Unrivalled Gothic heritage: 7 stunning gothic cathedrals and basilica | Hauts-de-France Tourism – Official Website (2024)

From the courtyard, you get a sense of the dizzying height of the facade and its imposing stature. Start to climb the 307 steps of the towers, taking in the art crafted by the cathedral’s sculptors and masons. As you ascend, you get another perspective. Emerge at the top to enjoy a panorama that is peaceful and engaging, the atmosphere changing subtly according to the time of day. Milky greens shrouded by morning mist give way to purple hues as evening draws near, only to be swallowed up by midnight blue. At the top of the towers, you’re so close to the Gallery of Kings that you can sense the benevolent humanity of these 12-foot (3.75m) giants through their facial expressions and smiles. Anxious to offer perfect work to God, the stonemasons took great care to incorporate and complete details – even if they couldn’t be seen from the ground. Even the spire that reaches to a height of 367 feet (112 metres) will feel close to you up here.

Often likened to a “Gothic Parthenon”, the cathedral gives you a true sense of the audacity of the builders in the Middle Age, craftsmen who lightened the stone to flood the interior with light. The alignment of the columns is simply stunning, drawing your eyes towards the top. French poet Paul Claudel once described the cathedral as “incomparable in its sublime simplicity”.

• Visit Notre Dame d'Amiens

This “crowned mountain” of Laon looks as if it has been taken straight from a fairy tale. Perched on the top of a prominent hilltop that dominates the surrounding plain, the silhouette of Laon’s cathedral is visible for miles around. There are 210 steps to climb to reach the cathedral from town, but the summit rewards you handsomely with its breath-taking view. As you raise your gaze to the sky on arrival, the cathedral’s vertiginous sides make you wonder how on earth this lattice of stonework got here. In fact, the cathedral in Laon – built in the 12th and 13th centuries – served as a blueprint for the cathedral in Chartres, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and widely regarded as the high point of French Gothic architecture. The ascent of the towers is a chance to see the oxen carved from stone that illustrate the local “legend of the oxen of Laon”. It’s said that while transporting stone to the top of the hill during construction, one of the labourers collapsed from fatigue. Quite unexpectedly, a white ox appeared and helped transport the stones. The nave, meanwhile, covers four levels and is other-worldly with its milky light floating under the vaults. During August, the cathedral is the focus of a light show that illuminates the gargoyles, with a vast array of colours and animated animals bringing the walls to life. It’s a wonderful spectacle.

It was French sculptor Rodin who called Notre-Dame de Noyon the most harmonious cathedral in France. It has for generations been the seat of religious and political history. It was here that Charlemagne, or Charles the Great, was crowned king of the Franks after rising to power in 751. Hugh Capet, too, was crowned here in 987. In fact, the cathedral is the second-oldest in France after Sens. You get a sense of the cathedral precinct’s old-fashioned charm as you enter the square courtyard, which is bordered by the priests’ old houses, instantly recognisable thanks to stone sculptures of their hats. Towers of more than 300 feet (100 metres) are finely decorated with mouldings and beads, or bands of foliage. The early Gothic art here was an important witness to the transition from the Romanesque era to Gothic design – and even today it has the ability to project a sense of reconnection with the wider world.

• Visit Notre Dame de Senlis

Beauvais’s cathedral may be without a nave following the collapse of its 500-foot (153-metre) spire, but it’s got its own wow-factor. Its unusual proportions come as a surprise, especially the towering 158-foot (48-metres) chancel, where the clergy and choralists sit, often bathed in colourful light from the magnificent windows. This section of the cathedral in particular is a sublime example of architecture from the Gothic period. But that’s not all! Be transported on another mystical voyage in front of the 50 perfectly synchronised parts of the incredible astronomical clock housed here. Admire the seasons as tides, eclipses and other cycles of nature capture your attention on the beautiful timepiece.

For centuries, the Basilica of Saint-Quentin has drawn pilgrims and visitors. The building is unique for a number of reasons. Firstly, it has a unique double transept, an unusual architectural feature that lends the cathedral a slightly English appearance. In a city where so much is built on high, the cathedral keeps watch, guarding its Gothic treasures. The dimensions are breath-taking and the view found 121 feet (37 metres) up is worth the trip alone, with the Somme extending as far as the eye can see. Meet the gargoyles as you climb the 200 steps of the spiral staircase en route to the top of the Basilica, where you will be able to savour the creative genius of generations of architects and builders who have worked their magic here.

One fine example of their work is the five-pointed star that features in one of many gorgeous stained-glass windows. The Art Deco gables, meanwhile, her spire gives her an even greater sense of presence. It’s an unforgettable experience!

• Visit Saint Quentin's Basilica