Senlis

Senlis packs an improbable amount of history into a few hundred metres. Inside the circuit of a Gallo-Roman wall sit the ruins of the royal château where Hugues Capet was elected king, a cathedral begun in 1151 whose Virgin portal predates the one at Notre-Dame de Paris, an episcopal palace now holding the town's art and archaeology museum, and a grid of cobbled lanes and half-timbered houses that film crews use several times a year. It is also easy to combine: Senlis and Chantilly share a tourist office and a bus line, so the cathedral and the museums can be paired with the Château de Chantilly, or with a walk at the edge of the Halatte forest on the town's northern side.

Senlis rewards slow walking more than ticking off monuments. The cathedral is small, early and beautifully carved; the Musée d''Art et d''Archéologie occupies the old bishop''s palace and holds works by Séraphine Louis, the Senlis cleaner turned painter; and the walls, the château ruins and the lanes between them can all be covered on foot in an afternoon. Sunday buses are thin, so it rewards planning.

• Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Senlis

  Built between 1151 and 1560, with a celebrated 12th-century portal of the Virgin that predates the equivalent at Notre-Dame de Paris, and a tall south tower over the old town.

  Official site

• Musée d'Art et d'Archéologie

  In the former episcopal palace beside the cathedral: Gallo-Roman and medieval collections and paintings by Séraphine Louis. Open Wednesday to Sunday, 10:00-13:00 and 14:00-18:00; published admission €7, reduced €4.

  Official site

• Musée des Spahis

  The town's military history museum, free to enter, open Saturdays and Sundays 10:00-13:00 and 14:00-18:00.

  Official site

• Musée de la Vénerie

  The hunting museum on the Place Notre-Dame has been closed for renovation. Check the museum's own site for its current status before planning a visit.

  Official site

• Château royal and its gardens

  The ruins of the royal castle where Hugues Capet was elected king in 987, inside the walled precinct at the heart of the old town.

  Official site

• The Gallo-Roman ramparts

  Substantial stretches of the late-Roman town wall, with its round towers, still trace the outline of the old town and can be followed on foot.

  Official site

• Old town lanes and the Sentier des Faubourgs

  Cobbled streets, courtyards and mansion gates; the tourist office publishes signposted walking circuits and treasure hunts through them.

  Official site

1. 10:00

   Arrive by bus from Chantilly at the Notre-Dame/Cinéma stop and start at the tourist office on the Place du Parvis Notre-Dame.

2. 10:15

   Cathédrale Notre-Dame — the west portal first, then the interior. Around 40 minutes.

3. 11:00

   Musée d'Art et d'Archéologie in the old bishop's palace, about an hour.

4. 12:15

   Walk the medieval lanes towards the Place Henri IV and the royal château precinct.

5. 13:00

   Lunch in the old town.

6. 14:30

   Musée des Spahis if it is a weekend, otherwise follow the ramparts and the château gardens.

7. 16:00

   Tea at Le Comptoir Senlisien, then the bus back to Chantilly-Gouvieux for the train to Paris.

There is no railway station in Senlis, so the trip is train plus bus. Weekdays: the cheaper route is via Orry-la-Ville, followed by bus 643. Bus 643 does not run on Saturdays, Sundays or public holidays. Weekends and public holidays: travel via Chantilly-Gouvieux and take bus 645 to Senlis. Bus 645 runs daily. From Paris Gare du Nord, a TER reaches Chantilly-Gouvieux in around 25 minutes; RER D also serves it more slowly. Get off the bus at Notre-Dame/Cinéma. An Oise bus single costs €2. By car: Senlis is about 45 km from Paris on the A1, at exit 8 (Senlis) — exit 7 for Chantilly. The tourist office gives 25 minutes from Roissy-Charles de Gaulle; no official source publishes a central-Paris drive time, so allow around an hour outside rush hour. Getting around town: Senlis runs a free urban shuttle, the TUS, Monday to Saturday only.

Timetables and fares change: always confirm on the operator's official site before travelling.

Senlis eats well for a town of its size, with a gastronomic table, a bistro facing the cathedral and a couple of tea rooms in the lanes. Several restaurants close on Sundays and Mondays, which matters because those are exactly the days many visitors arrive.

• Le Julianon

  Gastronomic French · Published: lunch menus €35-39, dinner menus €59-69

  5 place Gérard de Nerval, 60300 Senlis

  The town's fine-dining address, with set menus at lunch that make it affordable for a day trip. Closed Wednesday evening, Saturday lunch, Sunday and Monday — book ahead.

  Official website

• Le Bistrot de la Place

  Bistro, seasonal French · Published: à la carte from €8.90, lunch menus €25-30

  Facing the cathedral, Senlis old town

  A straightforward bistro right on the cathedral square — the easiest lunch between the cathedral and the museums.

  Official website

• Le Comptoir Senlisien

  Tea room, savoury tarts and pastries · Prices not published online

  Central Senlis

  Savoury tarts, cakes and Mariage Frères teas — a good mid-afternoon stop before the bus back.

  Official website

• La Bohême

  Listed by the tourist office; cuisine not specified in its listing · Prices not published online

  Senlis

  Listed in the official Chantilly-Senlis restaurant directory. Confirm cuisine and opening days directly before planning around it.

  Official website

Menus, prices and closing days change — we link each restaurant's own website so you can confirm before you set off. We do not take payment from any restaurant listed here.

Come between Wednesday and Sunday. The Musée d'Art et d'Archéologie closes on Mondays and Tuesdays, and the Musée des Spahis only opens at weekends. For weekends and public holidays, go via Chantilly-Gouvieux and use bus 645, which runs daily. The cheaper route via Orry-la-Ville uses bus 643, which does not run on Saturdays, Sundays or public holidays. An Oise bus single costs €2. Check the Musée de la Vénerie's own site for its current status before building a day around it. Senlis is cobbled almost everywhere inside the walls, with slopes between the cathedral and the lower streets; flat, sturdy shoes make a real difference. The free TUS town shuttle runs Monday to Saturday only if you would rather not walk between the town's edges.

Autumn is the local season: the surrounding Halatte and Chantilly forests are at their best in October and November, and game appears on restaurant menus. Guided tours of the cathedral are reported to run on the third Sunday of the month between April and October, but we could not confirm this on an official cathedral or diocesan page — ask the tourist office.