Wander & Wonder Travel Newsletter

Hey StoryHunter

Smoke in the square.

A teenage girl tied to a stake.

Priests, soldiers and onlookers gathering as the fire is lit.

On 30 May 1431, Jeanne d’Arc was burned alive after a long trial in the French city Rouen.

She had become France’s greatest wartime heroine during the Hundred Years’ War, but because she claimed divine guidance, she was condemned for heresy.

Even though Rouen still carries the weight of that dramatic story, the city has even more drama to unfold - put it on your bucket list and discover traces of Vikings, Monet and the oldest dinner rituals in all of France.

Read on to learn about:

🔥 Stake of fire

🪓 Vikings in the church

🥘 Life-changing meals

Explore Rouen with the new StoryHunt app

Now you can get tailored tours anywhere in the world 🌍

We've launched the new StoryHunt app, and we're so excited for you to try it!

It has a lot more features, a cool interactive map, and everything you need to explore the world in a new, exciting way.

Destination of the Week

Rouen is a city of crooked timbered houses, diverse art, riverside lights and a historic centre packed with memories.

You’ll find one of France’s greatest cathedrals, Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Rouen, rising at the centre - a Gothic monument so striking that Claude Monet painted it again and again.

And the Musée des Beaux-Arts also weighs in with its massive collection spanning from the Renaissance to Impressionism.

And then there are quirky sights like the Gros-Horloge, which is a gigantic Renaissance clock – with only one hour hand.

I guess you don’t count the minutes in Rouen…

Don't Miss

If there is one place in Rouen, that truly captures the darkest memory, it’s Place du Vieux-Marché.

This is the square where Jeanne d’Arc was burned alive on 30 May 1431.

You can actually see a large cross that marks the site of the stake she was burned on.

Today, the square is no longer that grim in appearance – it’s actually lively, open and framed by cafés.

Nearby you’ll find the modern Church of Saint Joan of Arc, which was built on the site of her martyrdom and filled with beautiful Renaissance stained glass.

Did You Know?

Rouen has a serious Viking past.

The city is closely tied to Rollo, the Viking warlord who became the founder of Normandy.

He was actually buried in Rouen Cathedral (where you’ll also find the heart of King Richard the Lionheart).

And if you want that Viking history brought to life, Rouen now has the Cité Immersive Viking, which is an immersive experience that explores the Viking raids and how Normandy itself was born.

The Trendy Traveler Tip

If you seek a meal with serious atmosphere, you should book a table at La Couronne.

Many believe it to be the oldest inn in France, dating back to the 14th century.

But it also has a second claim to fame: it is where Julia Child – the American chef and television personality - had her first French meal in 1948.

She later described it as “life-changing”.

So in Rouen, you can do more than just eat well - you can dine inside a piece of French culinary legend.