Rouen, Normandy

Rouen – a Day Trip

During our “vacation” we made a day trip to Rouen last week, the capital of Normandy.  The weather in late October was not at its kindest – trust us to chose the dampest day of the week – but we were still blown away by the beauty of the old town centre.

We parked in the car park of “le Vieux Tour” which is just a minute’s walk away from the Cathedral and the Rouen Tourist Office, which we caught before it closed for lunch.  We hired a couple of audio-guide handsets and set off to explore the town – the video shows some of the sights we saw along the way.  If this is your first visit to Rouen we recommend the audio tour as it is clear, concise and comes with one of the clearest route maps we’ve seen for visits of this type.

Video of Rouen Town Centre Walk

Route of the Audio Guide Visit to Rouen

Rouen’s Famous Sites

Rouen is justly famed for the magnificent Notre Dame Cathedral, which was the subject of over thirty paintings by Claude Monet – he secretly hid in lodgings above a ladies lingerie shop in the cathedral square in order to have the best view of the main façade of the Cathedral.  The shop in question, formerly the House of the Exchequer, has an ornate facade and now houses the Rouen Tourist Office.

Rouen Cathedral

Outside, Rouen cathedral walls are smothered in fine stone sculptures, and the astonishing cathedral spire is the highest in France at over 150 metres tall. The interior of the cathedral is remarkably airy and light, the soaring spaces of the nave pierced by windows and arcades on four levels -the dimensions are truly stunning.  The cathedral choir houses the tomb of  Duke Rollon and another containing the heart of Richard the Lionheart, King of England and Duke of Normandy.  The zig-zag stone staircase near the doorway to the library courtyard is wonderfully, ornately decorated.

Wandering medieval streets from the cathedral took us past tempting antique and art shops in the Rue Saint-Romain and into the Quartier Saint Maclou.  Three-quarters of the population of the Saint Maclou quarter were wiped out by the Plague of 1348. Near the flamboyant Gothic church of Saint Maclou is the necropolis of the Aître Saint Maclou, a macabre courtyard, formerly an ossuary where the bones of plague victims were stacked.  The black timberwork and gory carvings of skulls, bones and gravediggers tools are an unforgettable sight; a window at the entrance to the courtyard displays the mummified remains of a medieval cat that was found in the wall there – presumably as a charm against evil spirits.

Aître St Maclou Ossuary, Rouen

Passing more timber-framed medieval buildings, we came to the Abbey Church of Saint-Ouen.  The exterior was undergoing some restoration work but inside, the stained glass windows were stunning, even in watery sunlight.

In the Rue des Juifs we saw the fabulous former Parliament of Normandy, now the Palais de Justice.  Built mainly between 1300 and 1600, the buildings are adorned with superb stone carvings which have recently been restored to their former glory.

Normandy Parliament Building, Rouen - Detail

In the Place du Vieux Marché we saw the spot where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake following her trial and imprisonment in Rouen.  Nearby a museum beneath the Church of Joan of Arc houses a museum with over 50 waxworks tracing the story of the Maid of Orléans.  The Church is a large, modern structure which dominates the square, its unusual angular form representing the pyre on which Joan of Arc was burnt.  Every year a weekend festival commemorates the trial and execution of Saint Joan at Rouen.

Joan of Arc - Burnt at the Stake in Place du Vieux Marché, Rouen

Not included in the audio-guide itinerary, but a short way off in the direction of the railway station, in the rue du Donjon, is the Tour Jeanne d’Arc, where Joan of Arc was brought in 1431 to be threatened with torture.  Contrary to popular belief, she was imprisoned not in the tower but in a different part of the castle, of which this tower used to be a part.

The Museum of Fine Arts and Ceramics in the adjoining rue Morand contains a splendid collection of faïence and decorative porcelain, for which Rouen was renowned during the 16th to 18th centuries.  There are many shops in the old town selling decorative Rouen faïence to this day.

In the same quarter is the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Rouen, an art museum with pictures of famous artists including Claude Monet, Sisley, Velazquez and Géricault.  It includes examples of the Monet cathedral series.

Another museum in the Tour Jeanne d’Arc sector of the town, which unfortunately we did not visit (we hope to do so soon) is Le Secq des Tournelles, or Wrought Ironwork Museum.  We’ve got a thing about decorative ironwork (yes, weird) but only found out about this place when we got home and read some of the brochures from the Rouen Tourist Office.

Continuing our audio-guide walk from the Place du Vieux Marché we passed by the Hôtel de Bourgtheroulde; according to the guide this is a “magnificent town house” (now a luxury hotel) whose courtyard contains “two sculptures of inestimable artisitc and historic value, the Triumphs of Petrarch and the Field of the Cloth of Gold”.  We could not see these as the building is shrouded in scaffolding and does not reopen until spring 2010.

Rouen Gros Horloge

Heading back towards the Tourist Office we passed beneath the Gros Horloge, an astronomical clock whose present day features date back to the16th century but whose movement is even older (1389).  We plan to return to see the interior, a guided tour of which takes 40 minutes and is said to take in superb views over the old town from the top of the adjoining bell tower.

Practical Information

Tourist Office

Place de la Cathédrale
Rouen
Tel. 02 43 33 28 04

www.rouentourisme.com

Hours:
May to September Mon-Sat 9am to 7pm, Sunday 9.30am to 12.30pm and 2pm to 6pm

October to April Mon-Sat 9.30am to 12.30pm and 1.30pm to 6pm, closed Sunday except special events

Access to Rouen:

Rouen is 1 hour 45 minutes (180km) north of our Bed & Breakfast Accommodation in Lower Normandy

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Sainte Suzanne, Mayenne, Pays de la Loire

Medieval town of Sainte-Suzanne in the Mayenne

The wonderful little town of Sainte-Suzanne was brought to our attention over a year ago by some French guests who came across it whilst staying at our bed & breakfast – we were ashamed to confess that we had never heard of it, despite the fact it is only about 50km from us in the Mayenne (adjoining department in the Pays de la Loire).

It has taken us another year to actually visit it, which we did in mid-October – and now we wish we had done so earlier.  This fortified “cité médiévale” in the region known as “les Coëvrons” really is deserving of that old cliché “hidden treasure”.   Sainte Suzanne is wonderfully picturesque without being twee, well cared for, characterful and perched atop a rocky promontory  dominating the valley of the river Erve, 250 feet below.

Slideshow of Visit to Sainte Suzanne

History of Sainte-Suzanne

It is not difficult to see why this spot was chosen to build a major fortress, as its position gives it both natural defences and wide views over the surrounding countryside. Accordingly, the town of Sainte Suzanne has a rich military history.

Sainte-Suzanne Château

The castle keep (donjon) was built in the 11th century and Sainte Suzanne boasts it was the only town that successfully resisted an attack by William the Conqueror, who laid siege to it from 1083 to 1087.  During the prolonged siege, William built a huge military camp on the outskirts of the town, possibly taking advantage of an earlier Gallo-Roman earthworks; a reconstruction is on view in the town museum and the amazingly well-preserved remains can be seen at the site known as Camp de Beugy, 800m north of the town on the road to Assé-le-Bérenger.  It is also known as the “Camp des Anglais” -  King William and his army were regarded by this time as English, not Norman.

The town of Sainte-Suzanne remained impervious to attackers for another three centuries, until during the 100 Years War the castle fell into English hands for 14 years before being re-taken by the French Lord of Bueil.  From the 17th century onwards the town’s prosperity grew and in the eighteenth century it became an administrative centre for the region.  The city underwent another economic surge thanks to numerous paper, flour, wool and tanning mills powered by the river Erve and by the mid-19th century it had over 1 800 inhabitants; it returned to a primarily agricultural economy in the 20th century.

Visit Sainte-Suzanne

An audio-guide of Sainte Suzanne can be hired from the museum inside the château – the cost is a very reasonable 2€ per headset.

The castle ramparts and 11th century keep are open to the public free of charge;  entry to the logis (residence of the early 17th century) is 4€ for adults.  We found it very interesting, with some super models, religious artefacts, “son et lumière” and interactive displays in both French and English, themed on the history and development of the Mayenne. Opening hours:

• October to end of April : 09h30 to 12h30 and 13h30 to 17h30 daily except Monday
• May to September : 09h00 to 18h00 daily

Inside the town itself you can get a town map from the Tourist Office. Oddly, the Tourist office does not rent out the audio-guide.  Opening hours:

• October to Easter Mon – Sat 14h00 to 17h30
• Easter to September Mon – Sat 9h00 to 12h30 and 14h00 to 18h00, Sunday 14h00 to 18h00
• Public Holidays 10h00 to 12h30 and 14h00 to 18h00

Tel. : 02.43.01.43.60

Museum of the Auditoire

This was closed at the time of our visit in mid-October. Opening hours:

• April, May June and September: Saturday and Sunday 14h00 to 18h00
• July and August : daily 14h00 to 18h00

Other Sights near Sainte-Suzanne

There are signposted walks and cycle routes to explore the valleys round about the town. The walk up to the Tertre Ganne takes you to a superb vantage point on the hill opposite the town, and a great place for a picnic.

Sainte Suzanne from the Tertre Ganne

There are also guided walks, including one that sounds interesting – it explores the various watermills along the Erve.  Starts at the museum in the town at 2.45pm each Sunday from March to November.  We took a walk along part of the river unguided.

Mills along the River Erve

The “Camp des Anglais” is is 1 km away on the road to Assé le Béranger and is the site where William the Conqueror constructed a fortress during the siege of Sainte-Suzanne.  Also marked as “Camp de Beugy”,  the earthworks and defensive ditches are well preserved, and you can explore them on foot.

Camp de Beugy (Camp des Anglais)

Camp de Beugy

The “Dolmen des Erves” is 3 km away on the same road to Assé le Béranger.  This is the earliest proof of people living in this region and dates to 4500 BC.

Dolmen des Erves

“La Ferte-Clairbois” near Sainte-Suzanne is a reconstruction of a wooden medieval fort with towers, keep, drawbridge, and so on; Sundays from Easter to October it stages a storming of the “castle”, jousting and sword fighting. A “medieval banquet” can be taken by reservation in a nearby auberge (ask at the Tourist Office in Sainte Suzanne).

La Ferte-Clairbois

How to get there, where to stay near Sainte-Suzanne

Sainte-Suzanne is 55km (c. 50 minutes) away from our B&B on the Normandy-Pays de Loire border, driving via Sillé-le-Guillaume.

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Alençon – one of Lower Normandy’s best secrets

Shhhhhhh! Keep it quiet – for Alençon in Lower Normandy is barely known to foreign tourists, yet it is a delight for those who enjoy getting away from the usual tourist traps to see a bit of  “real” France: a little gem in Lower Normandy untainted by tacky tourist shops, but justly proud of its rich history, architecture, produce and traditions.

Many a motor sport fan passes Alençon en route to the Le Mans 24 Hours or the GP Motor Bike races, just 25 miles to the south of Alençon, but all that most of them see is the frankly boring and uninspiring Route Nationale (was the N138, now the D338) which bypasses the real town centre with its architecture dating from the Middle Ages to the 19th century.

Pity for them, because Alençon is a super little Normandy town still unspoilt by tourism, but with much to offer the discerning traveller. Our kind of place!!!

Nowadays Alençon is the capital of the Orne department in Lower Normandy: a small town of 30,000 inhabitants it retains many medieval buildings, as it was largely untouched by Allied bombing in the 2nd World War and was abandoned by the Germans before the Allied forces (under the French General Leclerc) arrived to liberate it in August 1943.

Being at the southern extremity of Normandy and away from the coast, the climate of the Pays d’Alençon is drier and warmer than that of the Normandy coast – in fact, Alençon is only a mile from the border with the Pays de la Loire, the region south of Normandy. The winters, however, are on average a few degrees colder than on the Normandy coast.

In the Middle Ages Alençon was the centre of power in western France for the Dukes of Alençon and until the late 19th century was famous for Alençon lace – justly recognised as the finest lace in the world, as well as the most expensive.  The Alençon Lace Museum/Musée des Beaux Arts has some excellent displays of lace making for those interested in Alençon lace.

This year the Alençon tourist office has initiated a tourist train which takes visitors around some of the main sights in the old town centre – our video is a compilation of sights along the train route and a few other photos that we have taken of Alençon at other times.

We took the train on Saturday 15th August, the Feast of the Assumption, which is a holiday – hence the town was very quiet.  However, we had an excellent cappucino each at the Café des Pietons before we took the train tour and the usual Saturday market in the town centre was well attended, as ever.

Our observations on the Alençon train tour:

1. The train is a good way to see the main sites and has a commentary in both English and French – price is just 3€ per person, excellent value.
2. Our driver was not the best in the world – as a result he did not synchronise the trip with the commentary. Ours was the last tour before lunch – ’nuff said, lunch is #1 priority for most French!
3. The trip was advertised at 45 minutes – when we took it it took 25 minutes – see (2) above!
4. Take the train if you’re in a hurry, otherwise do the circuit on foot – you can hire an audioguide (in English or French) from the tourist office for 3€, same price as the train trip, and have a better view of the sites along the route at your own pace.
5. The commentary provided on the audioguide can also be downloaded for free – but only in French – from this site http://www.audiovisit.com/.

Practical Information:

In 2009 the tourist train runs daily from 10th July until 13th September.

Tickets for the Alençon Tourist Train can be bought from the Tourist Office – not on the train itself.

The Tourist Office is located in the Maison d’Ozé, through the arch at the rear of the Place de la Magdelaine next to the Church of Notre Dame in the old Alençon town centre.  Telephone 02 33 80 66 33.

Departure point is Place Magdeleine near the Alençon Tourist Office EXCEPT for market days (Thursdays all day and Saturday mornings) when the train departs rue Saint Blaise, in front of the Renaissance restaurant (2-3 minutes on foot from the Alençon Tourist Office).

Train Times:

• 10h30
• 11h30

• 14h00
• 15h00
• 16h00
• 17h00
• 18h00

Market Days

The BIG market occupies both squares and side streets around the Alençon  Tourist Office on Thursdays; a smaller, but also very good, food and produce market takes place on Saturday mornings in the Place Magdeleine on the Grande Rue side of the Alençon Tourist Office, next to the Eglise Notre Dame.

Alençon town centre is 10 minutes from our B&B in Lower Normandy.

There is plenty of free parking in Place Foch, next to the Palais de Justice and Hotel de Ville (Town Hall). Elsewhere there  is lots of cheap pay-and-display parking in Alençon town centre.

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Bourg-le-Roi Medieval Fair

Bourg-le-Roi

On the fourth Sunday of June each year there is a medieval fair in the neighbouring village of Bourg-le-Roi, on the edge of the Alpes Mancelles, and just a couple of miles down the road from us.

This year the medieval fair falls on the 28th June and will feature dozens of craft and art stalls, jousting displays, a “medieval meal” and entertainment at midday, snack and drinks bars, jugglers, falconry displays, an archery stall, medieval music and more in the same theme.

Bourg le Roi is first documented as a dependance of the Le Mans monastery in 1154.  It was developed as a fortified garrison town by King Henri II Plantagenêt, as it occupied a strategic point at a crossroads on the Maine (Anjou) and Normandy border.  Hence it’s name “Bourg le Roi”.

The “cité” is still surrounded for on two sides by the original medieval ramparts, and two granite gateways also survive – the gates of Saint-Rémy and Saint-Mathurin. The remains of the château fort are largely ruins but can be visited on the hilltop inside the cité walls. The tower, walls and ditch defences can clearly be seen.

The village itself is very pretty and retains much of its medieval character because it has never been allowed to expand and develop outside the ramparts; it is now listed as a national site of historical interest.

There is a super little bistro and bar called “Le Bistrot de l’Olivier” in the village centre. The bar is open most days but the bistrot opens only Friday to Sunday lunchtime (including Friday and Saturday evenings).

Down in the gardens near the pond by the “lavoir” (former public washouse) is a good spot to picnic.

Bourg le Roi also has an interesting little museum and workshop specialising in Point de Beauvais needlework. From the 19th century until the 1960′s this was the main industry of the village, with a workshop at one time employing 60 embroiderers.  The embroidery museum is open from June to end of September at weekends from 15h00 to 18h30, and the same hours additionally Wednesday to Friday in July and August, featuring Point de Beauvais embroidery demonstrations.

Bourg-le-Roi is within pleasant walking distance from our B&B in Lower Normandy.

Along the road from Ancinnes to Bourg le Roi you will pass the Manoir de Couesmes – of which more another time.

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Alpes Mancelles – Saint Céneri-le-Gerei

Saint Céneri in the Alpes Mancelles

Immediately west of us and south of Alençon is another beautiful region known as the “Alpes Mancelles”.

st ceneri

The main villages of the Alpes Mancelles, running north to south, are St Céneri-le-Gerei, St Léonard-des-Bois and Fresnay-sur-Sarthe.

Saint-Céneri-le-Gerei is listed as one of the most beautiful villages in France; for many years it has been a centre and source of inspiration for artists, painters and sculptors and there is an artisits’ exhibition centre there.  However, it is the picturesque setting and the attractive stone houses, located deep in a valley cut through hills by the Sarthe, that mainly attract visitors.

 

There are two car parks – the larger of these is down by the river, and there is a smaller one on the approach to the village from Moulins le Carbonel.  I’ll assume you’re parked down by the river – if not – adjust the itinerary!

St Ceneri Viewed from the Church (1)

Saint Ceneri Chapel

Miraculous Fountain of St Ceneri

Bee nest in the church wall

A Station of the Cross

St Ceneri viewed from the Church (2)

 Itinerary of Saint Céneri-le-Gerei

From the river car park, walk along the riverside to the Little Chapel of Saint Céneri.  This marks the spot where the saint made his original abode in the middle of a riverside meadow; the chapel was built on the same spot in the 14th/15th century.  On the other side of the river you will see the “miraculous Fontaine” of Saint Céneri.

The riverside walk is now lit up at night and makes for a magical evening stroll after a meal at the local restaurants (NB – try to reserve in advance, as the village can be very busy in summer).

From the chapel walk up the hill to the main church; if you walk around the church you’ll find a lovely view of the valley, village and bridge below. In the wall of the church is a bee hive which is supposed to have saved the village from invasion when the bees drove off the attackers in the middle ages!

Make sure you go in to the church where there are superbly forged modern stations of the cross and ancient frescoes – new art meets old in perfect harmony.

Continuing downhill, in the center of the village is the square where you’ll find a bar, restaurants, creperie and shops; downhill from there to the right is the Auberge des Peintres and an art gallery by the river.

Crossing over the bridge and uphill, you’ll find the second car park.

Uphill from the main square are the last vestiges of the castle and, if you carry on, the gardens of the Mansonière – well worth a visit in their own right (afternoons only).  See jardins-de-la-mansoniere for more details.

Les Jardins de la Mansonière are nine separate but linked gardens, each with its own theme. Last Saturday evening each month in summer there is a delightful candlelit walk followed by a musical concert in the gardens.

The Legend of Saint Céneri

St Céneri was born in Spoleto in Umbria between 620 and 625. Very young, and accompanied by his brother Céneré, he went to Rome to serve the Pope and entered the Benedictine order. Five years later, a vision directed him to move west. The two brothers crossed the Alps and, in 659, arrived at Saulges in the diocese of Le Mans.

Céneri left his brother at Saulges and carried on accompanied by a friend called Flavard.

On a summer day in 689, the two arrived at the edge of a river (the Sarthe) near a rocky promontory. They were exhausted and a thirsty Céneri prayed for fresh water. Miraculously, a spring flowed forth from the side of the ravine!

The pair want to cross the river, but it was in spate. Again Céneri prayed and the Sarthe stopped flowing, so Céneri & Flavard could now cross. Unfortunately, Flavard dropped Céneri’s prayer book, the river began to flow again and it was lost.  Nevertheless, Céneri decided he liked the look of this spot on the Sarthe, and he built a shelter to live there.

The story has it that his prayer book was found unharmed in the river some years later.

The reputation of Céneri grew, and followers gathered to follow his teachings. A community was established which soon had 140 Benedictine monks. Many pilgrims also flocked to see him.

In 669, Céneri began construction of a wooden church on top of the rocky promontory above his abode.  He died on 7 May 670 before the completion of the church but, according to his wish, it was given the name of “Saint Martin du Mont Rocheux”.  He is buried there.

In the 15th century little riverside Chapelle du Petit Saint-Céneri was built on the same location as Céneri’s original wooden house.

We’ll be adding more places to visit in Normandy and Pays de la Loire during the year, so keep reading! In the meantime, you’ll find a summary of places you might like to visit on our main B&B website Places to Visit in Lower Normandy and Upper Pays de la Loire.

All sites mentioned are within easy reach of our bed and breakfast accommodation http://normandie-chambres.co.uk

Access to St Céneri from the B&B:

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