Historically, France was born here when Clovis made Soissons the first capital of the Franks, in 486, and later Hugues Capet, elected king of France at Senlis, was crowned at Noyon in 987. This proud past made Picardy the first French region, not only for historical buildings and monuments but, also, the premier region for its Gothic cathedrals. Amiens has been specially honoured, by UNESCO, for its architectural heritage. From an area 30 kms North of Paris, close to the Roissy Charles de Gaulle airport, the southern boundaries stretch eastwards towards Champagne and the Belgian border. Westwards, it extends to the English Channel. This ancient and hospitable region will not disappoint the visitor, with its choice of 4,000 hectares of lakeland, 1,200 kms of rivers, 70 kms of dunes, cliffs and luminous beaches, coastal marshes, forests and the bays at the river mouths of the Somme and the Authie.