12 Unmissable Things To Do in Amiens, France
Amiens is a beautiful city in the Picardie region of northern France, not far from cities like Lille or Rouen. Despite also being quite close to Paris, Amiens is quite the hidden gem, yet it has a fascinating history and a surprising variety of truly unique attractions.
Dominated by its imposing Gothic cathedral, which often serves as a stunning backdrop throughout the city, Amiens combines architectural grandeur with the unique canals of the Hortillonages and the fascinating history of Jules Verne, who once called Amiens home.
Despite its many highlights, Amiens remains relatively unknown and deserves far more attention than it gets. Case in point – we were here in the height of tourism season and there were very few tourists in town.
Let other’s loss be your gain – Amiens is definitely worth a visit and we loved our time here. Here are the best things to do in Amiens!
12 Unmissable Things to Do in Amiens
1. Notre Dame of Amiens
Notre Dame Cathedral in Amiens, the largest Gothic cathedral in France, bears a striking resemblance to Notre Dame in Paris, with its two square bell towers, arched entrances adorned with sculptures, gargoyles, and a massive stained-glass rose window.
It’s enormous and truly awe-inspiring – the interior volume is 200,000 cubic meters, nearly double the volume of Notre Dame in Paris. The soaring space is filled with stunning details: large stained-glass windows, vaulted ceilings, statues, an intricate altarpiece, and beautifully decorated chapels lining the perimeter.
One of the cathedral’s greatest treasures is a relic of John the Baptist—his skull (minus the lower jaw), encased in silver and displayed within the church. This relic, which narrowly survived the French Revolution, has been a source of pride for centuries.
During the summer months and during the Christmas markets, the Chroma light show plays on the cathedral’s facade – a favorite for locals and visitors alike.
This 45-minute event runs nightly, typically from July 14 to late September, and then in December, starting after sunset. Check in the tourism office for exact dates and times.
Interestingly, the cathedral’s construction was largely funded by the production and sale of waide, a yellow flower grown in Amiens’ hortillonages (floating gardens) that produces one of the rare natural blue dyes in the world.
2. Parc de l’Eveché
This small park is nestled right behind the cathedral, with some walking paths and a little playground underneath the trees. It’s a nice spot to see the cathedral framed in by the trees.
3. Maison Jules Verne
The Jules Verne House, where the famed French author of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and Around the World in 80 Days lived, offers a fascinating glimpse into his life and imagination. Verne lived in Amiens from 1871 to 1900, and was deeply beloved by the city of Amiens and active in the social scene during those years.
The house-museum reflects his time here. Some rooms are recreated exactly as they were during his life, while others are designed to represent the offices of his colleagues or even one of Verne’s ships—an especially cool and imaginative room.
I loved this museum. Each room includes information in both French and English, detailing the displays and providing insights into Verne’s life and work. The rooms are beautifully curated, often filled with fascinating maps, drawings, and small sculptures that bring the settings of his stories to life.
4. Musée de Picardie
The Musée de Picardie is the Fine Arts Museum in Amiens, and was a surprising highlight of our visit. Housed in a beautiful, palace-like building that was built purposefully as a museum—a rarity in France where historic buildings are often converted into museums—it’s a space as grand as the collection it holds.
The museum features a variety of sculptures, massive paintings, and smaller works, with a notable focus on the prehistoric history of the Somme and Picardie regions (where Amiens is located), including fossils and depictions of ancient peoples and animals.
The picture above was one of my favorite spaces in the entire museum, with its stunning ceilings and enormous paintings. The museum also includes a sculpture gallery and multiple rooms showcasing paintings of the Picardie region and Europe in general.
The Musée de Picardie is widely regarded as one of the best fine art museums in France outside of Paris.
5. The Hortillonages
The Hortillonages is a vast network of flowing canals and gardens on the outskirts of Amiens, spanning over 300,000 hectares with 65 kilometers of canals and hundreds of islands.
Dating back to the Middle Ages, this human-made area was originally developed for vegetable and flower farming. The canals served a dual purpose: irrigating the gardens and transporting crops by boat to the markets.
Although some vegetable farming still takes place, the Hortillonages today are primarily used for leisure and sightseeing. The area is now known for its serene beauty, with weeping willows, bamboo, flowering plants, and cultivated gardens.
You can explore the Hortillonages on boat tours offered at several locations, including the Hortillonages Museum and the O Jardin restaurant.
Rentals are available at the museum if you’d like to paddle yourself, otherwise both locations offer guided tours. Be prepared that the guides may speak mainly French, particularly at the O Jardin restaurant.
We opted for a guided tour from O Jardin, and showed up for the first slot at 10 am on a weekday. It ended up being just us and the guide, who shared fascinating stories about the history of the Hortillonages and Amiens.
The hortillonages are such a unique and defining feature of Amiens – it’s definitely worth prioritizing a visit during your stay.
6. Chemin de Halage
The Chemin de Halage is a peaceful and scenic pathway that runs between the Somme River on one side and the canals of the Hortillonages on the other.
Stretching 45 km north to the sea and continuing far south of Amiens, it’s perfect for walking, running, or biking—though I’d definitely recommend biking. We biked about 7 miles (12 km) on the Chemin de Halage, and it was absolutely a highlight of our visit.
The views of the Somme River are lovely, but the charm lies in the canals and streams of the Hortillonages on the other side. The parcels of land across the canals were separated by tiny private bridges with gates. The homes and flower-filled gardens felt idyllic.
We rented city bikes available throughout Amiens, using the Vélam Officiel app to locate and check out bikes. The app setup takes about 10 minutes the first time, and while the first 30 minutes are free, costs apply after that. For our 1.5-hour ride, we paid €7 per bike—a very reasonable price.
7. Saint Leu Neighborhood
This neighborhood borders the Somme River and features a major canal running through it. This neighborhood, developed in the Middle Ages, was inhabited by the weavers, dyers, tanners, and millers of the city, who needed the running river water to power their mills.
Today, it’s a picturesque area perfect for a stroll, filled with colorful homes, half-timbered buildings, and charming bridges. Two of the original 25 mills are actually still standing in the river today.
Be sure to walk down Rue Motte, the prettiest street in the neighborhood and home to some of the oldest buildings in Amiens.
The Pont Dodane bridge connects the Old Town to Saint Leu, and offers some really nice view over the river and looking back to the town. In particular, you can really appreciate the cathedral towering over the surrounding buildings.
The Quai Belu is another really nice spot – a charming riverside promenade lined with restaurants, the tables right up next to the water. Quai Belu is nice anytime, but it’s lovely in the evening glow when everyone’s dining al fresco.
From the bridge and the quai, you can spot the “Man on Buoy” statue, an oak sculpture of a man standing in the middle of the river—a quirky and unique point of interest in Amiens.
8. Tour Perret
The Tour Perret is a striking 110-meter-high skyscraper built in 1952, during the Post-war construction era. Generally considered the first skyscraper in France, it has a very distinctive design, especially with the so-called “Hourglass of Light” at the top, which glows at night.
The tower is a residential apartment building, so it can’t be visited, but you’ll definitely be able to catch a glimpse and admire it’s unique design as you explore Amiens.
9. Horloge Dewailly
The Horloge Dewailly clock is a recreated version of the original that once stood on Place Gambetta before 1940. It’s named after the mayor of Amiens, Louis Dewailly, who donated the funds to create a public clock at a time when personal watches were rare.
The clock is stunning, with an ornate Art Nouveau column with scrolls, flowers, and three clock faces visible from different directions. At the base is Marie sans chemise, a bronze statue of a young woman raising her arms gracefully—a symbol of spring.
During World War II, the statue was removed and safely stored, while the column was left behind and eventually damaged. In 1999, the clock and column were faithfully rebuilt using original plans and placed at almost their exact original location on Place Gambetta.
10. Beffroi d’Amiens
The Beffroi d’Amiens is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the many distinctive belfries across northern France and Belgium.
Built between 1406 and 1410, this towering square belltower is 52 meters tall, with a mid-18th-century top that was rebuilt after being damaged during German bombing in 1940. Historically, the belfry served as a lookout post for fires, a vital role in the city’s defense, though it ironically burned down three times.
Today, the carillon bells still sound regularly. You can only visit by guided tours led by the Amiens Tourist Office, and they only offer a few tours a month – check the schedule here. Even if you don’t can’t visit with a tour, it’s still worth stopping by to admire the exterior.
11. Parc Saint Pierre
This lovely park is just north of the river and is full of walking trails, a large pond, and different activity areas (mini-golf, skate park, petanque, zip-line, etc). It’s right off of the Chemin de Halage along the river. If you want another spot to explore by bike, or need a chance to relax, this area offers a lot of options.
12. Tomb of Jules Verne
The La Madeleine Cemetery is just a little bit outside of the city center and is full of grand, ornamented tombs and sculptures, surrounded by serene nature.
The most spectacular and noteworthy grave is the Tomb of Jules Verne, whose grave is topped with an incredible sculpture of Verne lifting his tombstone, rising from the grave, and stretching towards heaven.
The name of this incredible sculpture, which has been listed as a Historical Monument, is “Towards Immortality and Eternal Youth”, a fitting poetic remembrance of the celebrated writer.
Map of Amiens Attractions
Where to Eat in Amiens
These are two restaurants we ate at and enjoyed during our stay:
L’Adresse: A delicious and budget-friendly restaurant serving a variety of Italian-inspired dishes, with several French cuisine dishes mixed in. Fabulous dinner.
Restaurant Le 31: A mid-priced restaurant right on the Quai Belu offering a nice selection of traditional French options from beef tartar to roasted lamb and from scallops to creme brulée. We really enjoyed the food and the atmosphere.
How Long Do You Need in Amiens?
You can explore Amiens and see everything on this list with 1-2 days. With just one day in the city, you’ll have a hard time doing everything on this list, but two days will give you enough time to visit all the attractions and soak up the vibes of this hidden gem French city.
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