A cultural seminar in Rouen

The historic capital of Normandy, Rouen has managed to combine the treasures of the past with modernity… Classified as a “City of Art and History”, Rouen impresses with the vestiges of its medieval past and the spires of the Notre-Dame cathedral, which the impressionist painter Claude Monet depicted… some thirty times!

A multi-faceted city, Rouen can be discovered by strolling through its cobbled streets. Its unique heritage can be discovered in the historic centre, on the right bank of  the Seine.

Rouen is a great place to amble around, gazing up to admire its many remarkable buildings: timber-framed houses, the  Saint-Ouen abbey church, the Palace of Justice, the Notre-Dame cathedral, or the Sainte-Jeanne d’Arc church—much more recent since it dates from the 1970s—built on the very square where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake. In Rouen, it is pleasant to sit on a terrace and imagine yourself in another time.

Getting there

Train, bus, plane, car… Rouen is accessible by all means of transport. The city is about two hours from Paris and its Orly and Charles de Gaulle airports, from which it is possible to book shuttles to Rouen. And for those who prefer to minimize their carbon footprint, Rouen is just 90 minutes from Paris by train!

The Accor network in Rouen

With 11 locations today, soon to be increased to 13, the Accor network offers a wide range of hotels and prices. In the midscale range, Accor offers one Novotel, one Novotel Suites, and three Mercure hotels. For tighter budgets, there are three ibis, two ibis Styles, and three ibis budget hotels.

An Adagio Access, a Novotel, and a Tribe hotel will be added to the Accor offer in Rouen in the coming months.

Reasons to opt for Rouen

Freshly arrived, we suggest you make a first stop at the musée des Beaux-Arts, the city’s Museum of Fine Arts. With so much on display, it is difficult to see all the collections, but if you have to choose, we recommend the Depeaux Gallery, the second largest collection of Impressionist works in France, after the Musée d’Orsay in Paris.

After taking in masterpieces by Claude Monet or Camille Pissaro, head for the pedestrianised streets in the city centre, as far as rue Saint-Romain. Located alongside the Cathedral, it has been home to the Historial Jeanne d’Arc since 2015, the largest site dedicated to the memory of that key figure from the city’s history.

Afterwards, enjoy the many lively squares and terraces in the historic heart of this Norman city. After lunch, discover another facet of the city by walking along the quays of the Seine and admiring the industrial architecture there.

A popular spot for the city’s residents, the quays of the Seine are perfect for a long walk between old warehouses converted into gyms, restaurants, or cafés. There too, you will see the cruise ships and barges that ply the Seine.

And if you want to give your teams an exceptional experience, remember that Rouen’s quays are visited by the most beautiful and largest sailing ships in the world for a few days approximately every four years, during the great Armada… Save the date!