Amiens, France - A City Full of History

A city with a strong historical tradition, Amiens is one'Parthenon among all Gothic architecture.'
place in France where many tourists congregate, toOther Sights at Amiens
experience its ancient cathedral. This is one of theAnother sight worth visiting is quartier St-Leu. This is a
reasons that Amiens is on the map.network of canals as well as cottages. Constructed in
Located about 120 kilometers from Paris, Amiens isthe Flemish mould, this area once served as the
the prefecture of Somnes department. The city wascentral hub for the textile industry.
pounded mercilessly during World War II, and theThe hortillonages also draw tourists in and let people
pockmarks on the buildings still tell the tale to peopleglimpse into centuries past. The hortillonages are
passing through the city. The traffic is heavy, and mostMarket gardens that have been created on little islands
of the city is like any other city today. The landmarkson the marshlands at the edge of the city, along the
from history are what make Amiens worth going to.river Somne. They are connected to each other by a
Sights at Amiens - The Cathedralwell-knit maze of artificial canals.
There is a lot to be seen and experienced from theMore about Amiens
days of yore at Amiens. The most famous landmarkBesides the architectural and cultural aspects to
and a must-see for anyone visiting the country is theAmiens, there are other tidbits of information about the
cathedral in the city. The cathedral at Amiens, calledcity that make for interesting reading. For instance,
the Cathédrale Notre Dame, has been declaredClovis Trouille (1888-1975) was born in Amiens. Amiens
a World Heritage Site. Under the supervision ofhas played place of origin to some famous
architect Robert de Luzarches, it was built in thepersonalities, including the famous resistance leader
classical Gothical mould way back in the 13th century,from World War II Odette Sansom (19112-1995) and
and remains the biggest structure of its kind in all ofalso Peter the Hermit. Another thing to know is that
France.Jules Verne was in fact member of Amiens' City
The earlier cathedral was consumed by a fire in 1220,Council continuously from the year 1888 till his demise in
and a new one was constructed in its place. The new1905. Also, during World War I, the Battle of Amiens
cathedral was ready in 1247. Full of architecturalwas the phase that marked the start of the Hundred
beauty, the first thing that you will notice is theDays Offensive.
triple-tiered elevation in the interior. The principalAmiens is a century-old city full of culture and behind
façade is lined with intricately detailed gothicevery chipped building block, every narrow canal,
sculptures. Keep your eyes out during your tourthere's a story that leads back thousands of years.
through the cathedral, and you'll notice the sculpturesThat's why even today people flock to the city to find
turning up in other parts such as the labyrinth, and theout what made people tick a thousand years ago. It's
south transept.a sharp contrast of barbarism and calculated finesse in
There have been many comments about the Amiensthe city of Amiens, France.
Cathedral, the most apt being that it is known as the