Your insider's guide
to authentic
French experiences
to authentic
French experiences
Summary
Editorial
French culture and Gastronomy
Nature
14 - 18 Remembrance
Stopover
39
French culture and Gastronomy
41
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Picardy's Cuisine
Feast on Authentic French FlavoursPicardy is a fabulous gastronomic destination on many levels, from Michelin-starred restaurants and innovative chefs to top-notch regional produce – the fruits of fertile rolling countryside.
A short hop from the Channel ports and within easy reach of the UK, Picardy in northern France is a perfect foodie destination. Whether you want to try hearty local specialities or sample refined gourmet dining – or some of both – this region is second to none when it comes to culinary discoveries. Terroir or ‘land’ is the watchword: Picardy’s rolling landscapes of lush green fields dotted with market gardens are ideal for crops including wheat, carrots, endives, watercress, rhubarb and apples, as well as for feeding contented cows whose rich milk goes into iconic dairy products including Chantilly cream and Maroilles cheese.
Terroir or ‘land’ is the watchword: Picardy’s rolling landscapes of lush green fields dotted with market gardens are ideal for crops including wheat, carrots, endives, watercress, rhubarb and apples, as well as for feeding contented cows whose rich milk goes into iconic dairy products including Chantilly cream and Maroilles cheese.
Visitors to Picardy are spoilt for choice when it comes to places to enjoy regional cuisine, from rustic village restaurants and classic brasseries and bistros to luxurious Michelin-starred dining rooms. Dishes can be homely – the likes of flamiche (leek pie) or ficelle picardie (savoury crêpes with cheese, ham and mushrooms) – or elaborate.
Conviviality is key to enjoying local produce – and that includes Picardy’s renowned cider and Champagne. Other must-trys include Amiens’ duck pâté and macaroons, gâteau battu (a brioche-like cake) and the extraordinary produce of the Baie de Somme, whether it be the freshest seafood (mussels, oysters and more), mineral-rich salt-marsh lamb or foraged local plants including samphire – or even surprises such as locally farmed saffron.
And don’t miss a browse at some of France’s best food markets, including Les Halles du Beffroi in Amiens (try the goats cheese with local rose petals), or the city’s unique floating market with vegetables fresh from its hortillonnages or market gardens.
Practical Information
Practical Information
How about dinner with champagne?
© CRT Picardie/ AS Flament
Samphire: a gift from the Bay picked in spring
© CRT Picardie / S Bouilland
Gourmet Innovation
Visit a saffron farm in a surprising spot
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Visitors to the gorgeous Baie de Somme, on the Picardy coast in Northern France, have a foodie treat in store – a rare spice, saffron, thought have its origins in Crete, is grown just near one of the world's most beautiful bays and widely used by local chefs.
Follow the signs for Safran de la Baie de Somme in Ponthoile to meet innovative producer Anne Poupart, active in the region’s ‘zero carbon’ association of restaurants and producers. Here, on her family’s vegetable farm, Anne decided to become one of Europe’s very few cultivators of a spice today most readily associated with Iran. And local chefs needed no prompting in putting her high-quality product to excellent use in their dishes.
Saffron hand-picked by Anne Poupart
© CRT Picardie / comdesimages
The quaint village of Saint Valery sur Somme overlooking the Bay of Somme
© CRT Picardie/N.Bryant
Visit the farm and Anne will let you in on the secrets of cooking with high-quality saffron for yourself, as well as its history. Come in autumn and you may see the actual blooms, too.
A Foodie Paradise
Time slows down in the Baie de Somme and so will you, strolling the narrow streets of St-Valery-sur-Somme and eating in local restaurants, where you’ll come across Anne’s product in dishes such as poached pears with saffron at the Hôtel les Saules (see recipe), papillote of salmon with Somme Bay mussels and saffron at the stylish Au Vélocipède, and saffron mousse at La Table des Corderies.
St-Valery is the perfect spot to recharge your batteries, with a long promenade with bay views, medieval ramparts, a Gothic church and a Belle Epoque steam train to Le Crotoy. It also hosts a fabulous market on Wednesday and Sunday mornings, plus Friday evenings in July/August.
Make a beeline for Les Mets de l’Estran, a tiny grocery devoted to local products, with a handful of tables where you can sample simple, gutsy dishes, including charcuterie platters accompanied by samphire, and local artisan beers, some featuring unusual ingredients such as oreilles de cochon (sea aster). As at Anne Poupart’s farm, you won't be able to resist buying some 100% Picardy produce to take home as a reminder of a place where life’s simple pleasures count more than anything else.
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Flavours of France - Cook with Saffron
- Wine-poached PearsAnne Poupart supplies restaurants all round the Baie. At Hôtel les Saules in Favières, for instance, chef Guillaume Feron offers poached pears with saffron – one of his most popular desserts.
PREPARATION TIME
1 pm
LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY
Simple
COOKING TIME
20 to 30 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
(serves 6)
●6 pears ●50cl dry white wine ●20cl water ●1 vanilla pod ●1 orange ●1 star anise ●6 or more pistils of saffron*
DEVELOPMENT
Put the white wine, water, vanilla pod, orange, one star anise and saffron into a large saucepan and heat gently for at least 15 minutes.
Put the white wine, water, vanilla pod, orange, one star anise and saffron into a large saucepan and heat gently for at least 15 minutes.
Peel, halve and core the pears then add to the liquid and let them gently poach for 20–30 minutes, depending on ripeness (check by piercing with a cocktail stick – they are cooked when it goes right through).
To serve, place a pear in a soup plate and ladle some of the liquid over it.
*As a rule of thumb, Anne Poupart recommends using one pistil of saffron per person for des-serts, two in savoury dishes, and three in paella.
Discover a different Normandy
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Picardy has many attractions which we would normally associate with Normandy (but without the crowds !). Cheese, green rolling hills and cute villages…
At La Fontaine Orion, local producer Claire Halleux welcomes visitors to her farm-shop to stock up on cheese and cream, as well as tarte aux Maroilles fresh from the on-site kitchen, apple juice and cider. Maroilles is star of the show of the Thiérache region (near Belgium) with its rolling countryside, woods and empty tree-lined roads. It’s a place to embrace authenticity as well as the great outdoors, visiting typical farms, farm shops, fortified churches and sleepy villages.
Love stinky French Cheese? You'll love Picardy's Maroilles
© CRT Picardie / AS Flament
Dinner by the fireside at the Château de Clermont les Fermes B&B
© CRT Picardie / X Renoux
Try Maroilles with an aperitif, in a main dish or from a cheeseboard, or head to La Capelle’s Saveurs et Terroir grocery for cheese tart as well as rhubarb jam and other regional goodies. In addition to Maroilles, local restaurants make good use of local cider. Buy some of the best direct from source at Clos de la Fontaine, along with apple juice, apple jelly and cider vinegar.
War and Peace
The Thiérache is known for its 60-plus fortified churches with watchtowers, machicolations, bartizans and arrow slits – refuges for the population and their livestock during wars. Among the most impressive is Parfondeval, near the Clos de la Fontaine.
A stylish spot for a tranquil night’s sleep, the Château de Clermont-les-Fermes B&B is run by a painter who uses natural products including soil from her garden. She’s also an artist in the kitchen, cooking up tarte aux Maroilles and other local dishes.
Practical Information
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Flavours of France - Maroilles cheese tart
Yeast dough (home-made is so much better and pleasant to watch it rise from the fireside) with thin strips of Maroilles cheese laid on top (with its golden rind). Cook for 20 minutes and enjoy! Time to sit down at the table and tuck in to this quiche washed down by a local beer…
PREPARATION TIME
1:10 pm
LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY
Simple
COOKING TIME
15 to 20 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1/2 Maroilles cheese (380 g) ● 200 g flour ● 1 mug lukewarm milk ● 2 eggs ● 10 g baker’s yeast ● 80 g butter ● 1 pinch of salt
DEVELOPMENT
Dilute the yeast dough by mixing the two eggs with the flour. Add the melted butter. Beat and add the yeast to the lukewarm milk. Stretch out the dough in a buttered pie dish, leave to rise for an hour at room temperature. When the dough has risen, fill it completely with thin strips of the Maroilles cheese. Put in a hot oven for 15 to 20 minutes
There is a list of locations where you can buy Maroilles and beer in the “Practical Information” section
A Gourmet Escapade
Michelin-starred Dining
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Enjoy French art de vivre courtesy of a new Michelin-starred chef at the at-mospheric Château de Fère on the threshold of the Champagne Trail, near A 26 and Reims – the perfect place to celebrate a special occasion.
Asumptuous, wood-panelled restaurant with murals by local fable writer Jean de Fontaine is the setting for gourmet French cuisine by Michelin-starred chef Pierre Caillet, working with Catherine Dalle and her team. The eight-course tasting menu is a gastronomic experience you’ll never forget. With its backdrop of a ruined 13th-century castle, the Château de Fère and its restaurant couldn’t be more romantic. This five-star property also
The pleasure of choosing wine with the sommelier
© CRT Picardie / AS Flament
French cuisine by Michelin-starred chef Pierre Caillet
© Château de Fère
local expert
Christelle
positively oozes Frenchness – yet Anglophone visitors are assured the warmest of welcomes in English.
Guest rooms are havens of cosy sophistication. Be pampered and take some time just for you in the spa – where you may be surprised by the Oriental-inspired massages on offer. Venture outside and there’s a pool, a tennis court and access to the ruined castle and woodland walks.Follow your nose
The Château is on the threshold of the Route Touristique du Champagne, and though you can enjoy a coupe or a bottle in the hotel restaurant, it’s also de-lightful to discover the vineyards at your leisure, especially during the autumn vendanges, when the grapes are harvested by hand and the air is filled with their scent.
Many vineyards hold special events during les vendanges, including tours, tastings and champagne breakfasts/lunches, while tours of the medieval cellars of Château-Thierry’s exclusive Champagne Pannier are an unmissable experience.
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A World-famous Heritage
Northern France as a Cultural Destination
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Marvel at the Amiens Cathedral sound & light show after night fall
© CRT Picardie / L.Leleu
Just a short hop across the Channel, this fascinating region of northern France is famed for its Gothic art, its royal castles and its war sites, but also for its horses and its whipped cream!
Extending from the fairytale châteaux of Chantilly and Pierrefonds north of Paris to the forests and pastures of the Thiérache near the border with Belgium, and from the vineyards of the Champagne picarde wine region in the east to the beaches of the Somme estuary on the Channel coast, Picardy has a a rich history and cultural identity.
There’s something for everyone, whatever your interests. The battles of northern Picardy in World War I have left their mark in the form of compelling museums as well cemeteries and memorials. But this is also the birthplace of Gothic architecture, with no less than six of the world's greatest Gothic cathedrals: art critic John Ruskin described Amiens Cathedral as ‘the Pantheon of Gothic architecture’. Amiens is also home to the Musée de Picardie with its collections including local art and archaeology.
Layers of History
Royalty were here too: the Château de Compiègne was among three seats of royal government and later the place where Napoléon expressed his love for Marie-Louise in a grand landscaping gesture.
Other cultural treasures include the ruined Abbaye de Chaalis in Ermenonville forest, where a surprise awaits in the form of an intact chapel with Italian Renaissance frescoes by Francesco Primaticcio, plus an art museum.
Meanwhile, the Château de Chantilly houses France’s large collection of antique paintings after the Louvre, though the town is best known for its horses – its 17th-century stables are home to the fascinating Living Museum of the Horse, while the stunning 19th-century racecourse is hosting, as a one-off in 2016, the world’s greatest horse race, the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
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A World-class Race
The Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe 2016
For one year only, visitors to France’s horse capital, Chantilly in the heart of Picardy an hour north of Paris, can watch the world’s greatest horse race on the city’s famous racecourse 1st & 2nd October.
Traditionally run at Longchamp in Paris, the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe brings together the most talented thoroughbreds aged three and over from the best racing stables around the world in a race covering one and a half miles.
Chantilly is the perfect place to watch this prestigious event. This delightful town became the capital of the art of equestrianism thanks to the passion of Henri d’Orléans, Duke of Aumale, for horses.
Château de Chantilly is home to France’s second largest collection of paintings after the Louvre
© CRT Picardie / V Colin
Equestrian shows take place throughout the year in the magnificent Dome of the Museum of the Horse
© CRT Picardie / N.Bryant
it was Henri who encouraged the construction of the stunning 19th-century racecourse where the Prix is being hosted as a one-off in 2016.
A Town Made for Horse-lovers
Race-watchers can also visit the neighbouring Living Museum of the Horse in the majestic Grandes Ecuries – stables built in the 17th century for Louis-Henri de Bourbon, seventh Prince de Condé. Housing fascinating displays on horses through the ages and different cultures, they also put on spectacular equestrian shows. And you can even enjoy a leisurely horse-ride around the glorious estate of the Château de Chantilly.
Wonderful places to stay in and around town range from the charming little Ferme de La Canardière B&B to the luxurious Chateau de Montvillargenne. Chantilly also has a fantastic choice of restaurants, crêperies and tea-room.
Hidden Treasures
A Secret in a Secluded Chapel
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A masterpiece of Italian Renaissance art can be found at peaceful Chaalis on the very doorstep of Paris, within an unimposing chapel concealing atmospheric frescoes by Primaticcio.
Nestled in Ermenonville Forest just north of Paris, the tranquil ruins of the Abbaye de Chaalis seem like an unlikely place to discover an Italian Renaissance masterpiece. But here, within an intact chapel in the grounds, lie frescoes that form the greatest body of religious-themed work by Francesco Primaticcio, a painter
who spent most of his career in France and whose most famous legacy can be found at the Palace of Fontainebleau.
Commissioned by Ippolito d’Este, a son of Lucrezia Borgia who was appointed Abbot of Chaalis by his friend King François, the delicate frescoes, which are atmospherically softened by the light from the chapel's high windows, depict the Annunciation and the Church Fathers.
The chapel also bears the coats of arms of the abbots on its pillars, as well as the tomb of Nélie Jac-quemart-André, a painter and art collector who inherited this estate and for whom the on-site Musée Jacquemart-André art museum is named.
A Break from Routine
The Abbaye de Chaalis is a wonderful place to get a breath of fresh air while discovering new things, with a rose garden perfect for romantic strolls. Remarkably, all of this is just a few minutes’ away from large hotels and gourmet restaurants, among them the Château de Montvillargenne in Gouvieux – a stately castle built in 1900 by the Rothschild family, with a spa, an indoor pool and a sumptuous restaurant. For something more intimate, quirky Les Rêveries dans la Théière in Ermenonville has cosy B&B rooms and a charming tea-room specialising in inventive quiches.
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Chaalis Abbey rose garden
© CRT Picardie/ AS Flament
Jacquemart-André Museum houses a private collection of works of art including two paintings by Giotto
© CRT Picardie/ AS Flament
Napoleon's Romantic Side
Undiscovered opulence in Compiègne
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Compelling layers of history to uncover at the Château de Compiègne, a former royal residence, include the love story between Napoleon and Marie Louise – and a unique gift made to the Empress.
Built for Louis XV, a devotee of hunting in the surrounding forest, Compiègne’s castle was a seat of royal government. Restored by Napoleon I after the Revolution, it was the scene for extravagant week-long parties hosted by the Emperor for his guests, as well as the setting for his love story with Marie-Louise.
Château de Compiègne Ballroom
© CRT Picardie/ AS Flament
4 kms of trees removed for love.
A tour of the royal apartments brings you to the Empress’s chamber with its view along the Percée des Beaux-Monts – an avenue stretching into the forest, created by Napoleon to remind his wife of her beloved Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, requiring the removal of 4km of trees.
Compiègne is a delightful place for a couple's break, with cobbled streets lined with tea-rooms, including Chez Célestine. Make sure to pick up some picantins (grilled hazelnuts with nougat and chocolate) from one of the many chocolate shops. Then retreat to the heart of the forest, to Auberge à la Bonne Idée with its chic rooms and gourmet fireside dining. Don't miss the nearby Saint-Jean Oak, one of France's oldest trees, or a walk in the forest – at its most atmospheric in autumn.
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Amiens’ UNESCO Jewel
Discover a Gothic Marvel
Find out all about the world-class Gothic architecture of Amiens during a relaxing break in Northern France – and discover the city’s many hidden charms at your leisure.
One of six Gothic cathedrals in Northern France, Amiens’ is also the largest in France, with the country’s best-preserved rose window. Despite its size, it was built rapidly, according it a remarkable unity of style.
One of six Gothic cathedrals in Northern France, Amiens’ is also the largest in France, with the country’s best-preserved rose window. Despite its size, it was built rapidly, according it a remarkable unity of style.
Tasty break at La Maison Bocquillon
© CRT Picardie / comdesimages
It’s startling to realise, when Amiens’ cathedral is lit up at nightfall through December and from mid-June to mid-September, that this how its facade looked in medieval times – a veritable sea of colour. But any time of year, whether it’s illuminated or not, you could spend hours studying the facade's extraordinary sculptures depicting scenes of everyday vices and virtues.
A Walk in Time
Transfixed by the cathedral, few visitors discover the quaint cobbled streets with half-timbered houses that lie behind it. Here too, a small park leads you down to St Leu, where watermills stood in the Middle Ages. These days it’s home to a Saturday market selling produce from the hortillonnages (floating gardens you can explore on a barge trip).
Another unmissable market is the covered Halles du Beffroi, oozing French art de vivre, but also be sure to stop off at Douceurs et Gourmandises for artisan macaroons to slip into your case, and Marott’street pub, a listed historic monument with Art Deco interiors.
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Practical Information
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A New View on the War
The Somme from AboveTaking a guided tour over the trenches by light aircraft gives you an interesting perspective on many aspects of a turbulent time in history, including troop deployment and other strategies.
Book a flight over the Somme battlefields with the Aéroclub de Picardie Amiens Metropole and, with the help of your English-speaking pilot-guide, you’ll grasp the strange and poetic beauty of a landscape indelibly marked by the traces of its violent history. You’ll also gain new insights into the strategies of some of the key battles that took place in this region during the Somme Offensive of 1916. During the 40-minute flight from Amiens, your pilot will point out sites such as the Château de Querrieu, stately seat of the British High Command during the Battle of the Somme, and Sainte-Colette hill, the site where notorious German fighter pilot, Manfred von Richthofen, nicknamed the Red Baron, met his end in a crash.
You’ll also fly over the village of Fricourt, once home to Picardy aircraft industrialist Henry Potez, co-inventor of the Potez-Bloch propeller, which, after 1917, was used in most Allied World War I planes. Fricourt itself bears many remnants of the Great War, from a German military cemetery sheltering 17,027 war dead to trenches and craters that bear witness to the devastation that occurred here.
From Fricourt you’ll head to Albert, where your pilot will tell you about the hopes and superstitions surrounding the golden virgin on the basilica – the British believed that the war would only end when the statue had toppled.
At Boisselle, you’ll get a bird’s-eye view of the vast Lochnager crater (100 metres in diameter and 30 metres deep). Resembling a extinct volcano from above and caused by an explosion from mines painstakingly laid by Welsh tunnelers, it marked the exact beginning of the Battle of the Somme, which went on to be the bloodiest in British military history.
Flying over Pozières and the Ferme du Mouquet, which were defended by Australians, you’ll reach Thiepval – site of an immense memorial that together with the nearby Tour d’Ulster commemorates British and Irish forces. Thiepval’s pillars are poignantly engraved with the names of more than 72,200 missing British and South African servicemen.
Over Beaumont-Hamel, you’ll get unique views of the vast huge battlefield with its intact network of trenches and its craters denoting enemy lines. Next to it, the Newfoundland Memorial is testament to the loss of hundreds of Canadian lives in one of the most violent battles of the war – one that has left dramatic and lasting traces.
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Practical, Information
Patrice and Philippe – outstanding pilots and guides
© M.Farcy
Ulster Tower: dedicated to the memory of the British and Irish
© CRT Picardie / Aerostudio
Vadancourt Castle
Near the Hindenburg Line
Oasis of Peace with a Turbulent Past
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Discover the location of the famous German defensive position built in 1916–17, staying at a charming country castle with convivial hosts and its own lake, just minutes from the motorways.
Stretching from Arras to Laffaux in the Aisne region of Picardy (two hours north-east of Paris), the Hindenburg Line – the German Army’s last and strongest defence on the Western Front – embraced tiny Maissemy. And as well as housing both British and German cemeteries, this hamlet is home to a château with its own war-ravaged history.
A haven of peace: romantic boat ride on the water
© HMis
Post-WWI art deco. Shown here: the National School of Music in Saint-Quentin
© Michele-et-Jean-regardsenpicardiefr
Bombed in 1917, the Domaine de Vadancourt was rebuilt in 1927 with an eye for the original archi-tecture and now serves as an elegant B&B in a setting that couldn’t be more peaceful – though the breakfast table, last relic from that time, still bears messages carved by prisoners of war who were housed in its ruins. Surrounded by lovely parkland with a lake crossed by an 18th-century bridge, this is a place to be treated to home-cooked French cuisine, a dose of art de vivre and a good night’s sleep in one of five rooms decorated with antiques and family heirlooms. Some have hydrotherapy baths and balconies from which to watch the horse, donkey and wild rabbits at play. At the same time, you’re only a few minutes’ drive from the city of Saint-Quentin with its own compelling wartime history and outstanding examples of Art Deco architecture, and less than two hours from the Channel ferry ports.
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A Strategic Secret
Paying Homage
Compiègne: at the Crossroads of History
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The Armistice carriage: replica of the carriage where the Armistice was signed on 11 November 1918
© CRT Picardie / S Bellet
Gourmet dinner by the fireside in a Michelin-starred restaurant
© Auberge de la Bonne Idee
Discover an area full of secrets and strategy nested in tranquil Compiègne forest for the signing of the peace treaty of 1918.
At the heart of northern France's largest forest, the remote Glade of the Armistice was selected as the site for the armistice meeting by Supreme Allied Commander Marshal Foch; it had to be secret lest it come to nothing. The French army already had rail lines here, meaning representatives of the two sides could arrive by train without drawing attention, hidden by trees.
The site is never more moving than on 11th November, during a yearly commemoration service for the Great War. You can also visit the Musée de l’Armistice, with a replica of the train carriage in which the treaty was signed plus displays on events leading to the signings of 1918 and 1940 (when Hitler forced a French surrender on the same spot).
A Peaceful Interlude
Leave time to stroll in the forest – autumn is especially poignant – and to tour the Château de Compiègne and the charming little city. It’s hard to believe you’re only a 15-minute drive from the A1 motorway, especially when you’re tucked up at the Auberge à la Bonne Idée at St-Jean-aux-Bois, enjoying a Michelin-starred food by before a roar-ing fire.
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Our soldier's stories -1
Donald Simpson Bell - Victoria CrossAmong British soldiers sacrificed in the Somme was school teacher and professional football player Donald Simpson Bell, whose extreme bravery under fire saw him awarded the Victoria Cross.
Born in Harrogate in 1890, Donald Simpson Bell was the first professional footballer to enlist in the British Army when he joined the West Yorkshire Regiment in 1915.
Seaside Dining
Gourmet Surprises in the Somme Bay
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Salt marsh sheep in one of the most beautiful bays in the world
© D.Delannoy
Edible plants and salt-marsh lamb are just some of the gastronomic treats that await those who make the easy trip across the Channel to the stunning Baie de Somme on the Picardy coast.
Picardy’s Channel coastline is not just a paradise for nature-lovers, who flock here for the fresh air, deserted beaches and spectacular wildlife (including birds and seal colonies). It’s also the perfect place for a relaxing foodie break, offering all kinds of delicious home-grown produce, some of which you might not expect to find in this region.
You don’t even need to go to a restaurant to sample all of the Bay’s gastronomic delights. During a Sens Naturel guided walk in the bay, for instance, Olivier Hernandez will show you how to identify and forage edible plants such as samphire, oreilles de cochon (sea asters) and sea purslane, all of which grow wild on the salt marshes. Some of these plants feature in the region’s artisan beers, which you can sample in Les Mets de l’Estran, a tiny grocery and café dedicated to local products in St-Valery-sur-Somme.
Mineral-rich agneau pré-salé, from lamb also raised on the salt-marshes, is a delicacy that features on many local menus, as does seafood fresh from the fishing boats or producer: bouchot-grown mussels, oysters and cockles to name just a few. For local seafood at its most inventive, head for Auberge de la Marine or Hôtel des Tourelles, both in charming Le Crotoy. Snails from the Parc du Marquenterre in the Baie de Somme’s national nature reserve are also highly prized.
There’s even a local saffron producer, Anne Poupart, whose spice forms the basis of any number of delightful recipes in excellent restaurants including the Hôtel les Saules, Au Vélocipède and La Table des Corderies. You can visit Anne’s farm to pick up some saffron to take home – as well as some inspirational recipes.
© CRT Picardie / SBouilland
© CRT Picardie / comdesimages
local expert
Laurence
And of course the Baie de Somme also excels when it comes to fantastic markets where you can stock up on fresh regional produce. St-Valery hosts some of the best, on Wednesday and Sunday mornings, and also on Friday evenings in July/August.
It’s also in St-Valery that you’ll find the Herbarium, a secret garden on the site of an old nuns’ hospital garden on the battlements of the old town, where old and rare vegetables are grown alongside aromatic and medicinal plants.
Insider’s tip: The Baie du Somme is as much about simple, classic local fare as it is about fine dining – don’t miss the traditional ‘French Fries’ stand at Cap Hornu, for a cornet of chips to eat on the beach surrounded by the vastness of nature.
A Royal Entrance
Discover Chantilly on Horseback
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Gentle ride on a Henson horse in Château de Chantilly Park
© CRT Picardie/N.Bryant
The famous crème Chantilly is even more delicious when you eat it where it was created...
© CRT Picardie / comdesimages
Home to the country’s largest collection of antique paintings after the Louvre, and to a Le Nôtre designed formal garden, the Château de Chantilly, near Paris, is at the heart of France’s horse capital. What better way to explore than on a horse?
Recharge your batteries as a couple and gain a unique perspective on local heritage by riding a local Henson horse around the glorious castle estate, appreciating its vivid autumnal colours. The Château de Chantilly was built in the 1400s before being rebuilt during the 1870s after its destruction in the French revolution.
A guided ride with Espace Equestre Henson is the perfect way to see the castle estate with its water features, statuary and forest – indeed, it’s the only way of seeing it in January, when it's closed to the public. Wonderful sites you’ll pass include Chantilly’s famous racecourse and the former ducal stables with their horse museum.
Bred in Picardy’s Baie de Somme, Hensons are placid horses ideal for helping you discover a rich and lovingly preserved cultural heritage.
Live Like a Prince
After giving your steed a brush-down, head to Le Hameau restaurant in a half-timbered cottage in the castle grounds to sample authentic crème Chantilly.
More gourmet delights and French art de vivre, plus a spa and pool, await you at the Château de Montvillargenne in neighbouring Gouvieux.
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Gourmet stopover
Make every moment count
Overnight Stays Handy for Motorways
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Stop over near one of Northern France’s motorways and get your holiday off to to a great start – or memorable finale – with a taste of art de vivre à la française and a blissful night’s sleep.
Break your journey south, or home to the UK, with a gourmet stopover close to the A1, A16 or A26, a short hop from the Channel ports. In just one region, Picardy has a fantastic array of peaceful stopover options and possibilities for things to do handy for major motorways. Relax in your stylish room to the sound of Saint-Jean-aux-Bois’ church bells at the Auberge à La Bonne Idée, and dine by the fireside courtesy of its Michelin-starred chef.
A taste of the sea with the unmissable "mussels and French fries"
© CRT Picardie/N.Bryant
Subtle flavours of a Michelin-starred restaurant near the Champagne Route
© chateau de fere
Near the A1 between Paris and Lille
By day, stretch your legs with a bike ride in the Forest of Compiègne, one of northern France’s largest, and discover the enchanting Château de Pierrefonds, which doubled for Camelot in the BBC’s Merlin. Compiègne itself has an 18th-century royal palace and cobbled streets lined by tea-rooms and chocolate shops.
Near the A16 Between Paris and Calais
Soak up the sea air and views of the Baie de Somme – one of the world’s most beautiful bays – over moules frites or a seafood platter. The same views will greet you when you wake in the boutique waterfront Hotel Les Pilotes in Saint-Valery-sur-Somme with its medieval ramparts and boardwalk.
Nature reserves and pretty villages will lure you out to explore the area, but make time to pamper yourself in Samaris nature spa with its outdoor hot tub with bay views, near the Parc du Marquenterre bird park.
Near Reims and the A26 to Calais
Break your journey in champagne country at the five-star Château de Fère with its backdrop of a ruined 13th-century castle. Relax over a gastronomic dinner accompanied by local champagne in its sumptuous restaurant, as well as in its spa, but make time to visit nearby champagne cellars and stroll in the vineyards.
Vive La Différence
A Quirky Couple’s Stopover
49.207219
3.516935
Among a number of unusual places to stay handy for the motorways of northern France and within easy reach of the Channel ports, Le Nid dans les Bruyères oozes character and rural charm.
“This quirky site was born of my love of trees and the forest”
Feel like spending the night in a “mushroom” house?
© CRT Picardie / V Colin
Treat yourselves to a meal in a restaurant just up the road
© MD
Utterly unique – and reserved for couples – at Le coeur de la forêt campsite includes hut, partially undergound hidey-holes inspired by Tolkien’s hobbit dwellings and even a mushroom-shaped cottage on its peaceful site. All have kitchenettes, but this is really a place to get away from it all and be pampered – gourmet treats can be ordered for delivery to your door, including seafood platters and champagne. Terraces mean you can eat alfresco in fine weather.
A breakfast hamper is discreetly left at your door in the mornings, and you can arrange for a couple’s massage in the comfort of your accommodation – some of which have luxurious bath tubs that can be scattered with rose petals at your request.
English-speaking staff will point you in the direction of things to do in the vicinity, whether it’s challenging yourself on the neighbouring treetop adventure course or wandering the romantic ruins of the 13th-century Château de Fère (and perhaps enjoying a glass of champagne in the bar of the luxury hotel of the same name that overlooks it).
Then there are the vineyards themselves to explore, as well as the forest and the geological site of La hottée du Diable, with sandstone formations dotted with fossils and minerals. Take a picnic and a bottle of local champagne to the vineyards for the perfect couple's escape!
Practical Information
Practical Information
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3.428362
Secret garden
an undiscovered French garden near the Champagne Trail
Have an unforgettable couple’s break learning the secrets of the extraordinary floral oasis created by French artist Françoise Radet-Mannerkorpi – then relaxing over a glass of local champagne.
Overlooked by the 13th-century church in the pretty village of Brécy, the Clos Joli is perfect for a complete change of scene. Here you can meet up with a septuagenarian Surrealist painter and photographer who began gardening on a Finnish island and loves sharing her passion for her greatest artistic project –one to which she has devoted 20 years.
Take a seat and just watch time go by © CRT Picardie / JP Gilson 
Thirteenth century ruins of Château de Fère
© S. Cambon
The Hottée du Diable rock formation
© CRT Picardie
local expert
Christelle
Each season has its own charm. But while spring and summer steal the limelight, Françoise’s favourite season is autumn – its light, she says, is the perfect time to view this garden with its abundant fruit trees, dotted by classic and modern statuary.
After she’s talked you around the garden, sit in one of the alcoves or at one of the wrought-iron tables on the lawn to soak in the views, or wander the secret pathways and hidden nooks and crannies at your leisure.
Then stroll down to Brécy’s unpretentious Restaurant de la Vallée, for regional cooking and a glass of locally produced champagne. Alternatively, the nearby Chateau de Fère has a gastronomic restaurant with artworks of its own – based on the fables of local writer Jean de Fontaine – plus a ruined medieval castle to amble around.
In the next issue:
Natureexperience the finest viewpoints on the Picardy coast with the one you love
French culture and GastronomyStop off at Valloires on the Rose Garden Trail in Picardy
StopoverFrance’s largest cathedral provides a superb colourful show near the A1 Motorway
14 - 18 Remembrance5 tips to introduce childrens to the WW1