Best places to visit in Amiens

The Notre-Dame Cathedral in Amiens is France's largest Gothic cathedral and stands at the heart of the city. Built between 1220 and 1270, it stretches 145 meters in length. The western façade and portals are decorated with 13th-century medieval sculptures depicting biblical scenes and the lives of saints. Walking inside, visitors are immediately drawn upward by the soaring vaults and the light streaming through the windows. The cathedral reflects how Amiens flourished as a wealthy and important city during the Middle Ages.

The Jules Verne Circus in Amiens is a venue for circus performances, concerts, and cultural events. This circular building from 1889 combines stone and iron in its construction. It demonstrates how the city has developed through different periods, from medieval cathedrals to modern structures.

The Hortillonnages of Amiens form a network of waterways and floating gardens cultivated since the Middle Ages in the city center. These canal-side vegetable plots showcase how local people have grown food and worked the water for centuries. You can travel through the canals by traditional boat and see green plants and gardening methods that have remained continuous through time. The Hortillonnages are part of Amiens' natural heritage and demonstrate how the city has maintained its connection to the land and water.

The Museum of Picardy in Amiens was the first building in France built specifically to function as a museum. It displays artworks from the Middle Ages through the 20th century and houses archaeological objects that tell the story of the region. The museum helps showcase Amiens as a place that preserves both historical and artistic treasures.

The Botanical Garden of Amiens is a municipal garden in the heart of the city that fits naturally into the region's rich heritage. Here visitors can explore plant collections featuring medicinal herbs, aromatic plants, and vegetables. The greenhouses offer a window into the world of botany and allow you to see many cultivated plant species. This place brings together nature and learning and complements Amiens' other historical and natural treasures, such as the Hortillonnages and the famous cathedral.

This writer's house preserves Jules Verne's world in its 19th-century private mansion where the author composed around thirty novels. The visit reveals period furniture and personal objects of the writer across four floors, showing his daily life and creative process during his years in Amiens. As part of the best places to visit in Amiens, this house allows visitors to step into the mind of one of the 19th century's most prolific authors.

The Perret Tower in Amiens is a 104-meter-tall building erected in 1952 and Europe's first reinforced concrete skyscraper. This structure shapes the skyline of Amiens and shows how the city rebuilt itself after World War II. The tower is part of Amiens' architectural heritage, which includes not only the Gothic cathedral and the historic floating gardens of the Hortillonnages but also modern buildings.

Samara Park in La Chaussée-Tirancourt reflects Amiens' deep historical heritage. The park spans 30 hectares and features reconstructions of dwellings from prehistory through the Middle Ages. Visitors can watch demonstrations of ancient crafts that reveal the techniques and daily lives of people from these different historical periods.

The Historial of the Great War Museum in Péronne complements Amiens' rich historical heritage by focusing on the First World War. Set within the 13th-century medieval castle of Péronne, this museum displays authentic military objects, period uniforms, and historical documents that document the conflict from 1914 to 1918. The collection presents French, British, and German perspectives, connecting this region's history with one of Europe's most significant events.

The Somme Museum 1916 in Albert tells the story of World War I through original objects, historical documents, and military uniforms. Housed in an old underground shelter, this museum offers accurate recreations of trenches and underground living spaces where soldiers lived between 1914 and 1918. This museum complements the historical sites around Amiens, including the Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Museum of Picardie, and the Hortillonnages, which together reveal the rich historical heritage of the region.

The Zoo of Amiens is an animal park that has welcomed visitors since 1952 and fits into this city with its rich history, ranging from the impressive Notre-Dame Cathedral to the floating gardens of the Hortillonnages. The zoo houses a diverse collection of animals such as panthers, wolves, giraffes, and monkeys in enclosures designed to replicate their natural habitats.

The House of Culture in Amiens serves as a central gathering place for artistic activity in the city. It houses multiple performance and exhibition halls, a cinema, and dedicated spaces for artistic creation. The venue presents a varied program of theater, dance, music, and visual arts. With modern technical equipment, it supports both established productions and emerging regional artistic talents, playing an important role in the city's cultural life.

Magic World Miniature is an amusement park near Amiens that offers a fun journey through miniature reproductions of famous monuments and everyday scenes. The displays come to life with sound and light effects, complementing Amiens' rich architectural and historical heritage.

Saint-Pierre Park in this collection sits on the edge of the Saint-Leu neighborhood and spreads around natural water features. Visitors can walk along several paths that offer views of Amiens' Notre-Dame Cathedral. From the park's banks, this green space provides an excellent vantage point to see the Gothic building.

Saint-Pierre Abbey Church in Corbie is a significant destination that reflects the religious heritage of the Amiens region. This church displays Gothic architecture with two towers reaching 55 meters in height. Built in the 7th century, the structure preserves medieval artistic characteristics and demonstrates the historical importance of Corbie in the spiritual development of Picardy, complementing the city's architectural and historical richness.

The Louis Aragon Library in Amiens is a reading and documentation center founded in 1826. It holds 400,000 documents, including medieval manuscripts and rare incunabula that showcase the region's literary heritage. This collection complements the city's other cultural sites and contributes to Amiens' rich history.

The Saint-Leu District is part of the diverse heritage of Amiens. This historic quarter preserves the legacy of its former weavers through characteristic half-timbered houses and a network of canals. The cobblestone streets today host restaurants and shops that line the banks of the Somme, where visitors and locals walk and enjoy the riverside life.

The Logis du Roi was the official residence of governors in the 16th century and sits in the heart of Amiens, a city with deep architectural and natural roots. This building shows how the city developed over time, from medieval gardens to modern structures. The Logis du Roi stands near the large Notre-Dame Cathedral and the art collections of the Museum, which tell the story of the region's long past.

The Saint-Jacques Church in Amiens is a religious building in the neoclassical style from the 19th century. It stands in the historic center of the city and shows the architectural development alongside more famous monuments like Notre-Dame Cathedral. The church reflects the continuous evolution of Amiens, which preserves its rich historical past through different building styles from the Middle Ages to modern times.

Saint-Rémi Church in Amiens is a 19th-century neogothic church that reflects the architectural revival of its era. The building displays a three-level facade that follows the principles of Gothic design from that period. It represents how Amiens developed architecturally over time, standing alongside other structures that span from the medieval Notre-Dame Cathedral to more modern buildings like the Tour Perret.

The Saint-Acheul Archaeological Garden in Amiens displays prehistoric remains showing human occupation dating back 450,000 years. As part of Amiens' rich historical heritage, this site allows visitors to explore the earliest traces of human life in the region. The garden is a public space designed to help you understand this ancient past and connect with the first inhabitants who lived here.

This citadel in Amiens represents one of the city's layers of history, built between 1598 and 1610 under the order of King Henri IV. Designed by military engineer Jean Errard, it features a regular pentagonal shape with bastions at each angle. Walking through this fortified enclosure offers insight into how the city protected itself in the early 1600s. Today, it stands as a testament to military architecture and provides views over Amiens.

The Belfry of Amiens is a notable structure that has watched over the city since the Middle Ages. The main tower was built between 1244 and 1407 and later renovated in the 18th century. Historic bells hang inside this building and tell stories of centuries of civic life in Amiens. The belfry demonstrates how the city has preserved its history across generations and how it continues to develop. It represents part of Amiens' rich architectural heritage, standing alongside landmarks like Notre-Dame Cathedral and the Hortillonnages gardens.

The Palace of Justice in Amiens was built between 1867 and 1880 and displays a neoclassical façade with prominent columns. Its grand interior staircase reflects the architectural traditions of the 19th century. This building forms part of the city's rich architectural heritage, which alongside the Notre-Dame Cathedral and modern structures like the Tour Perret demonstrates how Amiens has developed and adapted through different periods.

The Saint-Germain Church in Amiens is a religious building from the 15th century with a Romanesque bell tower dating from the 12th century. Inside, you will find Gothic vaults and historical stained glass windows. This church adds to Amiens' rich architectural variety, which also includes the famous Notre-Dame Cathedral and other buildings that show how the city has preserved its history from the Middle Ages to today.

Saint-Acheul Abbey contributes to Amiens' rich historical heritage. Founded in the 12th century by Augustinian canons, this abbey shows a long history of changes and different uses. In the 19th century it served as a seminary, and later as a school. The architecture of the abbey reflects these different periods and the various purposes it has served.

The Bouctôt-Vagniez Hotel in Amiens is a former private residence built in 1890 in Napoleon III style. Its sculpted ornaments and monumental stone façade showcase the architectural craftsmanship of the Belle Époque. This building reflects the prosperous character of 19th-century Amiens and demonstrates the city's ability to combine decorative elegance with solid construction. It stands as one of several architectural treasures that reveal how the city developed alongside monuments like Notre-Dame Cathedral and natural spaces like the Hortillonnages.