To many travellers, Picardy is somewhere you whizz through on the Eurostar to Brussels or during the drive south from Calais. Seen from the autoroutes and train lines, it can look flat and uninspiring.
But rarely has the phrase ‘not so fast’ been more appropriate. If you take the Eurostar to Lille, hire a car and explore at leisure, you’ll discover the spiritual birthplace of France (it’s where the Franks settled in the 5th century), some fine countryside and villages, interesting cities and plenty of history, including the battlefields of the Somme.
If clients want to cut their driving time down even further, arrange for them to pick up their car at Haute Picardie, a 40-minute train ride from Lille. Avis has a site there.
Day one: Saint Quentin
Head south out of Lille, taking the A1 and A26 to Saint Quentin, a pretty town on the border of the Somme. It has some interesting architecture, particularly the Flemish-style town square and the Gothic town hall and Basilica.
It is also proud of its artistic heritage. Matisse was born here, as was the pastel master Maurice Quentin de la Tour, many of whose portraits hang in the town’s Antoine Lecuyer gallery. They include pictures of 18th-century celebrities such as Voltaire, Rousseau and Madame de Pompadour.
Once you’ve had a look around the town, relax in the Champs-Elysées park or the wilder Isle Marshes nature reserve. Alternatively, the source of the Somme would make an interesting excursion – it’s 9.5 miles away in the little village of Fonsomme.
Day two: the Circuit of Remembrance
Drive west out of Saint Quentin and follow the Circuit of Remembrance, a trail of battlefields, cemeteries and memorials relating to the infamous Battle of the Somme.
Start in Peronne at the Museum of the Great War, a modern building set among the remains of Peronne Chateau. From there, the route takes in seven other sites, including Thiepval, with its famous Memorial of the Missing, designed by British architect Sir Edwin Lutyens.
The trail ends in the town of Albert, whose attractive red-and- white Basilica, faithfully rebuilt after being destroyed in the war, houses a modest war museum. From here it is another 40 minutes’ drive west to Amiens.
Days three and four: Amiens
Amiens is dominated by its 13th-century Gothic cathedral, the largest in France. Look out for the Weeping Angel statue, which achieved global fame on soldiers’ postcards home during the First World War. Next, take a look round Jules Verne’s elegant house, where the author lived for 18 years and wrote many of his novels.
Before dinner, watch the ‘Cathedral in Colour’ show, which projects the building’s original vivid paintwork, discovered during cleaning in the 1990s, on to its façade. The show takes place nightly during summer months – the English part begins about 20 minutes after the published start time.
Original statues from the front of the cathedral – many of them still showing traces of paint – are on show at the Museum of Picardy. Its collections include paintings, sculptures and archaeology.
After that, hit Amiens’ extensive shopping area – making sure you pick up some macaroons, a local speciality. Foodies should also take a look around the indoor market, which is full of tempting stuff from local producers.
Finally, get dinner and drinks in the lively Saint Leu district, whose canalside location and small, colourful cottages have earned it the name ‘the little Venice of the north’.
Day five: Beauvais
Another city, another magnificent Gothic cathedral. This time Beauvais, an hour’s drive from Amiens on the A16. The cathedral is notable for a chiming clock dating back to the 14th century, and a 19th-century one with an unexpected twist: its 68 mechanical figures act out scenes from the Last Judgement every hour.
The city is also a good starting point for learning about the traditional industries of the Oise valley. Try the Tapestry Museum in Beauvais itself, the museum of brush-making in Saint Felix, and the museum of marquetry in Meru. The latter is a good place to stop on the drive south to Chantilly, and still produces handmade jewellery and dominoes using traditional techniques – the gift shop is handy if you want something interesting to take home.
Days six and seven: Chantilly
Drive southeast for about 45 minutes to reach Chantilly. The elaborate Chateau – which had a cameo in James Bond film A View to a Kill – houses one of France’s best collections of historical paintings, including works by Delacroix and Raphael.
Stop lunch at the on-site restaurant, set in the former kitchen of celebrated 17th-century chef Francois Vatel – often credited with the invention of Chantilly cream – or wander up past the stables to find a few local bistros.
After lunch explore the stables themselves, now the ‘Living Horse Museum’ and home to 30 horses, ponies and donkeys. As well as its permanent exhibitions, which include a striking collection of antique carousel horses, the museum gives daily dressage demonstrations.
The stables overlook Chantilly’s famous racecourse, so check the listings if your clients are big horse fans – the season starts in April, and most of the big international races take place in June.
Sample product
Eurostar offers returns from London to Lille with seven days’ car hire from £122 per person. Avis offers seven days’ car hire from Ablaincourt station (Haute-Picardie) from £152.
Superbreak offers two nights at the two-star Express by Holiday Inn Amiens from £102 per person, and two nights at the four-star Chateau de Montvillargenne in Chantilly from £170 per person.
