Beauvais

Beauvais is a prefecture town in the Oise department, sitting at the meeting point of the Thérain and Avelon rivers, roughly 75 kilometers north of Paris. The town consists of the historic core with half-timbered houses and the more modern outskirts that were rebuilt after World War II.

Romans established the settlement of Caesaromagus here, which later became the capital of the Celtic Bellovaci. In 1013 it was made an episcopal seat and developed into a major ecclesiastical center during the Middle Ages.

The name derives from the Bellovaci, a Celtic tribe who settled here before Roman conquest. The old town center preserves its medieval layout with narrow streets winding around the Gothic church.

Beauvais-Tillé Airport connects the region to international destinations while the local Corolis bus network serves the urban area. Visitors find parking at the edges of town and can walk through the center, as main sights lie close together.

Each June, residents walk in procession through the streets to honor Jeanne Hachette, who defended the town against Burgundian troops in 1472. Her courage is remembered with reenactments and a small fair where local craftspeople display their work.

Location: arrondissement of Beauvais

Location: Oise

Elevation above the sea: 90 m

Shares border with: Troissereux, Allonne, Fouquenies, Goincourt, Le Mont-Saint-Adrien, Saint-Martin-le-Nœud, Therdonne, Tillé, Aux Marais

Address: 60000 Beauvais, France

Website: https://beauvais.fr

GPS coordinates: 49.43417,2.08750

Latest update: December 15, 2025 19:37