The best walks and hikes around Saint-Léger-En-Bray

Leaving Beauvais to the northwest, the street and then the cycle path of the Saint-Quentin marsh, you quickly arrive at the superb body of water of Canada. It offers three kilometers of banks and a call for swimming in summer.

The Cathedral of Beauvais is one of the most important Gothic churches in France 🇫🇷!

The early Romanesque church from the 10th century is one of the few surviving Carolingian chapels in France. It was actually supposed to be replaced by the nave of the cathedral, which was built from 1247 onwards, but after the collapse of the cathedral's record vault and tower, although the small original church surprisingly survived both, money and the Gothic style were at an end. And so, after being temporarily but permanently closed off by a partition wall, the cathedral's gigantic building now has a "mini nave" which is, however, closed off from the inside by a door. Unfortunately, the small original church was inaccessible when we visited. It would certainly be impressive to enter the Gothic giant building through the Romanesque west portal.

It is always nice to meet old friends again, especially when it happens unexpectedly. When you enter the wonderful but only half-finished cathedral of Beauvais, you are greeted by the famous image of St. Peter from St. Peter's Basilica. This fits with the building's claim: the highest Gothic vault, the highest church tower, the largest church in France. However, it is a Gothic Babel: the vault and tower collapsed, and that was the end of money and Gothic architecture. The cathedral is a huge torso, the nave of which is a comparatively tiny Romanesque building that stands lost in front of the huge, centuries-old temporary dividing wall that the nave was supposed to replace.

If you walk around the mighty torso of Beauvais Cathedral, you come across the seemingly forgotten north portal. While the bright south portal with its staircase literally draws people into the church, the north portal is blocked off by a construction grille and appears dark. Here you can find a magnificent trellis above the door, probably intended as a depiction of the root of Jesus, but which has been stripped of its figures. Huge carved doors, which are plainer than those of the south portal, secure the entrance. The wear on the doorstep shows that this portal was used a lot in earlier times.

The bishop's palace, protected by a mighty gate and a mixture of Gothic and Renaissance styles, has a history spanning centuries and has also served as a prefecture building and court palace. Today it houses the Musee de l'Oise, an art museum with a focus on the 19th century. Works by Corot, Sisley, Huet and Inges are represented.

The cathedral beckons. Curious, you want to rush into the interior, but the entrance is worth slowing down. The huge portal rises high into the sky. There are no religious figurines here: one wonders whether this is a financial consequence of the failed construction of the tower of Beauvais or whether the iconoclastic French Revolution has struck. Instead, the tendrils hide many mythical creatures and monsters worth seeing, waiting to be discovered. A somewhat threatening fairy-tale world. Behind them are the enormous carved doors, which are unparalleled with their sculptural Gothic scenes. And finally, Peter himself welcomes you into the church. You know him: an image of the famous statue in St. Peter's Basilica, which illustrates the claim of the cathedral's builders: Amiens was supposed to have the largest church in France, but unfortunately the over-high vaults and the world's highest over-high tower collapsed and inside, massive wooden struts hold up the fragile statics. A Gothic Babel. But the cathedral also holds the record as a torso: the highest vaults are 48.5 metres high.

In addition to its many magical features, Beauvais Cathedral also houses an almost unbelievable technical marvel: Auguste Vérité's astronomical clock from the 19th century. The interplay of 90,000 (!) parts in a temple-like case 12 meters high and 5 meters wide drives 52 dials and 68 automata that deliver astronomical values. The whole thing is beautifully designed and decorated.