The fleet returns to the Seine.

The Armada de Rouen is the largest free gathering of sailing ships in the world. The fleet moors along several kilometres of the Seine in the very centre of Rouen, so you can walk the decks of historic three-masters, naval frigates and international training ships without paying a cent.

Around the ships, the city becomes a festival: open-air concerts with international headliners, a global food village, crew parades, daily fireworks, and quirky traditions like the Grande Pagaille, where teams race homemade rafts into the river.

The finale is the Grande Parade on the closing Sunday — every ship sails downstream toward the sea while millions line the banks to wave the crews goodbye. It is, quite simply, one of Europe's great spectacles.