Rouen, port city and capital of Seine-Maritime département, Haute-Normandie région, northwestern France. It is located about 78 miles (125 km) northwest of Paris, on the Seine River.

What river runs through Rouen?

The Seine, especially below Paris, is a great traffic highway. It links Paris with the sea and the huge maritime port of Le Havre. Rouen, although some 75 miles from the sea, was France's main seaport in the 16th century, but it was surpassed by Le Havre in the 19th century.

What happened in Rouen France?

On 24 June 1204, Philip Augustus entered Rouen and annexed Normandy to the Royal Demesne. The fall of Rouen meant the end of Normandy's vassal state status. He demolished the Norman castle and replaced it with his own, the Château Bouvreuil, built on the site of the Gallo-Roman amphitheatre.