Rouen
Does Rouen Cathedral look familiar? You've probably admired it at the museum: it was an inexhaustible source of inspiration for Claude Monet. Less than an hour and a half from Paris by train, the capital of Normandy has so much more to offer. Its historic centre is one of the most beautiful in France. And the quays of the Seine, once used for port activities, are great places to take a stroll.
Highlights
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In the 1860s, impressionist Claude Monet painted this jewel in multiple variations, at different times of day. A treasure trove of Romanesque-Gothic art, Rouen's Notre-Dame cathedral is the tallest in France and the third tallest in the world. Its lacy façade is asymmetrical. Every evening in summer, it comes alive with a breathtaking sound and light show.
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Victor Hugo called it the ‘city of a hundred steeples’. Although some of it was lost in the 2nd World War, Rouen's rich heritage spans the Middle Ages to the 18th century. Take a look at the many half-timbered houses, the emblematic Gros Horloge gateway and the Place du Vieux Marché, where Joan of Arc was burnt alive on 30 May 1431. And what about a visit of the Aître Saint-Maclou, a surprising gallery cemetery?
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Impressions
