Discover Picardie

Travelling is literally my favourite thing to do.  When I go away I spend my time visiting a mixture of old favourites and completely new locations.  When dreaming up some of my next adventures I came across a region in the north of France that was completely new to me but one which has really caught my attention.

France is a pretty massive country with a lot going on away from the main cities and tourist havens like Paris and the south coast.  Picardie from what I have seen mixes a great range of activities with some of the most breath-taking landscapes around and all just an hour from Calais.  Central to the region is the World War 1 Memorials and with us currently in the centenary year there really has been no time more poignant to make a visit to the area and to take the memorial trial where you can take in the Thiepval Memorial, Beaumont Hamel, The Dragon’s Lair and the Australian War Memorial.

If you fancy delving a little further back on history then you must visit Pierrefonds Castle, a stunning hill top château which was also the set for BBC Merlin, the town of Chantilly of Chantilly Cream fame, along with its Castle, exceptional art museum and gardens by André Le Nôtre (of Versailles fame) and Compiègne, the imperial palace.  You can spend a day wandering the forests expansive network of cycling and walking trails.  Perhaps the ideal spot for a romantic getaway, it’s never to early t start planning that special Valentines surprise after all.

If you want to learn a bit more about Picardie or start planning your visit to the area you can head over to Esprit de Picardie for a wealth of information and top tips from locals on the things to see and do!