Arriving in Amiens.
We decided to have a few days away just before Christmas and booked a hotel in the centre of Amiens for a couple of nights before going on to Montreuil.
Why did we choose Amiens in December? Well first of all we’d read there was a large Christmas market; also a spectacular light show, a ‘son et lumiere’ known as The Chroma lighting the famous Gothic cathedral at night and also it’s just a 90-minute drive from Calais.
We wandered into the centre first of all which was absolutely buzzing. There were wooden stalls lined along the middle of several streets selling all kinds of Christmas gifts plus food, local produce and warming drinks. There were several children’s roundabouts and an ice rink and other activities too. Gradually as it became dark the whole area was a winter wonderland of lights and music.
Our first evening.
We returned to our hotel, Holiday Inn Express to sort ourselves out making sure we would arrive outside the Cathedral by 19.00. I should say that the hotel, although it doesn’t look anything from the outside was absolutely fine. We were given a warm welcome when we arrived and as for location, it was right in the centre and so very convenient. Parking was good too as there is a large, underground shopper’s car park below the hotel.
When we arrived at the cathédral d’Amiens the light show, ‘Chroma’ had just started. This stunning Light & Sound show takes place at nightfall from mid-June to mid-September and December and draws crowds to this UNESCO-listed Gothic cathedral turning the front of the cathedral into a spectacle of light. The ‘show’ lasts about forty minutes and is amazing. If you click the link above, the page includes a short slide show of the effect achieved by the Chroma on the intricate facade of this Cathedral.
Once the Chroma was over the crowds quickly dispersed and the square in front of the Cathedral was empty. It was time to head off to the oldest part of the city known as Saint-Leu. There are so many tributaries of the River Somme in this part of the city it’s nicknamed, ‘Little Venice of the North’. This area comes alive at night with people sat outside having drinks as well as inside the bars, even in December! Having enjoyed a beer at one of the cafes we crossed over the river to our restaurant, Le Quai. As you would expect the restaurant is right by the riverside and is fairly ‘upmarket’. We chose the ‘Ficelle Picarde’ for starters which is a traditional dish of the region …savoury crepe stuffed with Paris mushroom duxelles, caramelized shallots, artisanal ham, cream & gratinated Gruyère cheese. It was delicious but so filling and quite honestly we hardly had room for the main course. Thank goodness we had a bit of a walk back to our hotel.
Day 2 – Exploring the city.
This was our one full day in Amiens so we wanted to make the most of it. After breakfast we walked alongside one of the canals to explore the Saint-Leu quarter a little more. I was intrigued by the statue standing in the river by one of the bridges, also the paintings on two buildings nearby. The sculpture is known as ‘A man on a Buoy’ made by German sculptor Stephan Balkenhol; two wall paintings nearby are also linked and apparently signify the relationship between the upper city and down town Saint Leu.
‘A man on a Buoy’ – wrapped up warmly to withstand the winter weather.
I feel we should have explored the area more as this quarter of the city is the most interesting in terms of the architecture and history. The tiny houses which line the narow streets feel more German perhaps or Scandinavian. It was very quiet that morning as we wandered round but the area comes to life in the evening as I mentioned. I imagine in the summer it’s crowded with people.
And now we headed towards the city centre and the cathedral, Notre Dame d’Amiens which dominates the skyline. It’s the largest Gothic Cathedral in the world, bigger than Notre Dame in Paris with the nave reaching a height of 42 metres and the spire an impressive 112 metres high.
The interior of this cathedral is breathtaking! The height of the pillars and the stained glass is very impressive. It’s free to go in but you have to pay to go up the tower. After seeing the light show the previous evening we found it hard to work out how they manage to pin-point certain areas of the facade in different colours – very clever.
It goes without saying that a visit to the Cathedral is a ‘must’ when in Amiens. As the website says it’s ‘one of the finest examples of Gothic sacred art’, you can’t argue with that.
By the time we’d walked around the cathedral we were in need of a spot of lunch and a loo. I thought the large department store, Gallerie Lafayette would have one, but no. I was glad we went in though as the inside is very impressive but like most of these department stores, certainly ones in the U.K., customers are few and far between.
The afternoon:
After lunch we walked over to the Jules Verne Museum. He’s a famous chap and especially so in Amiens having lived there for 34 years (1871-1905). For 18 of those years he lived in the house which is now a museum. The courtyard has an interesting mural painted on one wall and the conservatory by the entrance has all the characteristics of the art deco style. Admission is €9.00 with concessions, a generous €5.00.
Jules Verne wrote several of his famous novels whilst living in the house which has several first editions displayed, many personal belongings and manuscripts. The downstairs rooms have family photographs around the walls but we found the top floor the most interesting with the displays and artefacts giving the impression that nothing had been changed since the author’s time there. One area was transformed into the bow of a ship which I guess represented ‘The Nautilus’ from his famous novel, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. It would have been a fantastic view of the city from the famous tower but there’s no public access.
There are two spiral staricases in the building. The central one which looked quite modern and fits brilliantly within the building provides access to each floor with the second staircase going down from the top floor to the ground. I had to take a picture of course of the staircase and one of the beautifully crafted ‘flying machine’ which hung above it. The house is not large and can be explored in about an hour. The rooms have been well furnished to reflect the author’s time there and some of the infornation is in English. We felt it was well worth the visit but had hoped there would be a little cafe but at least there was a loo!
We headed back in to the main shopping centre to have a last look at the Christmas Market and choose a cafe for a warm drink before going back to our hotel.
The evening:
We hadn’t booked anywhere to eat that evening so decided to check out the cafes and restaurants along from where we’d had a meal the night before alongside the wharf. We chose O’Belu, a traditional brasserie with simple homemade dishes and good value for money.
Leaving Amiens for Montreuil via Le Crotoy:
Thick fog had settled on the city that morning so we wondered if it was worth driving to the coast although the Météo had said it was only foggy inland. Anyway we decided to head for the commune of Le Crotoy hoping the fog would clear. The website describes it as a captivating seaside town and on a summer’s day with the sun shining it probably is. Famed as having one of the most beautiful estuaries in Europe with its beaches being the stand-out feature it attracts many tourists but on a cold, grey day in December, there appeared to be very little life of any description.
We decided it was worth getting out and maybe find somewhere open. A short walk along the harbour front and we were proved right …the restaurant in front of us was open and full of people. We were thrilled! Both of us love seafood and especially mussels and clearly Le P’tit Ridin was the place to be. A huge bucket of mussels came with chips and bread washed down with a carafe of the house wine and was excellent. If you read the reviews there’s no getting away from the fact that opinions vary regarding both the food and the service but we were very happy to have eaten there. Also …whilst we were ploughing through our mussels, the sun came out and the picture below, completely untouched, proves it!
Arriving at Montreuil-sur-mer:
The final leg of our short break was spent in Montreuil-sur-mer, an historic, walled town, full of character which we know quite well. As usual we stayed at Les hauts de Montreuil which we would thoroughly recommend. We’ve stayed here several times. The staff are very helpful, the rooms are spacious and well-furnished and the breakfast is as good as you’d get anywhere. We have eaten in the restaurant a couple of times but on this ocasion as it was a Thursday, it was closed. It was disappoimting but the town has many restaurants and cafes to choose from.
When we arrived we walked, as usual around some of the ramparts which encircle the whole town. There are some splendid views whichever part of the wall you choose to start from.
The cobble stoned streets off the main square are lined with ancient houses, several independently-run boutiques and restaurants. Whether you stroll along the ramparts or explore the town it feels like a place steeped in history. In the days of horse-drawn coaches the town was a stop-off place en route between the coast and Paris. Many of the tall rust-brick houses in the main street have wide doorways into courtyards where the coaches would have driven in for the night.
There is the church, l’Eglise Abbatiale Saint-Saule to visit also The Citadelle Fortress although we have yet to visit it as it’s always closed in December. I guess we should visit Montreuil in the summer sometime as the picturesque streets are a riot of colours with flowers and there’s an open air, Son et Lumiere to celebrate Victor Hugo’s ‘Les Miserables’. Hugo wrote this masterpiece and chose to feature Montreuil after making a brief visit there.
Some of the shops I’d like to mention in the town are …for wine – La Cave de Montreuil, for cheese – Fromagerie Caseau and for bread – Le Grémont Bakery. For a cosy cafe to sit and wonder at the architeture which shows just how many centuries old these town buildings are, go to Grand’Place. The hot chocolate on a cold winter’s day was delicious. By the way, Montreuil-sur-mer is not on the coast. Over the centuries the tides and build-up of silt has ‘moved’ the town further away from the coast although it’s still not far from the sea.
Whether you’re driving or going by train, visiting northern France from the UK is an easy trip. So often we are heading south and fail to stop in this area. We only went as far as Amiens and there is of course lots more to see but it’s an easy way to get that French ‘fix’ and bring back some reasonably priced wine. I expect we’ll be back there at the end of 2026. Maybe if you’re thinking of a short trip to Northern France this Blog has inspired you to explore the towns in this area?
Travels with the Booths.blog 