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Car Hire Beauvais

Getting to Beauvais: As you head south from Amiens towards Paris, the countryside becomes broad and flat – agricultural, though not rustic. BEAUVAIS , 60km south of Amiens, seems to fit into this landscape. Beavais is somewhat in the middle of nowhere, in the flat area near the Somme, 81 km north of Paris. Beauvais was crushed during WWI and II. Beauvais was rebuilt after the last world war, and now boasts a fine example of a Gothic cathedral – Cathedrale St-Pierre.

Built in front of the former Carolingian cathedral, the imposing dimensions of the Cathedral of Beauvais, started in 1225, give an idea of the former power of the Episcopal city. Despite being incomplete – the cathedral of Beauvais has no nave – the church dedicated to Saint Pierre and Saint Paul has two quite separate parts. In Beauvais one can find the tallest gothic chancel in the world, which rises almost 47 metres above ground. The transept, built three centuries later, is a masterpiece of flamboyant architecture with its two monumental façades. The feat of architect Martin Chambiges was to have skilfully harmonised both parts of the cathedral that suffered a number of disasters during its history. It is also an architectural wonder, offering a gripping contrast between the interior, serene, and hopeful, and the outside, luxuriant and flamboyant. The building has kept a few testimonies to the splendour of Beauvais town that was once home to several artists. The doors sculpted by Jean Le Pot, the retable by Marissel, the stained glass windows and the extraordinary Genesis Rose by Nicolas Le Prince, a symbolic evocation of the creation by God the Father.

Beauvais is only one hour from Paris by train, and Beauvais airport is popular with discount flight operators who fly there from the UK and Europe. There is a connecting bus from Beauvais airport to Porte Maillot in Paris. Beauvais has a tourist office located at 1 rue Beauregard (03 44 15 30 30).

Situated to the north of the Ile-de-France, Picardy is made up of three departments (Oise, Aisne and the Somme) and one small city, Amiens, of 160 000 inhabitants. The population remains fairly young, but is one of the worst affected by unemployment. As this suggests, the area is not thriving economically, except in the agricultural sector. The agriculture of Picardy (sugarbeet, wheat and potatoes) is among the most productive in France. It consists of large, highly mechanised farms. Apart from Amiens and Beauvais, both historic towns with superb gothic cathedrals, the region consists of a very large number of small towns and villages lost amidst vasts plains and plateaux. The population of Beauvais circa 1990 was in the region of 56,278.

Among the many goods manufactured in Beauvais are tractors, ceramic tiles, textiles, and musical instruments. Beauvais is a Roman town which flourished in the Middle Ages and again after the 17th cent., when Colbert established the state tapestry industry there. Beauvais was the centre of the Jacquerie revolt in 1358, and in 1472 its citizens resisted Charles the Bold of Burgundy. Jeanne Hachette, who earned her surname for the hatchet with which she helped to repel the Burgundians, is commemorated in a yearly Beauvais celebration. Beauvais was severely damaged in both World Wars; in June, 1940, its tapestry factory was destroyed, and the industry was moved to Paris. The city of Beauvais still retains its Cathedral of St. Pierre.