Amiens, the cathedral and Saint-Leu
The largest Gothic cathedral in France, Notre-Dame of Amiens unfolds its two hectares of UNESCO-listed nave. Each winter, « Chroma » lights its façade in colour, as in medieval times. Behind it, the Saint-Leu quarter, a former tanners’ district, lines its colourful houses along the canals: terraces, bistros and small bridges create a resolutely romantic date.
The hortillonnages of Amiens
Just north of the cathedral, three hundred hectares of floating market gardens are threaded by a mosaic of narrow canals, the rieux. Board a traditional flat-bottomed cornet boat and glide between the plots where vegetables and flowers grow. Every autumn, the international garden festival shows contemporary works to discover along the water: a date unlike any other in France.
Laon, Beauvais, Noyon
All across Picardy, great cathedrals punctuate the landscape: Laon, perched on its hill with five towers; Beauvais, whose choir rises nearly fifty metres; Noyon, where Charlemagne was crowned. Between two visits, enjoy a pause in a town-square bistro: Amiens macaroons and pâté en croûte served with a smile. On Lyad, people from Picardy share their weekend itineraries.
Date ideas
- Amiens Cathedral
- Hortillonnages
- Saint-Leu quarter
- Beauvais
- Laon
- Soissons
- Noyon
- Bagatelle
