More than one year after our first trip to Normandy and Bretagne in the springtime of 2017, we decided to go back to this region for a long summer weekend road trip to its capital Rouen and some beautiful villages in the countryside.
Rouen – old town
Rouen is a historical city with medieval roots and many architectural highlights among which its gothic and enormous cathedral.
Rouen – cathedral
Many other churches and ancient houses have stood the test of time very well and give space to beautiful squares and streets. Make sure you pass by Le Gros Horloge, a one-of-a-kind monument.
Rouen – Le Gros Horloge
The historical zone stretches far and we recommend to go completely north until the old train station Rouen-Rive-Droite in a beautiful art nouveau style.
Rouen – train station
Don’t forget to also go and have a look at the old bridge on the river Seine, which has very nice viewpoints towards all sides of Rouen.
Rouen – monument on Seine bridge
Close to Rouen you will find also very old villages, like Lyons-la-Forêt and Gerberoy. These are tyical, Normandic historical small towns, full of nostalgia and charm.
Gerberoy
On our way back to Belgium we made a last long stop to see the ruins of the Abbey of Jumièges. It was one of the oldest and most importants Benedictine monasteries and had a rich history before being destroyed in the nineteenth century, after the French Revolution. A sweep of medieval romance can still be felt walking through and around it.
Jumièges – ruins of the abbey