What to do and what to visit in Rouen? Our essential activities in the capital of Normandy

Rouen cultivates its Viking past.

Far, very far from the revisited image of the Scandinavian invaders in the textbooks of the 19th century and, alas, still anchored in our collective imagination, the epic of the Nortmanni, in Latin, or "men of the North", in French, does not does not sum up to that of simple bloodthirsty brutes screwed under horned helmets!

, immediately corrects Agnès Bouilloc, project manager at the Museum of Fine Arts, which is preparing to host, from April 14 to August 13, the exhibition "Normans, migrants, conquerors, innovators”.

Dedicated to the proto-Normans from the 9th to the 12th century, this event presents nearly 275 objects, such as ivories, illuminations, jewels and weapons, retracing this adventure which marked Europe.

To discover

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From amateur memory, you have to go back to 1994 (it was in Rome!) to find an exhibition of such magnitude devoted to the Vikings.

Nicolas Hatot, curator of the exhibition and professor at the École du Louvre, succeeded in giving it an international dimension by letting pieces from Germany, the United Kingdom, Norway and Italy.

Note this famous piece from a 12th century chess set, called "Lewis", named after the Scottish island where it was discovered.

Stated objective of the event: "To present a new look at an entire section of the history of Normandy by taking into account new historical readings, but also the new current migratory dynamics..." Museum of Fine Arts (1)

Read alsoTen charming hotels for a breath of fresh air in Normandy

What to do and what to visit

DARING TO GET LOST IN THE VENELLES

Old Rouen has kept its medieval atmosphere.

Ekaterina Belova

Old Rouen – we are on the right bank of the Seine – has remained a medieval-looking city where you have to dare to get lost.

, explains Benjamin Blanchard, tour guide.

With its 2,000 houses with half-timbered facades, 200 of which date from the Middle Ages, its palaces from the Renaissance period or its red brick mansions from the 17th and 18th centuries, Rouen is more than a charming postcard town.

Here, the post-war reconstructions have healed well and blend into a harmonious whole.

"The truth is that some historic facades have been moved from one district to another and reassembled on more recent buildings"

, whispers our guide.

This is the case with these two medieval-looking houses overlooking the Place du Vieux-Marché.

The same place where Joan of Arc was tortured in 1431 and where the restaurant La Couronne remains: according to the Rouennais,

, opened in 1345. Less known (it is only a thousand years old !), the Sublime House can finally be visited, since 2020, after a long restoration, started in 2001.

Discovered in 1976 under the cobblestones of the courtyard of the courthouse, it would be the oldest Jewish building in France, dating back to the 12th century.

But archaeologists are still torn about its origin: Hebrew school, synagogue or bourgeois house?

During the visits - exclusively on reservation -, Laëtitia Versavel, tour guide, makes us live the debates of the researchers in the style of a police enigma, distilling leads here and there.

Original experience.

But let's be reassured: old Rouen has not turned into a museum city where you will only come across tourists.

On the contrary !

The city center is alive.

The ground floors of its historic facades, such as those adjoining the famous Gros-Horloge (locally called “le Gros”), are lined with fashion brands, decoration shops, etc.

IN THE SHADOW OF THE OLD RADIANT SAINTS

the superb Notre-Dame-de-Rouen cathedral.

Valery Egorov

Nicknamed "the City of 100 bell towers", immortalized in particular by Claude Monet, Rouen only has around thirty.

But whether they are still consecrated, like Notre-Dame Cathedral, or open to concerts, like Saint-Ouen Abbey, bells and chimes still punctuate life in Rouen.

Romanesque, radiant Gothic or contemporary, like the Jeanne-d'Arc church, inaugurated in 1979, the religious buildings imprint their name on each district.

To go out in the evening, the locals are more likely to meet near Saint-Ouen, to the east of the city, while visitors will stay more spontaneously in the Notre-Dame district, to the west.

Otherwise, while waiting for an appointment on the parvis of Saint-Maclou, the most curious will notice on the bas-reliefs of one of the doors the… somewhat daring prominences of a few satyrs.

The Saint-Maclou district is still the so-called “antique dealers” district.

If you go to the market in Piazza San Marco on Sunday mornings, students and families also take to the terraces there.

But first, you absolutely have to stop for an hour to visit the aître Saint-Maclou, the former ossuary of the Great Plague, in 1348, which, after having housed schools run by monks, then the school of arts from 1940 to 2014, has been open to the public since its restoration in 2020.

From now on, the visitor can admire the sculptures along the three galleries representing the macabre dances of the 16th century all around the central courtyard.

The most unusual, as observed by Amélie Cheval, a tour guide, is perhaps this mummified cat behind a window set into a wall.

Some say it is the devil.

Others rather evoke a joke of former students of fine arts.

DISCOVERING THE PORT

Although set back inland, Rouen remains a major seaport thanks to the Seine.

Several visits are possible, between June and October, aboard the Le Lutèce shuttle.

Some will prefer to discover the port facilities and cross, to the sound of fog horns, giant grain carriers and pitch in their path.

Others will choose more bucolic and peaceful walks along the Seine valley to observe the richness of its flora and fauna.

EXCURSION TO THE SAINTE-CATHERINE CORNICHE

View from Sainte-Catherine Hill.

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Locally, the question is debated: should we say “hill”, “cornice”, or “mountain”?

It's like for the “metrobus” that some call here “tramway”, the Rouennais, like good Normans, are slow to settle the question.

What does it matter!

The panorama over the roofs of the city from Sainte-Catherine is exceptional.

The opportunity to count the exact number of steeples in good weather.

But beware, getting there is an expedition.

From the city center, you have to walk along the quays of the Seine for an hour, completely redeveloped with green spaces and now a few cafes, before reaching the first of… 525 steps leading up to Sainte-Catherine, where Claude Monet put down his easel in his time.

TRY CLAY SCULPTURE

Land work.

fire arts gallery

Why not learn about working with clay, glass and metal?

The teaching room of the Galerie des Arts du feu, located in one of the wings of the Saint-Maclou aster, offers courses and internships supervised by professionals.

For a clay sculpture course from a live model, reserved for adults, allow 5 hours (€130).

For modeling lessons linked to the current exhibition, allow 3 hours for 35 euros (25 € for children).

Beginners accepted in both cases.

Reservations required.

MAKING YOUR PERFUME

To compete with the big noses, here is an original experience: a workshop offered by the young perfume house Berry, located in the pedestrian streets.

Founded in 2016 by Cécile and her husband, Charles, this cocoon boutique advises and offers the visitor, under the direction of Eugénie, the couple's daughter, to compose their perfume within the framework of a 1-hour workshop and to leave with a 30 ml bottle of his creation.

The price is 90 euros.

Slightly more expensive than the brand perfume of the moment that all the girlfriends wear.

Where to have a drink?

AT ROSE AND MAX

You get there, somewhat by chance, by taking a dead end between two old buildings.

Then, suddenly, psychedelic lights escape from a small door.

We arrived at Rose et Max, a brand new trendy place that opened recently.

Cocktail bar in a very seventies vintage taste, here the decoration, furniture, tables and chairs, are guaranteed 1970s.

Here, always, the colors are orange, yellow or purple.

Before the arrival of the first customers, you could even imagine yourself in a vintage antique shop.

But no !

The establishment quickly filled up.

The glasses clink.

We are indeed in a bar for the first part of the evening where some, after a few cocktails, claim to have crossed Starsky and Hutch.

The establishment also has a restaurant in the summer.

L'ESPIGUETTE

Here, time has stopped in… Difficult to locate.

In the middle of the last century, perhaps?

Even well before.

A well-known address for Rouennais, a little less for passing visitors, L'Espiguette exudes the charm of authenticity.

From the France of old zinc, which one would like to believe eternal.

It's a small bistro in the middle of a small bucolic square with its old cobblestones, its tree in its center and its old half-timbered facades.

In the spring, the tables come out.

You can also order a meal there.

But most people come here for a drink.

And for the atmosphere.

Where to sleep in Rouen?

BOURGTHEROULDE HOTEL

The city's only 5-star hotel occupies this Renaissance-era palace.

J. F. Lange

Who hasn't dreamed of one day sleeping in a Renaissance palace?

The Hôtel de Bourgtheroulde, renovated in 2010 according to classic standards, offers double rooms from 230 euros (allow more than 600 € for the prestige suites).

The only 5-star establishment in the city, the plus is its relaxation area (fitness room, sauna, hammam, and swimming pool) with free access.

A spa (this time paying) offers massages and scrubs.

Otherwise, to have a drink away from the noise of the city, a service is offered in a charming little inner courtyard, where you can contemplate the treasures of the facade of the tower and soak up the Renaissance spirit. places.

The breakfast room and that of the gourmet restaurant, L'Aumale, have just been renovated.

Finally, for night owls, a monumental contemporary bar under its glass roof, with contemporary sculptures in the style of Jeff Koons, serves soft drinks and cocktails until 1 a.m.

The hotel still has a concierge service.

DIEPPE HOTEL

In the Gueret family since 1880, the Hôtel de Dieppe, restored in 2020, is an institution that has quietly transcended time.

Overlooking the magnificent Art Nouveau facade of Rouen station, inaugurated in 1928 by President Doumergue, the establishment, with its 4 stars, offers double rooms between 120 and 175 euros.

It is within these walls that the recipe for duck à la Rouennaise was invented and is still on the menu at Victor, the hotel restaurant.

The legend says that people would come there especially from Japan just to taste it!

During the day, a subdued bar in a club spirit is the ideal place for a cozy meeting.