Taxi Lille → Amiens

Amiens is a city that surprises with the richness of its heritage. Its Notre-Dame Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is quite simply the largest Gothic cathedral in France — it could contain two Notre-Dame de Paris cathedrals. With its 145-metre length, 42-metre vault height and façade adorned with over 1,000 medieval sculptures, it is an absolute masterpiece of Gothic art. In summer and December, a light show called 'Chroma' illuminates the façade with its original medieval colours — a magical moment. The hortillonnages are Amiens' other treasure: 300 hectares of floating gardens in the heart of the city, criss-crossed by canals ('rieux') navigated by traditional horn-shaped boats. These market gardens, cultivated since Gallo-Roman times, still supply the floating market held every Saturday morning in the Saint-Leu quarter. This medieval district, threaded by branches of the Somme, is the living heart of Amiens: half-timbered houses, waterside restaurants, antique shops and artisans. Amiens is also the city of Jules Verne, who lived there for 34 years and wrote his greatest novels there. His house, now a museum, can be visited at 2 Rue Charles-Dubois. Amiens' municipal circus, one of France's rare permanent circus buildings, and the Perret Tower, Western Europe's first skyscraper (1952, 110 metres), complete a fascinating urban heritage.