Hortillonnages d'Amiens
Les Hortillonnages – a leafy paradise at the heart of the city of Amiens
Les Hortillonnages is a leafy paradise at the heart of the city, an idyllic setting for a romantic walk. Les Hortillonages helped make Amiens the 7th greenest city in France. The 300 hectares of floating gardens have been cultivated since the Middle Ages encircled by arms of the River Somme and the Avre. The plots are separated by little channels known as “rieux” in Picard dialect. In the 19th century, almost a thousand people cultivated the black, fertile soil of Les Hortillonnages providing vegetables (carrots, cabbages, leeks, turnips, etc.) for the people of Amiens and Paris.
Today there are only 7 market gardeners although the number is rising. They sell their produce every Saturday morning at the market at Quai Bélu in the Saint-Leu district. The other gardens have become ornamental gardens for people from Amiens who go there to relax at weekends on the edge of the city.
One of the charming features of the gardens are the little bridges across the channels from the towpath with delightful wrought-iron gates leading to the little corners of paradise. Every year a ‘Banks in Bloom’ contest takes place and the plot owners stretch their imagination to offer visitors a profusion of fragrant flowers. You can discover the gardens aboard a traditional ‘barque à cornet’ boat with a guide every day from April to October from the landing stage at Boulevard Beauvillé.
For several years between June and October the Art, Villes et Paysages Festival has been offering an alternative way to see Les Hortillonages. Hire an electric self-drive boat from Port à Fumier at Camon and spend 2½ hours going from island to island on the Etang de Clermont to discover works by landscape gardeners and artists. Some of the works are accessible on foot too, like the Ile aux Fagots which can be reached from the towpath. The history and profession of market gardening at Les Hortillonages can be seen at the museum opened by Thérèse and René Nowak featuring their large collection of tools and objects. The museum garden is a lovely place and was laid out by the famous landscape gardener, Stéphane Marie, from the TV programme « Silence ça pousse ». It is also possible to hire an electric boat from the museum for a 40 minute trip around the fields and market garden belonging to Thérèse and René.
If you really can’t bear to leave this haven of peace, you can stay overnight at Les Hortillonages in totally-renovated shacks or pretty waterside gites. Sporting enthusiasts can hire canoes and kayaks from the water sports centre at Rivery, just near the museum. Plenty of Amiens restaurateurs use the excellent vegetables grown at Les Hortillonages, from the signature dish of stuffed cabbage at the Michelin-starred Aubergade to Giuseppe Severino, chef at the Table d’Hort who was recently awarded the title of ‘Maître Restaurateur’.
When you come to Amiens, don’t miss other treasures in the city: the Cathedral and UNESCO World Heritage Site, Maison Jules Verne, the Saint-Leu district and heart of Amiens nightlife for a drink or dinner. Les Hortillonnages covers parts of four towns of the metropolitan area : Amiens, Camon, Rivery and Longueau, all of which are within walking distance of Amiens station.
Discover Somme with Gites de France Somme : Superb Parc du Marquenterre , Baie de Somme, Cathedral of Notre-Dame d'Amiens, Gardens and Abbey of Valloires.
