Passing through Rouen? A lunch break or free time between two professional meetings? Visit Rouen in 1 hour so as not to miss the unmissable sites of the Capital of Normandy. For this, the Tourist Office offers you a walking tour that can be done in 1 hour in the historic center of the city.
Located in the heart of the city centre, Notre-Dame de Rouen Cathedral will be your starting point for this one-hour walk. A must-see place, the Cathedral of Rouen is the highest Cathedral in France.
Take advantage of the forecourt to admire the western facade of the Cathedral before returning to appreciate the architecture of this building. You can leave the Cathedral via the Cour des Libraires and continue along rue Saint-Romain to Place Barthélémy and its church of Saint-Maclou.
Arrived in front of the Saint-Maclou Church and its stone lace, you go around the building by rue Martainville and its colorful half-timbered houses. Continue to the entrance of Aître Saint-Maclou to discover the special atmosphere of this unusual place.
After going through the “macabre” details of the decorations of the Aître Saint-Maclou, retrace your steps and take the rue Damiette where many antique dealers are located. Extend your wanderings to the gardens of the Hôtel de Ville via rue Eau de Robec and its lively terraces.
Cross the gardens of the Hôtel de Ville to the Saint-Ouen Abbey. Access the interior of this abbey through the Marmousets portal. You will be surprised by the large volumes of the building but also by its sublime organ, still used today for many recordings.
Once you’ve discovered the abbey, continue along rue de l’Hôpital to rue des Carmes. Let yourself be guided to the Rue aux Juifs towards the current Palais de Justice, the former Parliament of Normandy.
Located between the Gros-Horloge, the Cathedral and the Museum of Fine Arts, the Parliament of Normandy will seduce you with its architecture combining Gothic and Renaissance styles. Its large courtyard also hides one of the oldest Hebrew monuments in Europe: the Sublime House, also called a Jewish Monument.
After this brief stop, you will head towards the Place du Vieux-Marché by extending your walk to rue aux Juifs and then taking rue Rollon.
You are now on the Place du Vieux-Marché in Rouen. The covered market, the many restaurants, the half-timbered houses, the remains of the Saint-Sauveur church where Pierre Corneille was baptized and the Sainte-Jeanne d’Arc church await you.
The history of this square is obviously marked by the last moments of the life of Joan of Arc, symbolized today by a memorial on the Place du Vieux-Marché.
Ideal for immortalizing your visit to Rouen, this very photogenic square is the most famous in the capital of Normandy. Selfies in hand, head to rue du Gros-Horloge to discover the monument of the same name.
Walk up the first pedestrian street in France! It is in 1971 that it becomes pedestrian, it is recognized today for these many shopping signs but especially for its monument: the Gros-Horloge.
Unmissable, you will admire its two golden dials and its stone arch dividing the rue du Gros Horloge into two parts. To visit Rouen in 1 hour, it is obligatorily passed by this symbol of the city.
To end your circuit, you will reach the banks of the Seine by going down rue de la Champmeslé then rue Grand Pont.
Last stage of your route to visit Rouen in 1 hour: the quays of the Seine. A stone’s throw from the medieval town centre, discover the green spaces and contemporary architecture of the left bank or the Panorama XXL and the industrial architecture of the hangars on the right bank.
To take a walk on all the quays, it will take you a little longer, but this last stage will make you want to come back to Rouen to stroll along the Seine.