Picardy : the other north of France The native land of famous
figures such as Rousseau, La Fontaine and Dumas, and a noble
place steeped in ancestral and contemporary history, Picardy has
many different faces. By turns bucolic and royal, there are many
attractions and activities to enjoy. A multiple identity A
region with a history marked by conquests and battles, Picardy
draws its culture from the influence of the north and the Ile-
de-France. Originally agricultural, the region is now turned
towards research, and is also an industrial region and major
European commercial centre. The Armistice railway carriage The
1918 and 1940 Armistices between Germany and France were signed
in this railway carriage located in the Rethondes clearing of
the Compiègne Forest. 145m in length and 42m high, this is one
of the largest Gothic Cathedrals ever built. The nave is
vertiginous, the choir, composed of 110 oak stalls, and
statuary, exceptional. Constructed between 1220 and 1248, it is
classified as a Unesco World Heritag