In a nutshell

From Giverny, birthplace of Impressionism and Claude Monet's place of work, to Rouen, the Gothic pearl of Normandy whose name is also connected to the tragic destiny of Joan of Arc: an unmissable tour, filled with intense emotions thanks to its artistic inspirations, bucolic landscapes and French history.

Main stops

Giverny: Claude Monet's house, some of the artist's artworks and the "water gardens".
Free time for lunch
Rouen: the old town and Rouen Cathedral

The programme

From Le Havre we will take the motorway towards the pretty little town of Giverny on the banks of the Seine, famous for being home to Claude Monet's house. The great Impressionist painter lived here from 1883 until his death in 1926. Between 1886 and 1890 a large group of painters joined him to draw inspiration from the natural workshop that Monet himself had created in his garden.
Inside the house we will visit the blue sitting room, the bedroom with the secrétaire, the old study, the yellow dining room with delightful painted wooden furniture and the tiled kitchen. In the various rooms we can admire reproductions of some of Monet's artworks and his collection of Japanese prints (18th and 19th century).
We will then move on to the exterior of the house, where together with a guide we visit the picturesque "water gardens" with their weeping willows and the famous Japanese bridge in a riot of wisteria, azaleas and rhododendrons, ending with the famous water lily pond that so inspired the French painter's works.
The last stop on our tour is in Rouen, the city where Joan of Arc was burnt at the stake. Accompanied by our guide, we will stroll along the narrow streets of the old town with over seven hundred houses, large and small, built in typical style from wood and timber, characteristic examples of medieval architectural techniques.
Finally, we visit Rouen Cathedral (13th-16th century), considered to be one of the greatest examples of French Gothic art.

Good to know

This excursion is not recommended for guests with mobility problems.