5th Stage – Thursday 5 July 2012 Rouen > Saint-Quentin – 196.5 km

Nicknamed by Stendhal '' the gothic Athens'' and by Victor Hugo ''the town of a hundred steeples” the capital of Normandy, crossed by the Seine, can boast a rich heritage that has no less than two hundred and thirty six buildings, including more than fifty historic monuments. Lovers of architecture and old buildings will be knocked out and will particularly admire the Great Clock, astronomical clock whose mechanism dates from the fourteenth century, The Notre Dame Cathedral, the courthouse, the Aître St. Maclou, former ossuary, or even the Old Market Square surrounded by its half-timbered houses. Labelled Town and Country of Art and History a cradle of the nineteenth century Impressionism, Rouen Vallée de Seine can also respond to your desires for discovery and escape to offer you a quality stay. There are many activities on offer including rambling or cycling along the banks of the Seine. Rouen and its region will seduce you with their charm and lifestyle, but also by their sense of hospitality, to which the local residents bear proof.

The flamboyant gothic City Hall, its basilica (thirteenth-fifteenth centuries) and its Art Deco facades are the most eloquent testimony to its rich historical heritage. But today, Saint-Quentin is a forward looking city which occupies a leading position in information technology and communication.It was the first local authority to have a Web TV available on Smartphone or tablet, and it prepares and trains project leaders in the field of cloud computing and virtual computing. San Quentin is also a modern city right in the heart of nature with the Marais d’Isle, a unique example in Europe of a nature reserve in the heart of a built up area, and with the Champs Élysées, a thirteen hectare parkland in the middle of the city. Among its sports facilities, most notable is Saint-Quentin’s urban leisure centre, the BUL, where there is an ice rink, a swimming area, a bowling alley and a fitness suite. Elected in 2011 by l’Equipe the sportiest town in France, Saint-Quentin was also awarded the prix Sport and Handicap.