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Amiens’ guardian angel -1
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Explore the character-filled streets of Amiens Explore the character-filled streets of Amiens © CRT Picardie / AS Flament
The UNESCO listed Amiens Cathedral, the tallest Cathedral in France The UNESCO listed Amiens Cathedral, the tallest Cathedral in France © CRT Picardie /comdesimages
Amiens was occupied for less than two weeks during WW1 and retained most of its beautiful buildings intact.

Even so, wandering the town today, you can still find traces left by the Great War.  Stories hidden within Amiens walls Book a tour guide and stroll around the cobbled streets of the city to learn about the fascinating stories of Amiens during the war. Linger in the stunning cathedral which was hit nine times, but escaped catastrophic  damage thanks to sandbagging.  Marvel at the colourful windows – unless you were told, you may not realise that many are not the originals. They were shipped away for safekeeping during the war and, ironically, lost in a fire while in storage. Your guide can also point out the spot where the cathedral had a lucky escape when a shell smashed through the ceiling in 1918 and landed by the choir – without exploding.

The little angel – a symbol of hope for British soldiers

Today, the cathedral pays homage to allied soldiers with six stone plaques and six flags hung in the Sacré-Coeur chapel. Close by there’s a statue of a weeping angel which became a worldwide icon of WW1 as visiting soldiers sent postcards of it back to their loved ones. 

Wander over to the Museum of Picardy to admire the large mural canvas in the entrance hall. This, along with other canvases, was removed and shipped away for safe-keeping during the war.