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A great side trip from Paris - Amiens!

Never heard of it? It happens to be the hometown of French president Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte but is also known for archaeological finds dating to the Paleolithic Period (and quite a history in between!) I think 99% of tourists never bother to go to this charming city and it's such a shame to miss it if you're traveling in northern France. It is halfway between Paris and Lille (about 1-1/2 hours from Paris by train) and is home to the largest cathedral in France - and IMO, the most beautiful one as well. Yes, it is even bigger and more beautiful than Notre Dame in Paris! And it sits like a jewel right in the center of the city where you can just wander in and enjoy the hushed silence in this beautiful place. No tickets, no lines, no crowds.

There is a canal system running through the city called les hortillonnages on which little farms and gardens "float" and you can take a leisurely boat trip among them. There is an historic house museum in the home of Jules Verne and an art museum which could reasonably be described as a "mini-Louvre." In the Musée de Picardie are paintings, sculptures, antiquities and archeological treasures in a much more accessible venue than its massive counterpart in Paris. Also, no lines, no crowds, just walk up and buy a ticket.

There is a small but vibrant night life in the Quartier Saint-Leu which is right on the river and lined with charming restaurants, bars, and brightly colored little houses. (Thanks to the large university, UPJV, there is a distinctly youthful vibe to the city. It isn't by any means a provincial backwater.)

If you're in France in the winter, Amiens is a charming Christmas village - it has the largest Marché de Noël in northern France, a ferris wheel, and best of all an illuminated spectacle at the Cathedral which is not to be missed.

What you WON'T find in Amiens are a lot of tourists. It is a city that tourists just seem to swirl around and keep on going for whatever reason. Because tourists are few and far between, this is a city where you very quickly get a sense of the local color (for good AND for bad, since the residents are not known for their friendliness, I'm sorry to say.)

However, this is a very easy city to visit, one of the easiest in France that I've been to. The train station is just steps from the city center and maybe a 10 minute walk to the Cathedral. Everything you'd want to see is easily walkable. There are hotels just steps from the the train station as well, Amiens is truly easy in/easy out whether for a day trip or staying overnight. If you go for the Christmas festivities, there are no worries about parking or finding your way around. Take the train to Amiens, get off, and THERE IT IS, all right in front of you to enjoy with very little effort. You can't get much more bang for your buck than the price of a train ticket from Paris to Amiens for a day.

Posted by
10955 posts

Thanks for posting this. I’m accumulating ideas for day trips in the Fall and I’m intrigued by your descriptions.

Posted by
36 posts

Thanks for posting this. I’m accumulating ideas for day trips in the
Fall and I’m intrigued by your descriptions.

I hope you consider visiting Amiens, if you do come back and let us know!

However, sadly you will miss the stunning light show at the largest cathedral in France since it runs only during the summer (until the end of August) and during the month of December. It isn't shown in the spring or fall months. But they do have THIS EVENT in October, it is like giant, citywide flea market.

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15459 posts

How true, Amiens is basically empty of tourists, even in the summer. I went there in 2023 after years of having not visiting it and again in June 2024. The cathedral is not to be missed.

I like Amiens, was there the first time in 1989 as a day trip from Paris Nord, and much cheaper to stay than in Paris, just take the train in.

Amiens was the site of horrendous fighting in WW1 and WW2. The military cemeteries of the British dot the countryside and that of the Germans and the British are located not too far from Amiens in Fricourt.

Posted by
4519 posts

Bookmarked for a future trip back to Paris. Thanks for the recommendation.

Posted by
1260 posts

Thanks StellaB for the information. It's under a 1.5 hour train ride from Gare du Nord. Fodor's France has a bit on Amiens, but Rick Steves France does not. Maybe that's a good thing?! It sounds lovely. I've included it in my itinerary for our September visit to Paris.
Fodor's says to . . ."lift up some of the 110 choir-stall seats, and admire the humorous, skillful misericord seat carvings executed between 1508 and 1518" in the Cathédrale Notre Dame. I might just have to do that.
Visiting the Maison Jules-Verne is a must for me. Thanks again!

Posted by
3750 posts

We watched a Great Courses lecture series on Cathedrals and the lecturer said his favorite cathedral was Amiens! So of course, it’s on the list!

Posted by
726 posts

Thanks so much, might be something to add when I’m in Paris in February. The cathedral would be wonderful to see, and the art museum too. I really appreciate learning this.

Posted by
2222 posts

Good idea to promote Amiens. It proofs travelling off the beaten path can pay off.

Posted by
36 posts

Good idea to promote Amiens. It proofs travelling off the beaten path
can pay off.

Funny, because Amiens is on a main train line, and not far from Paris, so I don't know how it got "off the beaten path." I even have a friend who was born and raised in Paris - lived there most of her life - and had never been to Amiens until she went there with me.

I've suggested Amiens to everyone I know who was planning a trip to France and asked me what they should see, but to this day not one of them ever went there. Did someone cast a spell on this city that I don't know about? LOL

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2222 posts

Psst… Don’t say it loud. It has to do with narrow mindedness :-). If you are brought up with the idea that Paris is the center of the world, why should you look further. In case the Notre Dame of Amiens would have burn’t down at the time, would that have caused the same wave of sadness? Would be still in ruins, don’t you think so?

France is blessed with an unique soil, not only good for making excellent wines, but also good for the production of limestone. It’s widely used as a building material for almost any kind of buildings in the country, including cathedrals. And gives it’s unique lightness and brightness to it’s architecture everybody loves so much.

However with the exception of that part of France north of Île-de-France and the Belgian border. Where brick is the omnipresent building material and gives everything a lesser appealing appearance. It’s also lesser wealthy, more heavy industry, the extensive agricultural areas with little variation in scenery is boring travelling through. Think this are some reasons why the area around Amiens has a lesser good reputation compared to other regions like Normandy and Burgundy. And so the reason it’s overlooked.

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36 posts

However with the exception of that part of France north of
Île-de-France and the Belgian border. Where brick is the omnipresent
building material and gives everything a lesser appealing appearance.
It’s also lesser wealthy, more heavy industry, the extensive
agricultural areas with little variation in scenery is boring
travelling through. Think this are some reasons why the area around
Amiens has a lesser good reputation compared to other regions like
Normandy and Burgundy. And so the reason it’s overlooked.

Very interesting points! Yes, it is true that the countryside in this region isn't really "stunning" although it is pleasant enough. Driving through northern France the scenery can get a little dull for sure. But the magnificent Cathedral alone should bring droves of visitors along with such sites as the Tour Perret, the Beffroi d'Amiens, the Horloge Dewailly et Marie-sans-chemise (my personal favorite, I love it!), the Cirque Jules Verne, and les hortillonnages. Not to mention the Picardy museum with archaeological finds like the Acheulean tools and Roman artifacts. Too bad people overlook these attractions - including Rick Steves himself, who apparently doesn't include this city in the guides (as far as I know.)

Posted by
10955 posts

The flea market you mentioned is on the first Sunday of October. I will be in Paris at that time but reading that the flea market attracts people from all over the world made me think that I would rather go at a less crowded time. I definitely do plan to go.

Posted by
36 posts

The flea market you mentioned is on the first Sunday of October. I
will be in Paris at that time but reading that the flea market
attracts people from all over the world made me think that I would
rather go at a less crowded time. I definitely do plan to go.

I did go to that flea market when I was in Amiens (I lived there for several months in 2014-15 while studying at UPJV) and it was the coolest thing ever, I still have some things I bought there which was real vintage and antique stuff . I guess it was crowded but it is spread out over the whole centre-ville so it wasn't bad, just a festive atmosphere on a bright Fall day. (It was actually pretty awesome!).

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2222 posts

A month earlier on Saturday 6 september and Sunday 7 September Lille will have it's annual flea market during the Grande Braderie de Lille. It's enormous and expect it attracts like the one of Amiens a serious number of visitors.