SOMME


the many and varied Great War museums and memorials that mark the Somme Offensive, which took place between July 1 and November 18, 1916. If you have a car, you can make day trips around the département to pay your respects to those who died in one of the bloodiest batles in human history. You can also take advantage


of the Somme Batlefields’ Partner network – 140 professionals who can advise on places to visit, accommodation and more to help you get the most from your experience, plus guides. An apt place to begin is the


all-encompassing, expertly conceived Historial de la Grande Guerre in Péronne, a town occupied by the Germans for almost the duration of the war.


"An apt place to begin is at the expertly conceived Historial de la Grande Guerre in Péronne, a town occupied by the Germans"


The museum guides visitors using


Clockwise from top left: Close-up of the stunning Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme; Amiens's rejuvenated Saint-Leu quarter;


Newfoundland soldiers' bravery and loss is marked at Beaumont-Hamel; colourful and creatively inspired


gardens at Amiens's Les Hortillonnages the displays at the Historial in Péronne are expertly conceived and moving; the Lochnagar crater (La Grande Mine) is a 21m deep scar on the landscape


marshland, called Les Hortillonnages. These ‘floating’ gardens have been exploited by market gardeners for over 800 years and today your barque trip around the maze of rieux (canals) reveals everything from fruit and veg for sale to an array of ever- changing art installations (thanks to the art & jardins – Hauts-de- France organisation).


Somme offensive: Lest we forget A major benefit of Amiens is that it serves as a base for exploring


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a 360-degree perspective, with a timeline from pre- to post-war (1870 to the 1930s), elements from the Home Front (18,000 objects in total, about five per cent exhibited at any one time), uniforms and propaganda items. There are even guidebooks to towns such as Arras, used by the Germans when on leave. A permanent exhibition of works


by Oto Dix reveals the shocking psychological effects of war, while the visit concludes with a superb display detailing how family and local life changed inexorably in the post-war years. Some 25km northwest of Péronne,


near La Boisselle, is the 21m deep Lochnagar crater (called La Grande Mine on road signs), formed


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