By
Rebecca Gibson |
Cruise guests will be able to attend an international sailing event featuring 50 tall ships and more than 25 pleasure boats, military vessels and submarines from all over the world if they visit Rouen in Normandy, France between from 5-16 June 2019.
First held in July 1989 and every five years since, the 2019 Rouen Armada (or the Armada de la Liberté) will coincide with the 75th anniversary of the landing of allies in Normandy. More than seven million visitors are expected to descend on Rouen to participate in the free 10-day event, with 45% coming from Normandy, 45% from elsewhere in France and 10% from overseas. There will also be more than 7,000 sailors from all over the world.
Highlights of the event will include fireworks displays, live concerts, exhibitions, and activities and stalls selling international cuisine on the quayside. The event will conclude with a Grand Parade, where all of the vessels will depart Rouen and embark on a 120-kilometre trip along the River Seine to Le Havre on the Normandy coast passing towns and villages such as La Bouille, Duclair and Caudebec-en-Caux. More than one million people are expected to watch the parade. The Patrouille de France air force will fly over the ships as they sail down the Seine in front of more than one million spectators.
Read the full schedule for the Rouen Armada 2019.