Amiens isn’t a French city I’d heard of until I scanned Google Maps for a long weekend destination that isn’t far from Calais. I quickly decided it would fit the bill when my research revealed it has a fabulous cathedral, abundant waterways, great eateries and a history with French novelist Jules Verne, the original teller of fantastical travel tales. Here’s what makes Amiens an excellent destination for a weekend break.
1. It’s quick and easy to get to
As mentioned, I was looking for somewhere not too far from Calais, as my friends and I generally opt to drive from the UK to France. Taking the car means we can pop into a Carrefour on arrival and stock up on great-value French wine. The Eurotunnel terminal is closer to Amiens than the ferry, so we booked that and went to the Citié Europe shopping centre for lunch and the wine shopping. The A16 highway goes from here directly to Amiens, so just 90 minutes later, we arrived in this friendly small city on the River Somme.
2. Accommodation is reasonably priced
When there are three of us travelling, we prefer an apartment to separate hotel rooms, and Airbnb has a good selection. I opted for a very central two-bedroom apartment with a terrace, which cost £300 for three nights at the end of March. When we had to reschedule the trip to a higher season time in early September, the cost increased by £128, but we still thought it was great value. The terrace has views of both the cathedral and Amiens’ belfry tower, making it the perfect spot for an al fresco breakfast and drinks after sightseeing.
3. Amiens Cathedral is a Gothic masterpiece
Cathédrale Notre-Dame d’Amiens is the largest Gothic building in France. It’s absolutely stunning and so huge that it’s very dominant and visible across the city. The facade is incredible with an amazing amount of detailed sculpture and a 13m rose window that is the same width as the main vessel of the nave.
Inside the cathedral is just as impressive, so there is plenty to see. There are some lovely stained glass windows, including in the Chapel of Our Lady Draper. Amiens was a centre for textiles in the Middle Ages. Another unusual feature is a large maze, which served as an initiation journey for the faithful who diligently followed its black strip to the centre. And there are many more sculptures, such as the High Relief of St John the Baptist, which shows scenes from both his life and his execution.
4. The views from the cathedral tower are excellent
As well as visiting the inside of the cathedral, it’s also possible to go up its towers. To do this, you need to book a tour at the cathedral shop. You also need to be willing to climb 320 steps up a spiral staircase! I found it quite dizzying and was glad of the break to cross in front of the rose window from one tower to the other. But at the top, we were rewarded with excellent far-reaching views of Amiens and its colourful houses.
You also get a great view of another Amiens landmark, Tour Perret. It’s a 29-storey 110m-high residential tower that has been described as France’s first skyscraper. The building was originally meant to be topped with a belfry and clock, but it was never built due to delays and cost overruns. In 2005, the tower was finally completed with a Sablier de lumière (Hourglass of Light). This cube is made of 192 glass panels illuminated by twelve circular lamps which project different colours depending on the time of day.
5. Quartier Saint-Leu is a picturesque area to walk around
Alongside the cathedral is the excellent Amiens Tourist Information Office. The helpful staff answered all our questions and provided various maps and leaflets, including a walking tour of the picturesque Quartier Saint-Leu. Crossed by branches of the Somme river, the district dates back to the Middle Ages when the water and mills provided power to weavers, dyers, tanners and millers. The walking tour starts at the cathedral and covers 12 highlights in around an hour. The first highlight that we hadn’t noticed until now is that Amiens is divided into an upper and lower town. So you need to walk down some steps to get from the Notre-Dame quarter to Saint-Leu. This takes you to some of the oldest houses in Amiens, and then the walk goes alongside and across waterways, passing the remnants of one of the city’s old watermills. It ends at Quai Belu, which is now a lively spot lined with restaurants.
6. The Water Market is a great place to pick up fresh produce
Directly across the river from Quai Belu is Place de Parmentier, where a weekly farmers’ market takes place every Saturday morning. Originally, the market gardeners from the nearby hortillons brought and sold their produce on boats, earning it the name ‘Water Market’. Nowadays, the stalls are set up along the quaiside, but much of the produce still comes from the hortillons and is very fresh and appealing.
7. The Hortillonnages are perfect for a leisurely boat trip
The Hortillonnages are market gardens that have been cultivated since Roman times in the marshes of the Somme. While the volume has since decreased, the area still makes for a lovely, leisurely boat trip. It is possible to view some of the Hortillonnages from footpaths, but taking a ride in a traditional boat means you meander along waterways you can’t see otherwise. I’d recommend booking in advance, particularly at weekends. It did look possible to arrange a tour in English, but we booked a French one, and our driver helpfully sat us in front of him so he could translate key bits of information.
During our boat ride, we spotted a restaurant with a terrace overlooking the canal. So afterwards we walked along the Somme and found O Jardin, which sits between the river and the canal. It’s the perfect spot for an alfresco lunch, and the Avocado Toast was delicious.
8. There’s art in the gardens
Walking back towards the centre, we passed the entrance to Ile Aux Fagots, a small island that was hosting artistic landscape creations from the International Garden Festival. Originally the location of Amiens’ first open-air swimming pool, the gardens were dotted with a range of interesting sculptures and art installations. One combined traditional ceramic with ceramic 3D printing to create a nesting site for insects, while another had been created using tree stumps to illustrate how elements of the natural world can be destroyed by storms. An Anderson Shelter was the inspiration for another artwork, while another very modern piece was made of steel and glass. Each piece came with a display board to explain the artist’s thinking, making it a really interesting as well as visually appealing walk.
9. Amiens is the former home of adventure novelist Jules Verne
Another Amiens highlight is La Maison de Jules Verne, a former home of the famous French writer. The four-storey house is where Verne lived from 1882 to 1900, and he wrote more than half of his work within its walls. Across the series of rooms, you can learn about the author’s main sources of inspiration as well as his publisher, Hetzel. There are large maps, posters and models. At the top of the house is a room recreated like a ship, complete with a steering wheel.
10. Eating and drinking options in Amiens are plentiful
A primary reason for any visit to France is the food and drink, and Amiens didn’t disappoint. We had dinner at Le Port Saint Leu, a traditional brasserie on Quai Belu and also at nearby Le Lobby, which has a more contemporary feel, with a modern menu and decor. The salmon there was delicious, and the fruity dessert was beautifully presented.
On our last night, we ate at Le Quai on an outside table overlooking the river. I had an amazing cod loin dish with basil pesto and local pineapple tomatoes and courgettes. Then one of my friends was in heaven when her cheese board arrived, complete with a stick of butter and a brioche roll. The French sure know how to serve cheese! And the staff were also very friendly at Le Quai and everywhere in Amiens.
There are plenty of bars and cafes for drinks in Amiens, including several in Rue de Bondes, just across the bridge from Quai Belu. We had good cocktails at Baobar, but it was very loud, even outside. So, the next evening we went for a quieter option at Les Dés Raisonnables, a games bar. They have dozens of board games that are free to use as long as you buy a drink every hour. The only catch is that the games (and therefore the instructions) are all in French! There’s also a row of bars overlooking the Belfry, and we had very good cocktails at La Fée Verte, which is an absinthe bar, but fortunately, drinking it isn’t mandatory!
11. Nearby Arras is the perfect place to stop on the way home
As well as these great reasons to visit Amiens, it’s also only an hour’s drive from Arras, a picturesque French town where soldiers dug tunnels to surprise the Germans during World War One. That is why it’s home to the Arras War Memorial that honours almost 36,000 British soldiers who went missing and were presumed dead during the war. Their names are inscribed on the walls, so we went there on our drive back to Calais to see the name of my friend’s great-grandfather. It’s a beautifully maintained, peaceful place.
After visiting the memorial, we drove into the centre of Arras for lunch and to admire its gorgeous architecture. First, we came across a free outdoor concert in the courtyard of a lovely mansion, Hôtel de Guînes. Then we headed into the appropriately named Place des Héros, one of Arras’ many cobblestone squares surrounded by Baroque townhouses. A very pretty place that was the perfect place to end our excellent weekend away.
For more posts about European destinations that are perfect for weekend breaks or longer stays, visit the Europe section of my blog.
Wonderful place!
Great memories made
Well worth a visit