LivingTravelVisitor's guide to Compiègne in Picardy, northern France

Visitor's guide to Compiègne in Picardy, northern France

This attractive city, just north of Paris in Picardy, is a very good day to spend the night in the capital of France. It’s easy to get to by car or train, and it has a wonderful, little-known, and large castle filled with furniture and paintings that Napoleon loves to visit. Also, there is a wonderful park behind the castle for long walks and leisurely picnics. There is also a very good transport museum for car enthusiasts and a surprisingly absorbing museum of miniature historical figures dedicated to constant warfare.

Once you’ve exhausted the views of Compiègne, you can explore the Compiègne forest with its villages, lakes and valleys. One of the great moments of French and European history is commemorated in the Armistice Museum, in the northern part of the forest.

The history of Compiègne and its palace

Originally a 10th century abbey city, it was here that Jeanne d’Arc was captured after trying to rid the city of the English in May 1430. So you will find a statue at the place where she was supposedly captured near the place du 54 Regiment d’Infanterie. But it was the kings of France who put Compiègne on the map with the imposing palace they built for their pure enjoyment. As Louis XIV is supposed to have declared: “At Versailles I am the king; at Fontainebleau a Prince, at Compiègne a peasant «.

General information about Compiegne

  • 108,250 inhabitants
  • Apartment – Oise (60)
  • In Picardy you are now in the new Hauts de France region
  • Twinned with Bury St. Edmunds, in the United Kingdom, and Raleigh, North Carolina, in the United States.

Tourist Office:
Place de l’Hotel de Ville
Tel. 00 33 (0) 3 44 40 01 00
Website (in French)

How to get to Compiègne

  • By car : Compiegne is 71 kilometers (44 miles) northeast of Paris. Take the A1, signposted for Lille, then at exit 9 take the D200 signposted for Compiègne.
  • By train : 20 trains leave Paris Gare du Nord every day and go directly to Compiègne. The express train takes about 50 minutes.

Where to stay

There are several hotels in the city center, all very close to the train station.

Best Western Hotel Les Beaux Arts
33 cours Guynemer
Tel.: 00 33 (0) 3 44 92 26 26
Website
Price band: $ – $$ (breakfast not included)
What does this mean
The 3-star hotel, ideally located right across the river, is comfortably decorated with good-sized rooms.

Hotel de Flandre
16 quai Republique
Tel.: 00 33 (0) 3 44 83 24 40
Website
Price band: $ (breakfast not included)
What does this mean
Close to the station, this great hotel is conveniently located, comfortable, and makes a good base. Although on the main road, the rooms are double-glazed to reduce noise.

L’Hostellerie du Royal Lieu
9 rue de Senlis
Tel.: 00 33 (0) 3 44 20 10 24
Website
Price band: $ – $$ (breakfast not included)
What does this mean
On the outskirts of Compiègne, the renovated 19th-century house is charming, with spacious rooms, good bathrooms, and an excellent restaurant (see below). The two-story building has only 12 rooms and 3 suites, individually decorated and overlooking the park.

Where to eat

Left Bank

13 cours Guynemer
Tel.: 00 33 (0) 3 44 40 29 99
Website
Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
The family-run Rive Gauche is known locally for its excellent cuisine using local ingredients. The well-stocked wine cellar is an added bonus at this classically decorated restaurant.
Menus 38-48 euros. Alc around 75 euros per person.

Hotel du Nord

Place de la Gare
Tel.: 00 33 (0) 3 44 83 22 30
Closed the first two weeks of August, Saturday lunchtime and Sunday night.
Close to the station and the river, this local institution is best known for its seafood cuisine. An open kitchen adds to the theater.
Menu 25 euros. Alc from 30 euros per person.

The Bistrot des Arts

35 cours Guynemer
Tel.: 00 33 (0) 3 44 20 10 10
Closed Saturday lunchtime and Sunday.
Attached to the Hotel Les Beaux-Arts, we ate here after arriving at the hotel relatively late. The decor is in a good bistro style, as is the kitchen, which is very good value for money.
Menus 18-28 euros. Alc from 25 euros per person.

The Hostellerie du Royal Lieu

9 rue de Senlis
Tel.: 00 33 (0) 3 44 20 10 24
Website
Lush surroundings for this excellent hotel (see above) whose restaurant has a well deserved local reputation. The classic and simple kitchen delivers the products.
Menus from 26 to 75 euros. Alc from 50 euros.

Things to do in Compiegne

Compiègne is best known for the Palais, a neoclassical building in the city center, where there are many other attractions in this charming little town on the banks of the River Oise.

Events

  • Every July, Compiègne organizes a festival in the city and its surroundings, at the Château de Pierrefonds, at the theater and in the forest.
    Website (in French)
  • September 1 marks the day that, in 1944, Compiègne was liberated. There is always an impressive ceremony, with bands, a commemoration at the main war memorial in the city and a procession to the Hotel de Ville.

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