Discovering Rouen: A Day Trip Adventure in Normandy
- Anne Lam Music
- May 27
- 3 min read
Updated: Jun 1
Last week, I went to Paris, France for about a week, but decided to also fit in a day trip to Rouen, Normandy. It was my first time there, and it really gave me the WOW factor that I was looking for on this trip. So, here’s everything I did and saw during my day in Rouen.
First, let’s talk about getting to Rouen from Paris. I had booked round-trip train tickets on SNCF Connect ahead of time, which was a fairly straightforward process. The morning of my day trip to Rouen, I made my way to the Saint-Lazare station after getting some breakfast at a boulangerie near my hotel, and waited to board the train. The train ride to Rouen only took about an hour and 15 minutes, making this destination a very easy day trip from Paris.
After getting off the train at Rouen, I slowly walked over to Place du Vieux-Marché, which is the historical and very picturesque old city of Rouen. This is where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in the 1400s. If you are interested in learning more about the history, I highly recommend you book this audio-guided city and Joan of Arc tour. The first thing I noticed when I got to the old city, was the style of the buildings. I have always LOVED this kind of Medieval-style aesthetic. I find it so full of charm.
Walking through the old city, it didn’t take me long at all to find the Gros-Horloge, which was ABSOLUTELY STUNNING! This clock dates back to the 14th century, and its mechanism, which was made in the 1380s, is one of the oldest in France. Its Renaissance arch is also something to marvel at. You can climb the tower and look at the view, and also visit the museum in the building. If you plan on doing this, make sure you check the opening hours before your visit.
From the Gros-Horloge, I next walked over to the Notre-Dame Cathedral of Rouen. Entry to this cathedral is free. The Gothic-style exterior is jaw-dropping, and I can definitely see why Monet was inspired by this cathedral in several of his paintings. None of the pictures or videos I took really do it justice. It’s absolutely worth it to see this in person for yourself. The level of detail is truly extraordinary. If you visit in the summer, you can also catch a Luminiscence light show. I attended one of these light shows in Montréal, and I can only imagine how amazing it would be in the Notre-Dame Cathedral of Rouen.
I stopped for lunch at a restaurant called L’incontournable. Since I wasn’t terribly hungry, I decided just to get one dish. I ordered the mackerel, which did not disappoint in the slightest. However, I do understand that it might not be for everyone.
After lunch, I headed over to the Aitre Saint-Maclou, which is an ossuary and also one of the last cemeteries with galleries in France. This cemetery houses victims of the Black Plague that widely affected Europe in the 14th century. In the courtyard, you can also find pillars where there are figures depicted performing the dance of death (Danse Macabre), which symbolizes the inevitability of death, regardless of age or social status.
Of course, I couldn’t leave Rouen without buying something. There were SO many shops in the old city! I find a cool shop named Le Comptoir de Mathilde that sold a variety of chocolates, teas, mustards, and pastes. One of the ladies working there offered me a hazelnut chocolate sample, which was very good! However, I was feeling something more savoury than sweet, and so I ended up getting their mustard with flavoured black truffle.
After walking around a little more, it was time for me to hop on the return train back to Paris. Overall though, I really enjoyed exploring the old city of Rouen. It far exceeded my expectations, frankly speaking. I'm so glad that I decided to take a day trip here!
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