French Canal Holidays in Somme / Picardy

Amiens with its superb cathedral is one of France's oldest towns. In 54BC Julius Caesar set up his winter camp of Samarobriva there, now the site of Samara Park with a display on the history of mankind from prehistory up to the Gallo-Roman period.

From the Middle Ages, the town has been closely linked with its river, and Louis XI called it "the little Venice of the North" . The scene in the maze of ancient streets, typical colour washed houses, shops, restaurants, cafes and pubs is truly picturesque . Here every Saturday morning is held a colourful floating market where the smallholders come to sell their produce. At Abbeville the church of Saint-Vulfran is a masterpiece of flamboyant gothic art.

Saint Valery , a town full of art and history, was founded by an Irish monk who came over to convert the pagan Picardians. This was the port from which William the Conqueror launched his invasion of England. The charm of the place lies in its old town, with its fortified walls, and all the activity centred on the channel up to the port with all its stalls and restaurants . Take advantage of a halt here and moor up.

Further south, wilderness takes over and the vast landscapes of the Somme estuary make a walk here truly memorable.

In the opposite direction from Cappy, another cruise lets you discover St Quentin , where Picardy shows Flemish influences, with its tall and narrow town houses, Ham with its lovely church of Notre Dame, and Noyon , the town which saw the anointing of Charlemagne and of Hugues Capet.

Picardy is the cradle of Gothic art and boasts superb abbeys and cathedrals as well as other significant medieval remains, its towns having rivalled one another ever since the 12th century in building the finest religious monuments.