Narrow streets with half-timbered houses of Rouen "run together" in the Place du Vieux-Marche or Old Market Place. This place combines the past, architecture, and life of the ancient capital of Normandy. The history of this place is connected with the tragedy. On May 30, 1431, the Maid of Orleans, Joan of Arc, was burnt at the stake here at the age of 19. Joan of Arc fought for France. But she was captured during the Hundred Years' War, accused of blasphemy by English judges, and sentenced to death. Today, the site of the fire is marked with a stone cross made of old white slabs. In the time of Joan of Arc, there was the Church of Saint Vincent, but it did not survive the Second World War (it was destroyed by an Allied plane in 1944). The new church appeared in 1979. This church with its unusual shape and asymmetrical triangular roof symbolizes fire and resembles a traditional Norman upturned boat. The square also houses the Joan of Arc History Museum.

Tourists can get acquainted with the Norman way of life in the city market, which has been located on the square for several centuries. The square is filled with flavors of coffee, cheese, cinnamon, and chocolate. The market is placed right under the church walls, but this does not seem to bother anyone. Indeed, the mundane and the spiritual coexist quite well on one side of the square. The perimeter of the Place du Vieux-Marche is adorned with traditional half-timbered houses that delight tourists with their bright colors. In the Middle Ages, rock mining was not widespread here, and it was long and difficult to process stones. Therefore, only cathedrals and fortresses were stone, the rest of the buildings were made of wood.

Today, these buildings house hotels, cafes, and restaurants, including the oldest one, which has stood in the same spot serving traditional Norman cuisine for 650 years.

As for entertainment, there is a children's amusement park near the square, as well as a tourist train that runs every 15 minutes. The tour takes 45 minutes. It starts from Rouen Cathedral and continues along the streets of the city. You can buy a ticket from the driver, get on and off anywhere.