This itinerary invites you to discover Rouen, the capital of Normandy and a source of inspiration for many Impressionists such as Monet, Pissarro, and Sisley, whose works you can admire at the Museum of Fine Arts. Follow in the footsteps of these artists, stroll through the city's charming streets, and discover the program for the sixth edition of the Normandy Impressionist Festival. Rouen is also renowned for its gastronomy; it is the only city in France to have received the title of "Creative City" awarded by UNESCO.
Day 1
If you're visiting Rouen in July or August, start your tour at the train station where, as part of the Normandy Impressionist Festival, you can discover Jacques Perconte. The Rouen train station building is constructed in the eclectic Art Nouveau style and has been listed as a historical monument since 1975.
Discover the free permanent exhibitions at the Museum of Fine Arts, featuring a considerable collection of Impressionist paintings, including part of Claude Monet's Rouen Cathedral series. The museum also houses the exhibition " Under the Rain: Painting, Living and Dreaming," which presents 150 works inviting reflection on the representation of rain from the late 18th century to today's climate challenges.
DRIFT, Meadow Superblue Miami, 2021 ©Oriol Tarridas
Next, head to the former Sainte-Croix-des-Pelletiers church to discover an immersive creation of luminous mechanical flowers by Studio DRIFT, Meadow, a hanging garden.
Day 2
Take a stroll through the historic center of Rouen, passing by the Place du Vieux-Marché with the Sainte-Jeanne-d'Arc church, the Gros Horloge or the Saint-Maclou church.
Visit the Photographic Centre for the exhibition "From Nature" by Sarah Moon. Discover the Aître Saint-Maclou; built in 1526, this former cemetery is now the venue for the exhibition of Janaina Tschäpe, an artist creating paintings where outlines dissolve and colours seem to be in motion.
Janaina Tschäpe Hiding spot for fireflies, 2024
End the day in front of Rouen Cathedral, immortalized several times in Monet's paintings, to admire the dynamic and colorful world of Mika Ninagawa on the facade with the projection Cathedral of Light: Wild Blossom.
Day 3
On foot or by public transport, cross the Seine on the left bank and head to the FRAC for an exhibition The sunflower is the flower of the Roma by Ceija Stojka, an Austrian Roma and self-taught artist whose paintings are intimately linked to her personal history.
Next, let yourself be captivated by an afternoon at the Jardin des Plantes, an iconic place Monet frequented both for pleasure and to acquire plants for his garden at Giverny. To extend this immersion in nature, at the Roseraie de Grand-Quevilly, you can see an open-air exhibition of photographs by Mika Ninagawa.
©️Mika Ninagawa, Courtesy of Tomio Koyama Gallery
To go further, head to the Maison Papier – Centre hospitalier du Rouvray for a monographic exhibition by Gwenn Mérel which invites you to explore landscapes through her textile and drawn works.
