Visit Rouen, France- The Capital of Normandy

Rouen is known for its Rouen Cathedral. The cathedral's gothic front, was the subject of a series of paintings by the Impressionist painter Claude Monet, who painted the same scene at different times of the day.

Some of those paintings are exhibited in the Musée d'Orsay in Paris. The interior is packed with religious and artistic points of interest.

The archbishop's palace and further Gothic buildings attached to the cathedral have also survived, add to the fascination of this historic quarter.

Other famous structures include The Gros Horloge, an astronomical clock dating back to the 14th century. This massive clock tower makes one of the most remarkable sights in Rouen.

Palais de Justice is a wonderful Gothic building and one of the finest, most important expressions of civic architecture of the Middle Ages in France and was once the seat of the Parliament of Normandy.

the Church of Saint Ouen a Gothic church on the scale of a cathedral, appreciate some fine stained-glass windows, the organ and the choir screen.

The Gothic Church of St Maclou, a Flamboyant Gothic architecture that rises just behind the cathedral. The church stands in one of the most beautiful historic quarters of Rouen.

The Musée de la Céramique recalls the fact that Rouen produced some of the finest ceramics and porcelain in France for which Rouen was renowned during the 16th to 18th centuries.

Musée des Beaux-Arts. This major fine arts museum is one of the best in France. Its fabulous works by Impressionists such as Monet, Renoir, Sisley and Degas

The imposing tower, Tour Jeanne d'Arc, is all that remains of the mighty castle French king Philippe Auguste had built in Rouen after he had booted Plantagenet King John of England out of France at the start of the 13th century.

In the center of the Place du Vieux Marché is the modern church of St Joan of Arc. This is a large, modern structure which dominates the square where Joan of Arc was burnt at the stake.

Maison Sublime. Excavations at the Palais de Justice in the 1970s revealed the remnants of the oldest Jewish building known in France, dating back to the middle Ages. The vestiges, in Romanesque style, are the only example of a medieval rabbinic school remaining in Europe.

Rouen is also noted for its surviving half-timbered buildings.

Increasing numbers of initiatives have been put in place to open up the riverbanks more to visitors. Parks and gardens have recently been created along the south bank, whilst on the other side of the river, bars, restaurants and nightclubs line the quayside. The Jardin des Plantes de Rouen is a notable botanical garden.