POINT DE VUE DES BEAUX-MONTS

Some forty meters wide and 4.5 km long, the allée des Beaux-Monts was cut from the Imperial Palace at Napoleon's request. The idea was to offer Empress Marie-Louise a perspective similar to that of Schönbrunn Palace. The driveway ends in a hill with a splendid view of the forest and the Imperial Palace in the background. At the bottom of the hill begins the signposted "Les Beaux Monts" trail (4.1 km, medium difficulty). A path with steps allows a less steep ascent of the hundreds of meters of difference in altitude. Once you've reached the top, at an altitude of 130 metres, catch your breath and enjoy the view all the way up to the château (with dusk in front of you, it's even more romantic; for photos, take advantage of the light and frequent morning mist). Then follow the signposted path, or try a variation: take the old asphalt road (closed to cars) as far as the unmistakable Marie-Louise cedar. Turn left to pass the amazing grafted pines, then right again along the signposted path. The narrow path offers changes of gradient and pace before returning to the Beaux-Monts viewpoint and descending via an impressive oak tree that towers proudly over you at the top of its four centuries of age. These 240 hectares are among the best-protected and most-visited areas of the Compiègne state forest. Les Beaux-Monts is an emblematic site!