With 120,000 hectares of forest, the Oise area, located in the Picardy region, is some kind of green theatre : a natural treasure that you tell, listen to, learn by playing and observing.
Then, the forest will tell us its secrets, its sounds and scents, some true cultural and natural essences giving us tales and stories related to plants, trees and animals that live here.
Explore the forest and play
Playing Hänsel and Gretel without getting lost ? This is easy in the forests of the Oise area ! There are many beautiful green places to have fun, to explore, to do sport, or to listen to unique stories : the forest of Ermenonville, 3,300 hectares, the forest of Halatte, 4,300 hectares, the forest of Chantilly, 6,344 hectares.
For children? All year round the Regional Natural Park organises all sorts of “nature” outings with treasure hunts, rallye du patrimoine (a fun way to explore local heritage), collecting clues and discovering small animals in the forest of Ermenonville, introduction to biodiversity through games, narrated hikes with a focus on the historic events of forests, bird feeders and nest boxes making in winter, green-citizenship workshops… a lot of funny activities to make children aware of nature and teach them to respect it.
Family outings? Every first weekend of June, there are many “nature” activities to do throughout the region. More than 100 original and unique ideas in total so that you can try other ways to explore the forest: guided tours, cycling, concerts and natural music instruments making workshops, tree-climbing as well as music and story walks are offered to the public at the heart of the forests of the Oise area.
Explore the forest and listen
Forest-style concerts, observing and listening to birds and red deers’ bellow… all you have to do is listen, wether you are a day-walker or a night-walker being on the lookout for a life signal or complete silence.
Themed-visits, guided tours with guides from the Ministry of Culture, hikes with commentaries by certified nature guides are frequently organised in order to fully enjoy the forest.
Event: do not miss the Forests Festival, featuring classical music in the natural settings of the forest of Compiègne. On programme: hiking-concerts, recitals, music workshops.
New!: night tours are organised to go listen to the great number of small animals of the forests of the Oise area : frogs, woodcocks and bats. In september, another unique outing will give you the opportunity to observe red deers bellowing. At dusk or dawn, immersed in the forest’s scents, walkers will be able to enjoy an amazing natural and musical sight. Actually, this is an awseome experience, and the word is well chosen, in order to better understand animal life and its mysteries !
