Amiens is a crossroads of history, commerce and culture. It has a great cathedral and was the home of Jules Verne. Amiens is an excellent town for shopping, with its covered markets each morning, a Rederie (traditional flea market) every other Sunday, and a selection of Picard delicacies including foie gras, local beers, wines and 'gateau battu'. Find out more with this quick guide to this world renowned UNESCO site.

Click for Shopping, Staying, Enjoying, Getting to Amiens

Amiens has all of the specialties of Picardy - food, wine and crafts.

Confiserie Trogneux, 1 rue Delambre, 80000 Amiens
Tel: 00 333 22 71 17 17

Chocolatiers and confiseurs since 1872. They sell their own products and a selection of other homemade chocolates. The place to buy chocolate in Amiens. They specialise in the famous Amiens macaroon and chocolate “tuiles”. They are also the inventors of Le “Quentin de la Tour” - hand-made dark or milk chocolate pralines. They are happy to personalise gifts.

Les Canards du Val de Luce, 12, rue Jacques Hodin, 80110 Thennes (15km SE of Amiens)
Tel: 00 333 22 42 20 31

Duck produce including pâtés and foie gras from Picardy are a special treat, and no producer does it better than Les Canards du Val de Luce. This farm has won the highest French agricultural award, at the Salon de L'Agriculture, for its extraordinay quality.

Go to place Parmentier for the fortnightly "Réderie"

Like many Picard towns, Amiens plays host to its Rederie; a market of collectibles, antiques and bric-a-brac. Browse and haggle over unique pieces, hard to find in British markets. There is a Rederie every other Sunday.

The Market on the Somme, place Parmentier

Each Saturday, organic garden produce is delivered to the Amiens market. Situated near the beautiful Hortillonages gardens, you can browse and purchase locally grown fruits and vegetables. A wonderful French routine to be experienced.

The Christmas Market

Shopping for Christmas is a special event in Northern France, and Amiens hosts the region's largest market for gifts and provisions. This is no mall or high street; the mood is festive and lively with merry-go-round and Ferris Wheel, and bright seasonal illuminations. Enjoy a vin chaud as you wander through over 100 stalls and kiosks. Open daily, mid-day to 7pm.

More great ideas can be found in our regular shopping feature...

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Amiens is more than shopping. Here are some other great reasons to visit.

Marott' Street, 1 rue Marotte, 80000 Amiens
Tel: 00 333 22 91 14 93

Marott' Street is located in a fantastic building from the fin de siècle period, designed by Gustave Eiffel's student, Emile Ricquier. This former insurance office features the intricate ironwork and scrolling designs typical of the time. It's a wonderful place for coffee in the afternoon or drinks before dinner.

Chès Cabotans d'Amiens, 31 rue Edouard David, 80000 Amiens
Tel: 00 333 22 22 30 90

This puppet theatre illustrates the grand tradition of puppetry in Amiens. The most famous puppets are Lafleur, whose motto is “eat well, drink well and do nothing” and his long suffering fiancee Sandrine. Highly reminiscent of Punch and Judy, you don't need to understand the unique Picard dialect to enjoy these little farces.

Spectacle "Cathédrale en Couleurs"

During recent restoration work on Amiens’ Gothic Cathedral, traces of the original medieval paint were found. At the time of its building, this world heritage site would have been vibrantly painted to display the different stories central to the Christian faith, as most of the worshipers could neither read nor write.
Today, the original colours are brought back to life by use of computer generated light projection. It’s fabulous to see, and it’s free.
In Amiens, every night from 15 December to 6 January, Starting at 8pm, lasting 45 minutes.
24 December: two shows at 8pm and 11pm; 31 December, 2 shows at 8pm and midnight.

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Amiens offers plenty of different accommodation, from simple to luxurious. Here are a few on offer...

Hotel Mercure Amiens Cathedrale

This fine 3-star hotel is centrally positioned for all that Amiens has to offer. Located next to the Cathedral, it has 47 charming rooms, a bar and many nearby restaurants.

Stay at the Mercure between 20 December and 2 January, get 50% off the price of your room. Or, take advantage of the extended 'Bon Weekend en Villes' promotion. From 1 November to 31 March, book two consecutive weekend nights and one of them is free.

Other 'Bon Weekend en Villes' Hotels in Amiens include...

• Le Grand Hotel de L'Univers -close to the rail and bus stations, Amiens' excellent shops and principal sites.
• Le Carlton - The hotel has a large, lively, brasserie-style restaurant and bar, and offers a range of regional specialities.
• Hotel Alsace-Lorraine - In a quiet courtyard, close to the railway station and to the principal sites of Amiens.

Amiens is easy to reach by road and rail and air.

By Rail

Returns to Amiens via Paris with Eurostar and TGV cost from £84. This includes a change of trains in Paris. The total journey time is 4 hours 30 minutes from London, or 45 minutes to an hour from Paris, Gare du Nord

By Road

Amiens is an one and a half hours drive from Calais, direct on the A16 motorway.