Amiens Things to Do

Only one of the attractions @ the Cathedral: The Head of beheaded St. John the Baptist is claimed to be in there, and I have seen it! I feel blessed now, and feel like good things are bound to happen soon :-D
We'll see...

Now, what did the stairs mean for me? Well,
a) The best 3 euro's I spent at Amiens!
b) throbbing muscles in my legs
c) great views onto quite a symmetrical part of Amiens
d) awe at some great gargouilles
or
e) all of the above!
Well, it 's e) of course. You can get in for free if you study architecture (they actually thought I was, with my camera and all), but for the rest of us common people it's 3 euro's.

Visit all the parks in Amiens! The Parc st. Pierre was my favorite walking destination, the Parc Hotoie is really pretty too and has a zoo right next to it. The hortillonages are also really pretty and peaceful.

You absolutely have to see this cathedral! It is breathtakingly beautiful! It's the highest cathedral in the world and can be seen from miles away! The nave is great no matter what kind of day! During stormy weather, the cathedral is a sanctuary from the gloom outside, during sunny weather a beautiful luminous space! The stain glass (what there is left after the wars) is really pretty too. The outside of the cathedral has been given a face lift, the stones went from grimy grey to gleaming white. Don't miss the opportunity to hike up the stairs to the outside of the Rose window and on to the top of the cathedral. The views of the steeple and the outlying areas of Amiens are awesome! They have these tours in the spring and summer and cost around $3 US.

Great War Memorial (Historial de la Grande Guerre)
A museum dedicated to WW I, seen from the different sides (German, English, French) and with exibit in 3 languages.
Several video consoles show archive films.
6 halls according to the different parts of the War.

This pretty small fisherman´s village is located at the 'Baie de Somme'. Like most of these villages, one must discover the sea-food restaurants: don´t go to the local pizza house. Spending a few days here won´t bore you. Apart from the ruins and the old city part, it is surrounded by green hills (great for walking, cycling,...) and on the other side of course the Somme bay. Although this is not a fine sand beach, one can do a lot of water sports. Sand beaches can be found nearby. In the area it is also known for fowl hunting.

This City built around a costal harbour is a must visit. The old part (center of the city) is great to wonder around. Nice shops, terraces, restaurants,... The city is also known for a sea-life acquarium.

This 'beach' is recognized by grey - black cliffs with big rocks at the bottom. It´s a place famous for finding fossiles, which is what I used to do when I was a child. However, last time I was there, I couldn´t find any?? At low tide, a lot of local people come there to collect something, but I couldn´t figure out what? escargots? mussels? snails??