Rouen (76 Seine Maritime, Normandie) celebrates the French heroine Joan of Arc with its medieval Joan of Arc Festival (Les Fêtes médiévales et Jeanne d’arc) 9 – 11 May 2024. With parades, medieval market, troubadours, birds of prey etc – see www.visiterouen.com/
The Cathedral de Notre Dame in Rouen, famously painted by Claude Monet, is illuminated at night Cathédrale de Lumière 30 June – 16 September 2023 – see www.rouentourisme.com
ROUEN, – AWARDED ‘UNESCO CITY OF GASTRONOMY’ STATUS
Alongside 48 other cities around the world, Rouen was named ‘UNESCO City of Gastronomy’ in November 2021. It is the first city in France to be recognised for its creativity in the field of gastronomy, as well as progress in sustainable urban development. With its medieval city centre, numerous museums and glorious cathedral painted time and time again by Claude Monet, Rouen has long attracted tourists. But it’s also famous for its culinary heritage, great chefs, Michelin-starred restaurants, and local culinary specialities such as Rouen-style duck. It was in Rouen at La Couronne, the oldest Inn in France, that famous American cook Julia Child had her first French dish and fell in love with French cuisine. More recently, ‘Papa Risotto’ was named France’s best new fast food restaurant, and you’ll even find a shop dedicated entirely to raclette! Of course, Normandy is also world famous for its cheeses and cider, Calvados and seafood, dairy products and ‘Tarte Normande’ apple tart.
14- 15 October 2023 the city of Rouen celebrates Normandy’s food and gastronomy with the Fête du Ventre (Festival of the Stomach) in the Old Market quarter of the city with more than 180 producers of fruit(apples) and vegetables, cheeses, dairy, chocolates, pastries , alcoholic beverages and more…. – see www.rouentourisme.com
ROUEN – Joan of Arc Museum
A new museum opened in Rouen (76 Seine Maritime, Normandie) in 2015 dedicated to the life of that iconic French heroine Joan of Arc: Historial Jeanne d’Arc 7, rue Saint-Romain, 76000 Rouen
Rouen was where Jeanne d’Arc was tried by the English and then burned at the stake in 1431 It was also where a later trial by the French exonerated her posthumously and eventually beatified and canonized her (in 1920). She is one of the patron saints of France.
In Rouen, the memory of Joan of Arc lingers in the patrimony and landscape – the old Market Place, the Keep where she was threatened with torture and the archiepiscopal complex where some of the hearings of her trial were held.
It is perhaps Orléans (45 Loiret,Centre) which has a prior claim on her – she is known as “The Maid of Orléans”, as it was there that she played a major role in lifting the siege of the city of Orléans and ultimately to the restoration of the French King Charles VII.
Reims (51 Marne, Champagne-Ardenne) is another city with links to the Maid – being the place where Charles VII was crowned.
Historial Jeanne d’Arc 7, rue Saint-Romain, 76000 Rouen
Every 5 years there is a fabulous Tall Ships Armada in Rouen (next in 2023!)
Brittany Ferries offers routes from Portsmouth to Le Havre (about 50 miles by car or 50 minutes by train) and Caen (about 85 miles by car) or
DFDS goes from Newhaven to Dieppe (about 40 miles by car, or 50 minutes by train)
Holiday accommodation in Rouen including hotels, B&B and self-catering including the very central Mercure Hotel Cathedrale right by the Cathedral
by train to Rouen 
see our Top 30 vineyard B&Bs in France
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