Why you’ll fall in love with Rouen, the secret French city

Rouen is just two hours drive from central Paris. Or, if like us, you prefer to meander along the quieter country roads through pretty villages and small townships surrounded by farmland, it will take closer to three hours. Read on and let us tell you why you’ll fall in love with Rouen, the secret French city.

We stayed in an apartment within walking distance of the heart of the historic centre. Within five minutes of stepping outside, we were surrounded by historic half-timbered houses, the city’s iconic Notre Dame Cathedral and a multitude of cafes and restaurants.

France was in the middle of a heatwave with the temperature at 43 degrees Celcius when we arrived but undeterred we immediately ventured out to complete a reconnaissance of the Old Town.

Few people were about, some socialising over evening aperitifs at the local cafe/bar while others took cover under the shady trees in the park outside the Musee Beaux Arts. Shops are closed and the streets are mostly deserted. We didn’t venture far finding a Thai cafe close by for a dinner before going to bed. After the long flight and spending most of the day visiting our favourite haunts in Paris before driving to Rouen we were tired.

Cloudy skies greeted us the next morning and the temperature had dropped dramatically overnight! With rain forecast for the afternoon, we took the opportunity to fit in a bit of exploring on our brisk morning walk. The River Seine divides the city much like Paris with the city having a Right and Left Bank. The Old City is located on the Right Bank and crossing over to the Left Bank it seemed that the Left Bank mainly houses the municipal and administrative buildings. However, we noticed one distinctive building standing prominently in front of a shopping centre a short distance from the River, the Englise Saint-Sever Catholic Church.

The Right Bank is where you’ll find all the main attractions.

Notre Dame Cathedral

The Cathedral is Rouen’s pride and joy. You’ll understand why when you set eyes on it. It’s an elegant building with an intricate facade. It was cloudy when we first stood in the square to look at it. However, it was particularly stunning later when the evening sun was shining on it. Wander inside to feast your eyes on the beautiful stained glass windows which date back to 1200. And, if you’re visiting in the summer, come back to see the colourful light and sound show projected on the facade after dark.

Palais de Justice

Originally Normandy’s Parliament in the 1500s, the Palais de Justice is an impressive Gothic building with spires and gargoyles decorating its exterior. These days it serves at Rouen’s courthouse. We asked to have a look inside and a policeman graciously ushered us straight past the security by a policeman into the courtyard where we could survey the architecture in more detail. We popped into a courtroom to sit in on judgements on what we believed were petty matters being read by judges to gowned barristers/solicitors and their clients. An exciting experience and a good way to see inside one of the regal courtrooms.

Gros Horlage

You can’t miss Gros Horlage. It’s Rouen’s High Street The highlight is not the shopping, however. The medieval astronomical clock dating back to the 15th century is why you should take a walk down Gros Horlage. Hint: Stand under the archway and look up at the sculpture.

Joan of Arc

Joan of Arc plays a key role in Rouen’s history. An interactive museum is dedicated to her in the palace where she was tried. In Old Market Square you’ll find a memorial at the spot where she was burnt at the stake.

Old Market Square

There is more to the Old Market Square than Joan of Arc’s memorial. We dined at Manuel’s, one of the many restaurants around the perimeter of the square serving some of Normandy’s traditional foods. The half-timber houses scattered around the Square are worth looking at as well.

Church of Saint-Maclau

Saint Maclau was the first church we came across early in our visit to Rouen. We walked up a side street from the riverfront past beautiful half-timber houses to be greeted by this beautiful church. While not as large or grand as the Notre Dame, it holds a vantage point amongst the traditional houses and the beautiful square where you can enjoy a combination of views of the exquisite exterior of the Church surrounded by unique homes.

Church of Saint-Maclou — The intricate facade of the Church of Saint Maclou. The Church is set in a square with beautiful half-timbered houses surrounding it

Places to visit outside of Rouen

The Tourist Office provided us with a couple of suggestions to see the surrounding countryside. We opted to take the scenic fruit trail drive. Private orchards on one side of the road and the River Seine meandering along on the other accompanied us. The orchards were full of apple trees used to make cider, one of the region’s specialities. The trail ends at the little town of Les Mesnil des Jumieges. We continued driving along little lanes lined with large country homes to the pretty village of Jumieges to see the Abbaye. Quite a few cyclists were stopping to look as well. There are plenty of cycling and hiking routes in the area too.

We continued on the road to the pretty riverside villages of Rives en Seine and Villequeres before returning to Rouen, where heavy rain accompanied us on the way. Glad we weren’t cycling!

The other recommended drive was on the other side of the River to see the thatched houses. We’ve saved that to do on another visit.

Where we stayed

Le secret de Lea is located in a quiet street within the historic centre but distant enough to be in a micro-neighbourhood with its cafe, boulangerie and other amenities. The tastefully decorated apartment was spacious and had a separate bedroom and bed space for a family of four. Private garaged parking is also available. Our host Corrine thoughtfully provided extra amenities for the comfort of her guests. The Gare de Rouen is located a few hundred metres from the apartment if you’re arriving by train.