FR · Normandy · 49.44°N 1.09°E

rouen

Timbered lanes, Monet's cathedral façade and Joan of Arc's story in Normandy.

Best time
May to September is best for walking and evenings by the Seine. Rain can come any time; November to February is short, damp and grey, so lean on the museums.
How long
1–2 days
Getting there
Fly direct to Paris on Malaysia Airlines (about 13.5 hours), then a train from Saint-Lazare to Rouen Rive Droite (about 1 hour 15 minutes), a 10-minute walk downhill to the old centre. France is 6 hours behind KL in summer and 7 in winter.
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FR · Normandyrouen49.44°N 1.09°Egowherelah.com
Dear group chat,Timbered lanes, Monet's cathedral façade and Joan of Arc's story in Normandy.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingRouenFR, Normandy
KLrouen
≈ 10,504 km from KL, as the crow flies
Rouen

Photo: Herbert Frank from Wien (Vienna), AT · CC BY 2.0

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Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.

Rouen packs a Gothic cathedral, a giant gilded clock and streets of timbered houses into a walkable centre. Joan of Arc was tried and burned here, and her story runs through the town.

Makan

  1. Normandy apple tartThin apples on buttery pastry, in every bakery.Map ↗
  2. NeufchâtelA soft Normandy cheese, often shaped like a heart.Map ↗
  3. Sucre de pommeRouen's old-fashioned apple candy sticks, wrapped in paper.Map ↗

Things to do

  1. Rouen CathedralThe lacy Gothic front Monet painted more than 30 times, in every kind of light.Map ↗
  2. Gros-HorlogeA gilded Renaissance clock built into an arch over the old shopping street.Map ↗
  3. Place du Vieux-MarchéThe square where Joan of Arc was burned in 1431, now with a swooping modern church in her name.Map ↗
  4. Historial Jeanne d'ArcA museum in the archbishop's palace that tells her story through her trial.Map ↗
  5. Saint-Maclou quarterTimbered houses around a Gothic church and the Aître Saint-Maclou, an old plague cemetery with carved skulls on its beams.Map ↗

Good to know

  • Norman cooking goes heavy on cream, cider and Calvados. Turkish and North African places are the easy halal option.
  • The Gros-Horloge street is busiest at midday; the Saint-Maclou lanes are best early.

Last checked October 2026. Things change, so check opening times, fees and transport before you go.