Small boats take you leisurely through the canal jungle of the floating gardens of Amiens, the Hortillonages. Or you can look at them from a bicycle, as they are located along the Somme, along which a beautiful path runs. It is not far from the mighty cathedral of Amiens to the Somme and soon you have left the bustling city and are immersed in the quiet world of the floating gardens, the Hortillonnages of Amiens. They are currently mainly allotments and second homes in the wetlands along the Somme. Originally they served to supply Amiens with fruit and vegetables since the Roman rule. But of the original 10,000 hectares of cultivated land, only around 300 hectares remain today, as the cultivation of vegetables in the Hortillonages has declined considerably since the 1950s.
Currently, ten gardeners still cultivate around 25 hectares of land. The Hortillonage are a tourist attraction and are crossed by long, flat barges with inclined bows.
By bike you pass canals, ponds and large lakes in which unexpected art installations appear. After around 20 kilometers you reach industrial facilities that are beautifully reflected in the Somme. On the way back you can see the mighty Notre Dame d'Amiens Cathedral from afar, a Gothic church that was elevated to a minor basilica by Pope Pius IX in 1854. It was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List and has also been part of the "Way of St. James in France" World Heritage Site since 1998. The sacred building has the highest nave vault of all French cathedrals (42.30 m) and an impressive west portal.
