This northern French city is filled with history and culture. Home to some of the country’s most beautiful architecture, Rouen was able to maintain the aesthetic beautyin it’s over 2000 classically framed houses.

The gothic Basilika Saint-Quen is a must see with its beautiful design and Aristide Cavaillé-Colls’s largest organ. Inspired by Monet in one of his paintings, this breathtaking cathedral still has its 80 original stained glass windows which line the walls of its three levels.

Acting as not just a tourist information center but also one of the city’s oldest buildings, the city tourist office is the oldest Renaissance building in town dating back to the early 16th century!

Be sure to pay a visit to the Place de Vieux Marché which was built to honor the French saint Jeanne d’Arc. If you want to get an in depth taste of the history of the region and this church, then take the ‘Tour Jeanne d’Arc’. This will take you through the castle that was built in 1200 and provide a tasteful view into that time period.

Another architectural must see is the Saint-Maclou which is a monument to the building styles of that time. Be sure to note the churches grand entrance which is typical of that era.

The French author Fustave Flaubert was born in Rouen and is most known for his scandalous novel Madam Bovary. His house, which is now a museum, can be visited in Rue Lecat where you can find great insight into his life as a writer. Both Flaubert’s brother and father were doctors in the 19th century and the museum also hosts a great exhibit on medicine during that century.

Rouen did not go unscathed by the black plague and this is very noticeable when visiting the city’s cemetery where nearly three fourths of its population was buried when the Black Death swept through the city. The building adjacent to the cemetery is now home to the local art school however keeps an interesting element of the bubonic plague. Note the skeleton of a cat found in the walls when walking through the building’s main entrance.

For a top quality meal, however very expensive, visit one of the many restaurants in Vieux Marchén.