Capital of Picardy and city of Art and history, Amiens possesses a gem of Gothic art : the Notre-Dame cathedral. UNESCO World Heritage Site, the cathedral of Amiens is, with its 145-metre length and its 42-metre height, the biggest cathedral in France! It is also a beautifully homogenous building – explained by the fact that it was built within a century. Its magnificent facade and richly decorated portal are truly stunning and feature exceptional statuary. Inside, the 110 oak stalls in the chancel are also remarkable.
A must-see colourful show of illuminations on the cathedral's portal takes place every evening in the summer and the month of December. This is a moment when the spectator can admire the original colours, which used to decorate the facade of the Notre-Dame cathedral in the Middle Ages.
Not far from the cathedral is the Saint-Leu medieval district nicknamed "Little Venice of the North". This former tanners', weavers' and dyers' district is really charming with its small colourful houses sitting along the canals. Walkers can enjoy a beautiful view of the cathedral from Pont de la Dodane bridge. Numerous restaurant and café terraces along the water provide pleasant and relaxing places to stop.
Other places of interest in the historic centre are the shopping streets and monuments all around the cathedral, including the King's lodge (Logis du Roi), the Sagittarius house (Maison du Sagittaire), the bailiwick house (Maison du Bailliage) and the belfry.
Amiens also boasts several interesting museums: the Picardy museum is home to collections of archaeology, sacred art, painting and sculpture; the Hôtel de Berny museum contains objets d'art and antique furniture; while the Maison de Jules Verne, where the famous writer lived for 18 years, houses souvenirs, objects and documents relating to him.
Les Hortillonnages d'Amiens, located near the historic centre, are 300 hectares of must-see marshland made up of pretty little floating gardens, formerly all given over to market gardening, surrounded by canals. Some plots are still used for growing fruit and vegetables today. A walk along the old towpath gives a good introduction to the site. But to properly explore these wonderful secret gardens, which often feature delightful little huts and houses, there is nothing like a trip on a traditional hortillonnages boat – the barque à cornet.
Every Saturday morning, the market gardeners from les hortillonnages sell their produce in Place Parmentier square in Amiens. A big festival every June features a traditional market on the water.
