Amiens Christmas Market

A cathedral in colour

Notre-Dame Cathedral in Amiens is a giant: the largest Gothic cathedral in France, with twice the volume of Notre-Dame de Paris. Every evening in December, the Chroma show gives its façade back the polychrome colours it wore in the Middle Ages. The sculptures come alive under the projections. It is free, it is spectacular, and it lasts 20 minutes.

130 chalets in the heart of the city

Amiens Christmas market is the largest in the Hauts-de-France region. The chalets stretch from the cathedral square to Place Gambetta by way of the pedestrian streets. The atmosphere is family-friendly and down to earth, a long way from the premium feel of some Alsatian markets. Prices are reasonable and there are plenty of artisans.

The hortillonnages by lamplight

The hortillonnages, the floating gardens that are Amiens' trademark, dress up in lights in December. A trail follows the illuminated canals, and on some weekends there are night-time trips in the traditional flat-bottomed boats (the barque à cornet). The mood is poetic and out of time.

Picardy flavours

The Amiens macaron has nothing to do with its Parisian cousin: it is a soft, round, golden almond cake, made here since the 17th century. On the market, the ficelle picarde (a rolled crêpe with mushrooms, ham and cream, browned under the grill) is served hot at several chalets. Amiens duck pâté en croûte is another local classic to take home.