It is also a beautifully homogenous building — explained by the fact that it was built within a century. Its magnificent facade and richly decorated portal are truly stunning and feature exceptional statuary. Inside, the oak stalls in the chancel are also remarkable. A must-see colourful show of illuminations on the cathedral's portal takes place every evening in the summer and the month of December.
This is a moment when the spectator can admire the original colours, which used to decorate the facade of the Notre-Dame cathedral in the Middle Ages. Not far from the cathedral is the Saint-Leu medieval district nicknamed "Little Venice of the North". This former tanners', weavers' and dyers' district is really charming with its small colourful houses sitting along the canals. Walkers can enjoy a beautiful view of the cathedral from Pont de la Dodane bridge.
Other places of interest in the historic centre are the shopping streets and monuments all around the cathedral, including the King's lodge Logis du Roi , the Sagittarius house Maison du Sagittaire , the bailiwick house Maison du Bailliage and the belfry.
The city of Art and History, formerly known as the Picardie, is located in the Hauts-de-France department of the Somme. Amiens also benefits from an ideal geographical situation, about fifty kilometers from Arras and Beauvais, or from the bay of the Somme, world-famous tourist site.
The small northern Venice, due to its many canals, was born in antiquity, and served as the capital of the people of the Ambiens. Prosperous, Amiens experienced a new impetus in the course of the Middle Ages, of which there remain today many architectural remains. Known for its dyeing, Amiens blue, the city makes a fortune in drapery and textile, even in the course of the nineteenth century.
