HAUTS-DE-FRANCE ❘ GREAT DESTINATIONS “VIOLLET-LE-DUC’S ‘CINDERELLA’ CASTLE IS
A GLORIOUS TESTAMENT TO THE POWER OF
CREATIVE IMAGINATION”
production. Book ahead to avoid disappointment if, like me, you want to both try and buy. For an elegant overnight stay, book in at nearby Château de Picheny where your warm welcome begins with a complimentary glass of bubbles amongst the antique furniture, the perfect apéro before a table d’hôte dinner more worthy of a gastronomic restaurant than a three-suite guesthouse.
ROYAL FORESTS
The next day I turn northwest into Oise, swapping the serried rows of vines for dense woodland and two of the best-known châteaux north of Paris. My fi rst stop is Pierrefonds, a medieval castle looked after by the Centre des Monuments Nationaux. Commissioned in 1393 by the Duke of Orléans, this hilltop stronghold was partially dismantled in 1617 under Louis XIII after a siege, and the ruins later bought by Napoleon I. But it was Napoleon III who commissioned architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc to rebuild it in the 1850s. His fanciful restoration took almost 20 years to complete and whilst architectural authenticity may have been somewhat stretched, Viollet-le- Duc’s ‘Cinderella’ castle is a glorious testament to
the power of creative imagination. Don’t miss the light show amongst the faux tombs and statues in the cellar.
From Pierrefonds, I take a detour in the Compiègne Forest to explore the heritage village of Saint-Jean-aux-Bois before pitching up at Compiègne, just 10 miles from Pierrefonds, and an altogether different Napoleonic castle. Built for Louis XV, the Château de Compiègne became the residence of Napoleon I and an Imperial entertainment venue for Napoleon III. Allow a full day to explore its sumptuous state apartments, the Museum of the Second Empire and the National Car Museum. Napoleon III’s wife, Eugènie, loved to walk in Compiègne Forest, but an equally delightful way to enjoy the tranquil woodland avenues and château views is on horseback. No previous experience is necessary for a magical afternoon astride a Henson, a breed of small, sturdy horses from the Baie de Somme, starting from the Pôle Équestre riding centre.
SEVEN VALLEYS
Homeward bound, I continue northwest into the Somme department where memorials, monuments and museums to the Great War
❯❯ Jun/Jul 2023 FRANCE TODAY ❘ 99
Clockwise from top: The lovely hilltop town of Laon; Gillian explores on horseback in Compiègne Forest; the champagne vineyards lining the Marne Valley; the imposing Château de Pierrefonds
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