The Picardie Verte, a quiet countryside one hour from Paris.

A preserved corner of Picardy

Gerberoy nestles in the heart of the Picardie Verte, the rolling country of the Oise that marks the transition between Normandy and the Île-de-France. Hedgerows, forests, paved hamlets, old farms: this is a countryside you do not just cross, you take it at its own pace. Today attached to the Hauts-de-France region, it remains one of the most confidential of the Paris Basin, and that is precisely what gives it its charm.

Beauvais and its cathedral

About twenty minutes from Gerberoy, Beauvais houses one of the wildest feats of Gothic architecture: its Saint-Pierre cathedral, whose choir rises to nearly 48 metres, is the tallest ever built. The building, never completed and several times collapsed, impresses as much by its sheer scale as by the incredible astronomical clock it houses, one of the most complex in the world.

Abbeys, gardens and villages

The region lends itself to half-day escapes. The abbey church of Saint-Germer-de-Fly, a little-known Gothic gem, is well worth a visit. Further west, Giverny and the house of Claude Monet are about an hour's drive away, a natural outing for garden lovers. On the Normandy side, Forges-les-Eaux and the Pays de Bray offer their own villages and cheese specialities.

In the open air

The Picardie Verte is criss-crossed by hiking trails that often start at the foot of the village. State forests, sunken lanes, orchards: you are more likely to meet deer than walkers. It is also a cycling country, flat in places, hilly elsewhere, ideal for an impromptu ride.

Gerberoy

In the heart of the Picardie Verte, an hour from Paris.