Rouen

Location:

The Haute Normandie region.

Rouen is the historical capital city of Normandy, in northwestern on the River Seine, and currently the capital of the Haute-Normandie ( Upper Normandy) région. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe, Rouen was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages. It was one of the capitals of the Anglo-Norman dynasties, which ruled both and large parts of modern

Sights:

Rouen is known for its Notre Dame cathedral, with its Tour de Beurre (butter tower). The cathedral was the subject of a series of paintings by Claude Monet, some of which are exhibited in the Musée d'Orsay in Paris.

The Gros Horloge is an astronomical clock (16th century), located in the Gros Horloge street.

Other famous structures include the Gothic Church of Saint Maclou (15th century); the Tour Jeanne d'Arc, where Joan of Arc was brought in 1431 to be threatened with torture (contrary to popular belief, she was not imprisoned there); the Church of Saint Ouen (12th–15th century); the Palais de Justice, which was once the seat of the Parlement (French court of law) of Normandy and the Museum of Fine Arts and Ceramics which contains a splendid collection of faïence and porcelain for which Rouen was renowned during the 16th to 18th centuries.

In the centre of the Place du Vieux Marché is the modern church of Saint Joan of Arc. This is a large, modern structure which dominates the square.

Transport:

Rouen is served by a light rail system opened in 1994, the Métro. It branches into two lines out of a metro tunnel running through the city center. Rouen is also served by buses run in conjunction with the tramway by the local transport authority, Metrobus. Reaching Rouen is easy: it sits in an ideal position for access by air (Paris Beauvais or Caen), boat (Le Havre) or rail.

Attractions:

Rouen is a great centre of culture and has many notables museums and art galleries to visit.

• Musée des beaux-arts de Rouen, an art museum with pictures of well-known painters such as Monet
• Musée maritime fluvial et portuaire, a museum on the history of the port of Rouen and the navigation.