Outside Paris: easy day trips from the capital

Away from those Madding Crowds!, Part I

We all know and love Paris’ main attractions, but just what is there to do outside of the City of Lights? The list is quite long:

• ECOUEN: French history buffs will want to visit its castle which is home to the Musée National de la Renaissance. (This museum does for the Renaissance what Cluny does for the Middle Ages).

Built by the influential Anne de Montmorency, the château is one of the most beautiful built in France during the Renaissance and one of the few to have been preserved without major damage over the centuries and through the wars. It retains some of its original decorations (painted fireplaces, ceremonial paving, ceilings and friezes, etc). After your visit, stroll through the castle’s beautiful wooded grounds and then have lunch in the quaint little town. Ecouen is located only 19 kms north of Paris; trains from Gare du Nord.

• BEAUVAIS: For those of you who can’t get enough of gigantic gothic cathedrals don’t miss Beauvais’ impressive Saint-Pierre Cathedral which was initially built so high that it collapsed – twice.

Construction began in 1225 and finally finished in 1548, with intermittant stops-and-starts due to the ambitious height of the central tower. Inside this architectural wonder you’ll find another curiosity: the biggest clock you’ve ever seen (the size of a small house), built in the mid-nineteenth century. Beauvais is about an hour north of Paris in the department of Picardie. Trains from the Gard du Nord.

• CHANTILLY: Another must-see on your outside-Paris itinerary, Chantilly is half an hour north of Paris in the department of the Oise.

Renaissance lovers will appreciate the magnificent Condé Museum, and the formal gardens designed by Le Notre are loved by all. Horse-lovers won’t want to miss France’s Museum of the Horse also located here, and will enjoy seeing the training grounds, racetrack, horse stables, and other equestrian delights. The 1985 James Bond movie A View to Kill was filmed here, as well as the 1962 film The Longest Day (John Wayne) and in 1994, Jefferson in Paris. Trains from the Gard du Nord.

So, the next time you’re in Paris, be sure to venture out and discover some of France’s hidden gems just north of the capital.