LOCATION


The Art Nouveau-style Dewailly (‘Naked Mary’) clock is a reproduction of the original


this city, which often sees very modern buildings jostling up against those rich in history. The 16th-century citadel


is a perfect example. The ‘impregnable’ fort on the site was taken by the Spanish in 1597 and led to the creation of the current citadel, which was in use as a military building until 1990. As a result of a competition in 2010, renowned Italian architect Renzo Piano transformed the citadel into a university, retaining the former barracks as a light-filled library with classrooms and creating additional, very modern, buildings around it. We used an app called


Whatizis to navigate round the city centre. It offers a suggested route with information on 13 different sites of interest along the way, all in English. It takes


Amiens cathedral escaped damage during the war, although areas around it were not so lucky


in the House of Jules Verne, home of the famous author for 18 years and now a museum dedicated to his life and works, and the Musée de Picardie. This was France’s first purpose-built museum and the impressive


accompanied it with a ‘wine flight’ – a small glass of wine perfectly matched to each course. The hotel we stayed in was also newly renovated. An Ibis Styles, close to the imposing Tour Perret, part of


“It's a confident, creative and attractive city that celebrates its rich cultural history”


collections range from archaeology to modern art.


WINING AND DINING We had dinner at L’Ail des Ours in the city centre. With a seasonal menu and an open kitchen, the food was fresh and beautifully presented and we


the city’s energetic and creative post-war reconstruction, the hotel had an industrial feel that blended well with the comfort and convenience it offered. In the sleepy village of


Vignacourt, just north of Amiens, is an unexpected treasure trove. Around 4,000


glass plates were discovered in the loft of a building in the village in 2010. They were the work of photographers Louis and Antoinette Thuillier and record the lives of thousands of soldiers who passed through the Somme battlefields.


OFF-DUTY SNAPSHOTS Situated behind the front lines and close to a British army base, they offer rare glimpses of the men off duty and, with six marriages recorded in the archive, sometimes the women and children they loved too. Work is underway to trace the men pictured, who came from across Britain and Australia and even from China and Nepal (sjmc.gov.au/lost-digers- vignacourt). The subterranean world of


Naours offers another glimpse 4


3 REASONS TO CHOOSE AMIENS


with green spaces and steeped in history


from the beautiful Baie de Somme and its coastline


Imaginatively presented food at L’Ail des Ours, one of the city’s top eateries


A selection of craſt beers brewed on site at Brewpub La Filature


of the capital city almost on your doorstep


FRENCH PROPERTY NEWS: March/April 202573


from Paris, meaning you have all the excitement


Just over an hour away Less than an hour away


A historic, artistic and welcoming city, filled


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