Amiens & Somme

Home to France's largest Gothic cathedral, floating market gardens and Jules Verne's house, with Somme WWI battlefield memorials and the seals of the Baie de Somme nearby.

Amiens is the capital of the Somme department in France's Hauts-de-France region, about 120 km north of Paris and roughly 1 hr 10 min away by train. The city spreads along the River Somme and is famous for France's largest Gothic cathedral (a UNESCO World Heritage Site); it is also where science-fiction writer Jules Verne lived for more than 30 years. This destination uses Amiens as a base and also covers the Somme's WWI battlefield memorials and the Baie de Somme on the west coast.

Areas to explore: ① Amiens old town — the cathedral, the Saint-Leu canal quarter, flat-bottomed boat trips through the Hortillonnages (floating gardens), the Maison de Jules Verne and the Musée de Picardie are all within walking distance; one day is enough. ② The Somme WWI battlefields — the 1916 Battle of the Somme was one of the bloodiest of the First World War. Around Albert you'll find the Thiepval Memorial, the Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial, the Lochnagar Crater, the Ulster Tower and Delville Wood, plus the Australian National Memorial at Villers-Bretonneux and the Historial de la Grande Guerre in Péronne. You'll need a car or a day tour; visitors from Commonwealth countries are especially numerous. ③ The Baie de Somme — about 70 km from Amiens, with Saint-Valery-sur-Somme, Le Crotoy, a steam railway, seal watching at Le Hourdel and the Parc du Marquenterre bird reserve; plan on staying 1–2 nights. ④ Surroundings — the rose village of Gerberoy, the Château de Rambures and Abbeville.

The climate is mild and oceanic, with cool summers and frequent cloud and rain year-round. April–September is the best time, when Hortillonnages boat trips and Baie de Somme activities are in full swing. The cathedral hosts an evening light show in June–August and December, and commemorations take place on 1 July (Battle of the Somme) and 25 April (Anzac Day). Allow 3–4 days: one for Amiens, one for the battlefields and 1–2 for the Baie de Somme. Public transport outside the city is sparse, so driving is recommended; walks across the Baie de Somme must be done with a licensed guide, with an eye on the tides.

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Itineraries