Compiègne
Imagine yourself walking the cobbled streets of this magnificent imperial town, tempted by elegant shops, admiring half-timbered houses, weaving your way through the bustling street markets, pausing in front of the early 16thC gothic Town Hall to see and hear the ‘picantins’ strike the hour and its quarters. It is surely time for leisurely refreshment, you muse, in a pavement café or scrumptious patisserie. There are wonderful places to eat in town or in the forest – work up an appetite walking, cycling or horse riding. Then off you go to the magnificent apartments of the 18thC Château. Everything is within easy reach in Compiègne; the town clusters around its Château and merges seamlessly into the surrounding ancient forests. Close by, in a forest clearing, is the Armistice Wagon and WW1 Museum. And as all school children know, Jeanne d’Arc was finally captured in Compiègne.

Chantilly
What does the name Chantilly conjure up for you?
Is it cream? Lace? Porcelain? A fairytale château or posh polo and horseracing?
Whichever, it’s all there in one of the smartest and loveliest towns of northern France , just 40 miles north of Paris (20mins drive from Paris/CDG airport). You are here in Royal France, surrounded by ancient forests of oak, ash and beech that were once the hunting ground of royalty. The Princes of Condé, cousins of the King, built the château. Today it houses the Musée Condé with its outstanding collection of paintings and drawings, including Raphaël’s Three Graces. It sits in 110 hectares of parkland designed by Le Nôtre. Taste real Chantilly cream at the ‘Hameau’ in the grounds. Across the way is the famous Hippodrome which hosts some of France’s top races; so too are the Grandes Ecuries, built in palace-like style by one of the Princes as a fitting home for his reincarnation as a horse! It is now the Museum of the Living Horse with daily displays of horsemanship. Visit the Potager des Princes in the former pheasantry. Browse the elegant streets. Enjoy the aristocratic café life.

Saint-Quentin
Built by the Gauls, taken over by the Romans, Saint-Quentin is a ‘survivor’. Today it’s a “Ville d’Art” with a character all its own. There are fine examples of Art Déco – walk around, look up and you’ll be amazed by the rich 1920s-1930s heritage. Art Déco cohabits with early to Flamboyant Gothic. Take the Town Hall: early 16thC Gothic façade concealing within superb Art Déco design. The early 13thC Basilica dominates the town and was a popular shrine until 1914. In the Upper Somme Valley and encircled by the river, it is the only town in France to have a vast (47 hectares) nature reserve providing varied habitats for countless species of birds and plants. Come summer, the Place de l’Hôtel de Ville is a ‘seaside resort’ with sandy beach, swimming pool, palm trees… Then, with Christmas in the air, it’s a ‘winter wonderland’ of 700 Christmas trees, traditional Christmas market, toboggan piste and 820sqm skating rink. Visit the Antoine Lécuyer Museum with 100 stunning pastels by Quentin de la Tour, portraitist to Louis XV. See the extraordinary butterfly collection – 600,000 species from the world over.

Laon
Medieval Laon. You’re on top of the world, surveying fertile plains where vineyards once flourished, wooded valleys and stone built villages for miles around you – and that’s even before climbing to the top of its early Gothic cathedral which inspired Chartres and Reims, York and Durham.
Drive up, walk up (but only if you need to work up an appetite) or take the Poma funicular that links lower and upper town. Once you’ve reached you’ll understand why early Celts dedicated the hill to their god Lug, why it was for centuries the capital of France, why les Anglais coveted it during the 100 years war, and why it’s known as “la montagne couronnée”.
There are in Laon more ‘monuments historiques’ per sq cm than anywhere else in France. At every turn of every little lane, you’ll come across some unexpected historic treasure.

Beauvais
Beauvais has been the centre of business and religion in the Oise Valley for over 1000 years. It offers a bustling market-town experience, the modern shopping offset by its fine Gothic cathedral. There are many little Renaissance gems to be found throughout the town.

Medieval village of Gerberoy
Having been the scene of many battles, especially in the 20th Century, the towns of Picardy have been repeatedly rebuilt . Happily, an example of medieval France survives in the village of Gerberoy, 25km north west of Beauvais. It is ‘registered’ as one of the most beautiful villages in France. You can find remains of the medieval collegiate church, the city walls, the cobbled streets, and the ruins of the fortress, now an Italian style garden. They mix nicely with 17th Century half-timbered houses and the 18th Century City Hall and covered market.

Pierrefonds (10km South East of Compiègne)
The village is dominated by an impressive medieval fortress constructed by Louis d’Orléans in the 15 th century, dismantled by Richelieu in the 17th century, and then restored, or rather reinterpreted by Viollet-le-Duc in the 19th century. This model of medieval military architecture has become a prime example of Violet-le-Duc’s creativity and talent. It is a picture perfect fairy tale castle.