There’s also a ramparts walk circling the village, with views of Picardy to one side and Normandy to the other. Or those with more time can tackle the 33-kilometre Boucle des Deux Châteaux walking/mountain-biking trail through local countryside and villages.
Follow Your Nose
As well as inspiring a famous song that figured on the Downton Abbey soundtrack, Picardy’s roses even feature in local cuisine – Amiens’ market sells cheese made with roses, while Gerberoy’s Jardins du Vidamé bistro/tea-room serves Le P’tit Gerberoy, a dessert of fromage frais with candied roses. Indeed, Gerberoy is perhaps best known for its Rose Festival on the third Sunday of every June, with floral decorations and food.The Château de Rambures with its rose garden is an hour from Gerberoy.
Soak up Some Art
St Germer de Fly, dominated by a church surviving from its Benedictine abbey, is a great base for discovering Picardy’s rose gardens. Les Chambres de l’Abbaye, a timelessly elegant B&B, is decorated with the painter-owner’s artworks, which you can also view in his studio.Practical Information
© CRT Picardie / AS Flament
The terraced garden of artist Henri Le Sidaner
© Jean-Pierre-His