Notre-Dame Cathedral, Monet’s inspiration
Façade carved like lace, cast-iron spire rising to 151 metres: Rouen’s Notre-Dame Cathedral was painted over thirty times by Claude Monet, moved by its shifting light. From the square opposite, the spectacle changes at every hour. A coffee shared on a terrace, at nave level, is a lovely excuse to open a deeper conversation.
The Gros-Horloge and Rue Saint-Romain
The pedestrian Rue du Gros-Horloge lines up superb half-timbered houses beneath the arch of the Gros-Horloge, one of Europe’s oldest astronomical clocks. You can climb its belfry for a clear view over the roofs. Further along, the narrow, cobbled Rue Saint-Romain runs beside the cathedral and houses antique and porcelain shops: a perfect route for a first date.
Aître Saint-Maclou and Place du Vieux-Marché
The Aître Saint-Maclou, a 16th-century former charnel-house courtyard, is unique in Europe: wooden galleries carved with danses macabres, a quiet, peaceful courtyard. A little further, Place du Vieux-Marché, where Joan of Arc was burned, is arranged around a contemporary church with a striking roof. On Lyad, members from Rouen share their favourite lanes; it is up to you to find someone to get lost in them with.
Date ideas
- Notre-Dame Cathedral
- Gros-Horloge
- Rue Saint-Romain
- Aître Saint-Maclou
- Place du Vieux-Marché
- Sainte-Jeanne-d’Arc Church
- Rue Eau-de-Robec
