10 Best Sights in Rouen, Normandy

Next to the imposing neoclassical City Hall, this stupendous example of high Gothic architecture is noted for its stained glass windows, dating from the 14th to 16th centuries. They are the most spectacular grace notes of the spare interior, along with the 19th-century pipe organ, and are among the finest in France.

This former ossuary (a charnel house used for the bodies of plague victims) is a reminder of the \"Black Death\" that devastated Europe during the Middle Ages. French composer Camille Saint-Saëns (1835–1921) is said to have been inspired by the ossuary when he was working on his Danse Macabre. The half-timber courtyard—where you can wander at leisure, see an art exhibition, and perhaps grab a coffee at the café—contains graphic carvings of skulls, bones, and gravediggers' tools.

Even in the so-called City of 100 Spires, the one crowning this cathedral stands out. Erected in 1876, it’s the highest in France—a cast-iron tour de force rising 490 feet above the crossing. The original 12th-century construction was replaced after a devastating fire in 1200; only the left-hand spire, the Tour St-Romain (St. Romanus Tower), survived the flames. Construction on the imposing 250-foot steeple on the right, known as the Tour de Beurre (Butter Tower), was begun in the 15th century and completed in the 17th, when a group of wealthy citizens donated large sums of money for the privilege of continuing to eat butter during Lent. Interior highlights include the 13th-century choir, with its pointed arcades; vibrant stained glass depicting the crucified Christ (restored after heavy damage during World War II); and massive stone columns topped by some intriguing carved faces. The first flight of the famous Escalier de la Librairie (Library Stairway), attributed to Guillaume Pontifs (also responsible for most of the 15th-century work seen in the cathedral), rises from a tiny balcony just to the left of the transept.

A late-Gothic masterpiece, this church sits across Rue de la République behind the cathedral and bears testimony to the wild excesses of Flamboyant architecture. Take time to examine the central and left-hand portals of the main facade, covered with little bronze lion heads and pagan engravings. Inside, note the 16th-century organ, with its Renaissance wood carving, and the fine marble columns. Recent renovations revealed the beauty of the church's stone filigree.

Dedicated to Joan of Arc, this church was built in 1979 on the spot where she was burned to death in 1431. The aesthetic merit of its odd cement-and-wood design is debatable—the shape of the roof is supposed to symbolize the flames of Joan's fire. Not all is new, however: the church showcases some remarkable 16th-century stained-glass windows taken from the former Église St-Vincent, bombed out in 1944.

The name of the pedestrian rue du Gros-Horloge, Rouen's most popular street, comes from the Gros-Horloge itself, a giant Renaissance clock. In 1527 the Rouennais had a splendid arch built especially for it, and today its golden face looks out over the street. Inside the monument, you can see the clock's inner workings from the 15th-century belfry; audio guides are available in eight languages, with a special Alice in Wonderland–themed guide (in English and French) for kids 6–12. Though the street below is crammed with stores, a few old houses dating to the 16th century remain. Wander through the surrounding Vieux Rouen (Old Rouen), a warren of tiny streets lined with more than 700 half-timber houses, many artfully transformed into fashionable shops.

This popular attraction tells the story of Joan of Arc in well-translated videos. As visitors tour the Archbishop's Palace, they follow in Joan's footsteps—she was condemned to death here in 1431 and pardoned posthumously in 1456 following a trial on the second floor.

A superb array of local pottery and European porcelain can be admired at this museum, housed in an elegant mansion near the Musée des Beaux-Arts.

One of Rouen's cultural mainstays, this museum is famed for its stellar collection of paintings and sculptures from the 16th to the 20th century, including works by native son Géricault as well as by David, Rubens, Caravaggio, Velázquez, Poussin, Delacroix, Degas, and Modigliani. Most popular of all, however, is the impressive Impressionist gallery, with Monet, Renoir, and Sisley, plus the Postimpressionist School of Rouen headed by Albert Lebourg and Gustave Loiseau.

Not far from the Musée des Beaux-Arts, this museum claims to have the world's finest collection of wrought iron, with exhibits spanning the 4th through 19th centuries. The displays, imaginatively housed in a converted medieval church, include the professional instruments of surgeons, barbers, carpenters, clockmakers, and gardeners.