Rouen

(only 100 km west of Paris)

City of art and history, this large town, capital of Haute Normandie, is also a flourishing commercial city with a busy port. Already important during Gallo-Roman times, Rouen became part of the Kingdom of France in the 12th Century. Traces of the past are everywhere closely linked to the present and bring to the city its charm and life. 
Discover Normandy, the land of contrasts and history, where the sea and countryside live harmoniously. From Mont-Saint-Michel to Rouen cathedral, passing by the cliffs of Etretat, experience its treasures... 
L’Alliance Française de Rouen has been a partner of the Alliance Française in Australia for more than 10 years. Enriched by its experience, the Alliance Française de Rouen offers a very flexible programme for linguistic stays from one week to a year. Special programmes for High school students (from 16 years old), with registration in a French School, can be organised on request as well as group stays.

Website: www.alliance-francaise-rouen.asso.fr

To see in Rouen:

• Cathédrale de Notre-Dame : it is the embodiment of gothic works developed through several periods. Spend time taking in all the details of the exterior then come look at the beautiful stained glass that decorates the interior of the Cathedral.
  
  
• Eglise Saint-Maclou : it bears testimony to the wild excesses of Flamboyant architecture. Take time to examine the central and left-hand portals of the main façade. Inside, note the 16th-century organ, with its Renaissance wood carving, and the fine marble columns.
  
  
• Place du Vieux Marché : Joan of Arc was executed for heresy at the "Old Marketplace." Tied to a stake, she was burned on May 30, 1431. Her ashes were gathered and tossed into the Seine. A modern church with stained-glass windows from St-Vincent sits in the centre of a monumental complex in the square; beside it sits a bronze cross marking the position of St. Joan's stake.
  
  
• Musée Le Secq des Tournelles : itclaims to have the world's finest collection of wrought iron, with exhibits spanning from the 4th through 19th centuries.
  
  
• Rue du Gros-Horloge : now a pedestrian mall, the street was named after an ornate gilt Renaissance clock mounted on an arch, Rouen's most popular monument. The arch bridges the street and is connected to a Louis XV fountain with a bevy of cherubs and a bell tower.
  
  Source : www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g187191-Rouen_Haute_Normandie_Normandy-Vacations.html