Beaumont-sur-Oise is a city of Val-d'Oise in the region Ile-de-France, about 35 km north of Paris.
Located on the left bank of the Oise and bordered on the south by the forest of Carnelle overlooking the valley, the future town is already considered a strategic point by the Gauls and then by the Romans who found a city with buildings residential area, thermal baths and an amphitheater. This first city will be excavated in the twentieth century and many remains are now visible.
Abandoned then, this territory resumed its growth in the tenth century with the establishment of a collegiate protected by a mound seigneuriale which becomes a real castle in the thirteenth. Erected in county, Beaumont sees one of his lords become king (Louis IX, said Saint Louis).
The Hundred Years War tipped the stronghold into the English bosom and Beaumont suffered many assaults. Then it's the Wars of Religion that propel the city back into a troubled time.
Owned by the Count of Conti, Beaumont Castle was strengthened in the eighteenth century to resist the new techniques of artillery, before being abandoned in the nineteenth.
Residential, commercial and artisanal city, Beaumont-sur-Oise gain population in the twentieth century and now has nearly 9,500 inhabitants, through residential areas dating for some of the interwar period and public housing buildings. The city, however, retains a pleasant living environment that is, with its historical heritage and cultural vitality, a tourist asset justifying a visit for those staying in the region.
A discovery of the city includes several heritage elements, some of which are classified.
This is the case of St. Lawrence Church, whose facade dates from the twelfth century and was extended by a square tower to the Renaissance, consisting of four floors decorated with semicircular windows. Inside, composed of a nave and four aisles, we can see the choir of the 13th century. The whole church was restored in the 19th century.
We will also be interested in the medieval castle and its ramparts, at least in their remains that dominate the outskirts of the Oise. Excavations have found the location of the walls, rehabilitated in 1997 and transformed into walks. Some elements of the dungeon bases and towers are also visible.
The set allows to realize the importance of this stronghold.
More recent, to see also, the Hotel du Croissant, a former coaching inn of the sixteenth century. Note the gallery on the first floor, and the front door of Renaissance style, decorated with a bull's-eye surmounted by a crescent. The building now houses the Heritage House. The association of the Beaumontois Heritage Circle, which has its headquarters offers guided tours of the monuments and historic sites of the city. Inquire at +33 1 34 70 91 99.
More surprising, the last of the listed monuments of the city is the movie theater Le Palace, built in 1914 thanks to a metal frame used during the World Expo of 1900. Before the second war, a balcony and an Art Deco facade were added. The room was used in the 1980s and 1990s for the show "The Last Sitting" presented by Eddy Mitchell. Owned by the city, it is still active (cinema and shows). Information on +33 1 39 37 99 00.
The current town hall housed in a 19th century mansion, in a park, to which was added an annex with glass roof, the chapel of Lesseps (in the cemetery), the bridge over the Oise rebuilt in the 17th century. century on the basis of a first work of the twelfth, the Roman amphitheater uncovered in the courtyard of the current school Evariste-Galois and several houses and buildings of the nineteenth (as the facade of the hospital) can also stake a town tour.
Finally, in addition to a monumental menhir 3 meters high on the D85, two singular heritage elements are to be noted: the 13-hectare lake built in the old quarries of chalk operated by a cement plant in the twentieth century and is now assigned to the regional federation diving, and also the vineyards of Clos des Vergers operated by an association that recall the wine past of the city.
All these places and sites can be included in hiking or mountain biking. Some circuits along the banks of the Oise, once appreciated by painters, or the forest of Carnelle, on the south of the communal territory. Documentation and information on +33 1 30 73 39 20.
For the sportsmen, the Plaine des Grands Jeux has, in particular, a football field, a multi-sports ground and a fitness course with weight training modules.
The swimming pool is also available, with its pools and recreational equipment. Entry: 3.60 and 5 euros. Information on +33 1 34 70 33 78.
The third Saturday in May, painters day in the streets.
The second weekend of September, the party in Pagnon offers fishing contest and flea market on the site of the old beach, along the Oise.
Around November 11, over two days, Beaum'Art brings together more than fifty craftsmen.
The third weekend of November, show of wines and terroir.
From early November to mid-December, the city hosts concerts as part of the festival "Jazz over the Oise". Information on +33 1 39 89 87 51.
Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday morning, finally, the market is a good opportunity to discover the perfumes and riches of the region of Ile-de-France.
