Baie de Somme (Somme Bay, France): The Musts Before Your travel !
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The Somme Bay
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The musts

  • 1Grand Site
  • 245km of river
  • 100years since 1916

The Somme Bay

Top 14 'must-dos' in the Somme Bay

  • Walk across the bay from Le Crotoy to Saint-Valery-sur-Somme accompanied by a naturalist tour guide
  • Enjoy a spot of land sailing on the long sandy beaches of the Marquenterre
  • Take a trip back in time on the Somme Bay steam train
  • Set off on a pirogue to see the colony of seals that have set up home in the bay
  • Ride a Henson, a little sand-coloured horse that originates from the Somme Bay
  • Come and observe the thousands of birds in the Marquenterre Bird Sanctuary
  • Imagine yourself as a knight for a day in Rambures Castle
  • Breathe in the scent of the magnificent roses of the Valloires Gardens
  • Discover the cheer and exuberance of the villas of the Belle Epoque at Mers-les-Bains
  • Climb up the cliffs between Ault and Mers-les-Bains and enjoy a walk with panoramic views
  • Visit the mediaeval city of Saint Valery with its beautiful pebbled streets
  • Ride a bike along the cycle paths of the bay
  • Make a detour inland to the Royal Abbey of Saint Riquier

Learn all about the Somme Bay

Baie de Somme kayak©Nicolas Bryant
Vue aérienne Baie de Somme©SMBSGLP
petit train de la Baie de Somme©Nicolas Bryant
Visite scolaire Parc du Marquenterre, Baie de Somme©comdesimages
Sortie nature, Baie de Somme ©Stéphane Bouilland
st-valery-sur-Somme Baie des phoques pirogues, Somme©CKMV-Baiedesphoques

A closer look at the Somme Valley!

Top 11 'not-to-be-missed' of the valley

  • Travel the Somme Valley cycle path. Your comfort is guaranteed!
  • Take some height on one of the viewpoints especially designed to help understand the landscapes
  • Enjoy a glass (or even a night) in one of the fully restored lock-keeper houses
  • Savour the finest produce of the region in one of our Bistrot de Pays
  • Experience a fabulous canoe and camping trip along the river
  • Follow in the footsteps of Blaise Cendrars where he fought on the mountain of Frise
  • Take a walk through one of the exceptional natural habitats that can be found along the river
  • Embark on a short cruise along the river
  • Explore the surroundings of the Somme at Froissy, aboard an authentic little train from the past
  • Immerse yourself in the history of Prehistoric France at Samara

City Break in Amiens

Top 7 highlights in and around Amiens

- Climb the towers of Amiens Cathedral, a jewel of Gothic architectur
- Wander through the Hortillonnages, 300 hectares of floating gardens on the edge of the city
- Admire the 'Cathedral in Colours' light display in the summer months and December
- Immerse yourself in the world of Jules Verne by visiting his home of 18 years
- Enjoy a drink in Quai Belu or Place du Don, in the Saint-Leu district
- Descend 30 metres beneath the ground and visit the Underground City of Naours

Learn more about Amiens

Journey along the river from its source to its bay
cathedrale horloge, Somme.jpg© ADRT 80_F. Leonardi
Véloroute Somme entre Abbeville et Saint-Valery-sur-Somme©Stéphane Bouilland
Festival dans les Hortillonnages, Somme©Gael Clariana
Mémorial Terre-Neuvien de Beaumont-Hamel, Somme© Nicolas Bryant

Chapters of history

8 sites of the Remembrance Trail

  • Visit the Historial, Museum of the Great War in Péronne, a renowned museum focusing on the history of the Great War.
  • Descend 10 metres beneath the town of Albert and learn about life in the trenches in the Somme 1916 Museum
  • Visit the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing, where over 72,000 men with no known grave are remembered
  • Climb to the top of the Newfoundland Caribou Memorial at Beaumont-Hamel for a moving view of the former battlefield
  • See the enormous Lochnagar mine crater at La Boisselle, created at the beginning of the Battle of the Somme, on 1 July at 7.28am
  • Explore Delville Wood and the South African Memorial at Longueval, a former battleground today at peace
  • Take part in the moving ANZAC Day Dawn Service on 25 April at Villers-Bretonneux
  • Participate with the commemorations of the Battle of the Somme at various sites of remembrance on 1 July