Guide to Somme and Properties in Department 80

Somme is a department (number 80) in the North of France which is named after the Somme river. For many of the thousands of people who visit every year, however, it is a name that is synonymous with the most deadly battle of the First World War, the Battle of the Somme.  The battlefields of the Somme are a site of pilgrimage to this day and the area’s accessibility from the Channel ports and Channel Tunnel makes it easy for visitors to travel from the UK to see the many monuments and cemeteries commemorating the lives lost.  The Remembrance Trail is a dedicated pilgrimage route linking the towns of Albert and Péronne that includes key sites from the Great War. The Commonwealth Memorial in Thiepval is a poignant tribute that commemorates 72,000 British and South African soldiers who were killed or reported missing in the Somme between July 1915 and March 1918.

In addition to its wartime legacy, Somme has much to offer in the way of culture and relaxation. Set within the region of Hauts-de-France (formerly Picardy), it neighbours the departments of Pas-de-Calais, Nord, Aisne, Oise and Seine-Maritime. The coast in the North West of the Somme has wide sandy beaches which are popular for sand yachting and with families in the summer months.

Somme’s cultural heart is the city of Amiens with its impressive cathedral and peaceful network of waterways. There are 65 kms of canals, navigated by small boats, which divide what are known as the “hortillonnages” or floating market gardens. These gardens of Amiens are listed as a Unesco World Heritage site and the food produced here has sustained the city’s residents for generations.

Amiens, set halfway between Paris and Lille, is a bustling city that is famous for its shopping as well as its heritage. There are over 600 shops here, many concentrated around the Place de l’Hôtel de Ville and the Place Gambetta. There is also a vibrant flea market with around 2000 stalls.

Gourmets will love the market hall which stocks Amiens duck pate, Picardy cheese and vegetables from the Hortillonages. Every December the city hosts the largest Christmas market in northern France. Throughout the year, residents and visitors can enjoy the many fine restaurants and cafes and sample some of the delicacies of this part of France which include macarons and calvados produced from locally grown apples.