the Middle Ages, was one of the most prosperous cities in Europe. With its abundance of historical buildings, monuments and charming Medieval streets, it has acquired the nickname la Ville Musée (Museum Town). Rouen was where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake and is famous for its cathedral, which has inspired such artists as Claude Monet.

Rouen was founded on the right bank of the River Seine during the reign of the Emperor Augustus in the first century BC. Previously, the site had been inhabited by the Gaulish tribe of the Veliocasses. By the third century, what was then named Rotomagus became the most important city in Gaul after Lugdunum. In 841, Rouen was ransacked by the Vikings and then invaded by the Normans, who made it their capital. In 1204, Rouen became part of the French kingdom, bringing an end to Normandy's independence. The city prospered from its textiles industry and lucrative river trade, which gave it a monopoly on the transportation of goods and raw materials to England and Paris via the River Seine. During the 100 Years War, Rouen surrendered to the English King, Henry V, and Normandy came under the control of the English crown. In 1430, the Duke of Burgundy sold Joan of Arc to John Plantagenet and, on 30th May 1431, after a long trial, Joan was burned at the stake in Rouen's Old Market. The French King Charles VII took the city back from the English in 1449. Rouen experienced an economic boom through its textiles and metalworking industries and, by the early 1500s, had become one of the busiest ports in France, although it was not spared the bloody tumult of the country's religious wars. The city was half-destroyed during the Second World War, but many of its historic buildings were painstakingly rebuilt after the war.

Rouen's historic city centre is renowned for the quality and diversity of its architecture, which spans all epochs from the 13th century to the present day, with tall timbered houses standing beside grand Gothic churches. The two focal points are the Cathedral and the Old Market (Vieux Marché), where Joan of Arc was executed in 1431. Built between the 11th and 16th centuries, the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de l'Assomption de Rouen is a masterpiece of Gothic architecture and the city's most important historical structure. Its Tour-Lanterne is topped by a spire which soars to a height of 151 metres, the highest in France and the tallest building in the world at the time it was erected (in the 1870s). The 16th century Tour du Beurre (Butter Tower) is a superlative example of Flamboyant Gothic and houses one of the largest carillons (bell instruments) in France. The façade is ornately decorated with 70 sculptured figures and the chancel contains stone effigies of the Dukes of Normandy, including the first, Rollon, and Richard the Lionheart, whose heart resides in the cathedral. Allied bombing in 1944 inflicted substantial damage on the cathedral, although it was meticulously restored after the war. Rouen Cathedral was immortalised by Claude Monet in his famous series of paintings, most of which are now displayed in the Museé d'Orsay in Paris.

The city's other important sacred building is the Church of Saint-Ouen. Dating from the early 14th century, this combines Rayonnet and Flamboyant styles of Gothic architectures and was once one of the most powerful Benedictine monasteries in Normandy. Many consider this to be the most harmonious of Rouen's many churches. Another prime example of late Gothic architecture is the Église St-Maclou, a 15th century church renowned for its lavishly carved wooden doors. To its east is the Aître St-Maclou, a 16th century court which was a charnel house at the time of the Black Death (hence the skulls and other death motifs adorning its timbers). The Église Sainte-Jeanne-d'Arc de Rouen (Joan of Arc Church) was erected on the Place du Vieux Marché in 1979, an incongruous modern structure whose oddly shaped tiled roof is meant to depict the flames that devoured Joan of Arc.

One of Rouen's best-known landmarks is its Gros-Horloge, an astronomical clock from the 14th century mounted on a beautiful Renaissance belfry which offers some stunning views of the city. This is to be found on the pedestrianised rue du Gros-Horloge, a busy shopping area. The Tour Jeanne d'Arc is the only surviving part of the Château de Rouen, an important stronghold during the 100 Years War. It is here that Joan of Arc was threatened with torture to extort a confession at her trial The Palais de Justice combines Gothic and Renaissance styles and was once the seat of the governing Parlement de Normandie.

Rouen lives up to its name of la Ville Musée with its wide variety of museums. Foremost of these is the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Rouen, a fine arts museum that houses the largest collection of French impressionist art outside Paris, as well as a substantial body of paintings and sculptures from the 16th to 19th centuries. Its exhibits include work by Caravaggio, Velázquez, Delacroix, Modigliani, David and Monet. The Musée des antiquités traces the history of the region from Gallo-Roman and Merovingian times through its large collection of archaelogical treasures, which include artefacts from antiquity, the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. The Muséum d'histoire naturelle is second only to Paris in the size and scope of its natural history collection. Other museums of note include: the Musée Jeanne-d'Arc, which recounts the life and death of the Maid of Orleans; the Musée maritime fluvial et portuaire, dedicated to the history of the port of Rouen; the Musée de la céramique, an impressive ceramics museum; the Musée Le Secq des Tournelles, a unique collection of French ironwork; and two museums devoted to the city's most famous sons, the writers Flaubert and Corneille.

Rouen's many parks and gardens provide attractive green spaces in which to unwind. The largest of these is the Jardin des Plantes de Rouen, a substantial botanical garden with a diverse collection of plants. Others parks include: Parc Antoine de Saint-Exupery, Parc Grammont and the Jardin de l'hôtel ville. The area around Rouen is noted for its spectacular countryside, which comprises the lush Seine Valley and the rugged Normandy coastline.

Rouen's main train station, the Gare de Rouen-Rive-Droite, operates a mainline rail service to Le Havre and Paris and a regional service to other towns in the region, including Dieppe and Caen. The city centre is well serviced by its bus network and tram system. Rouen Aiport, located in Boos, 10 km southeast of the city centre, provides connections to a small number of European destinations.