Private Rouen & Giverny Tour from Deauville

Itinerary

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   This tour combines the historic richness of Rouen, the capital of Normandy, with the magic of the gardens of Giverny, where Claude Monet drew his inspiration. A day between medieval heritage and Impressionism.

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   Rouen — Notre-Dame Cathedral. A masterpiece of Gothic art immortalised by Claude Monet in a famous series of paintings, this cathedral impresses with its richly sculpted façade and its cast-iron spire rising to 151 metres, long the tallest structure in the world. It also holds the heart of Richard the Lionheart and the tombs of the Dukes of Normandy.

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   Rouen — The Gros-Horloge & the Place du Vieux-Marché. An emblem of Rouen, the Gros-Horloge, a 14th-century astronomical clock, adorns a Renaissance belfry straddling the town's busiest shopping street. Close by, the Place du Vieux-Marché was the site of the execution of Joan of Arc, burned at the stake on 30 May 1431; the modern church of Sainte-Jeanne-d'Arc and a memorial cross recall her tragic fate, at the heart of one of the finest ensembles of half-timbered houses in France.

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   Giverny — Claude Monet's house and gardens. Home to the master of Impressionism for more than forty years, this green-shuttered house and its Clos Normand overflowing with flowers offer an immersion into the artist's intimate world. Monet composed many of his canvases here from his studio, which is open to visitors today.

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   Giverny — The water garden and the water-lily pond. Created by Monet himself by diverting an arm of the Epte, this Japanese-inspired garden, with its green bridge and floating water lilies, inspired one of the most famous series of paintings in the history of art. A place where nature and painting merge, faithful to the canvases bequeathed to the Musée de l'Orangerie.

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   Giverny — Museum of Impressionisms. A few steps from Monet's house, this museum retraces the history of the Impressionist movement and its legacy through temporary exhibitions devoted to the artists who spent time in Giverny. It ideally rounds off the visit by placing Monet's work in its artistic context.