Important: Wikitravel is exploring a license upgrade to CC by-sa 3.0, please give your consent or refusal here.

From Wikitravel

Location
Quick Facts
Capital	Amiens
Area	19,399 km2
Population	1,857,481(1999)

Picardie (also spelt "Picardy" in English) [1] is a region in northern France, located immediately north of the French capital Paris and the Ile de France. Although largely inland, the region does border the English Channel near Abbeville. The area is, sadly, known for its central part in the trench warfare of the First World War (1914-1918) and hosts a large number of battlefields, war cemeteries and memorials.

[edit] Départements

• Aisne
• Oise
• Somme

[edit] Cities

• Abbeville
• Albert
• Amiens [2]-the capital of the region
• Beauvais [3]-has an international airport
• Chantilly [4]-known for Chantilly cream, its castle, and horses
• Château-Thierry
• Compiègne [5]
• Laon [6]
• Le Tréport [7]-a coastal city along the English Channel with beautiful cliffs
• Méru
• Noyon [8]
• Péronne [9]- Museum of the Great War, battlefields, and Commonwealth cemeteries.
• Saint-Quentin
• Senlis [10]
• Soissons [11]
• Vervins

[edit] Other destinations

[edit] Understand

The modern region of Picardy is larger than the historical province of Picardy. The south of the Aisne department and most of the Oise department were historically part of the province of Île-de-France, while the Somme department and the north of the Aisne department were the province of Picardy proper, with the Boulonais, that is now in Nord-Pas-de-Calais region (Pas-de-Calais departement).

As the historical Picardy was deemed too small to become a region, the French government decided to join it with the north of Île-de-France (specifically, the pays of Beauvaisis, Valois, Noyonnais, Laonnois, Soissonnais, Omois, to name only the most prominent). The name of the historical province of Picardy was given to this new region.

Because of its particular location in the north of France, between Paris and the English Channel, Picardie is a war-torn region that was often throughout history the place of invasions and battles. The two world wars will rip through this region, leaving behind a legacy for today's habitants and tourists. Notably the battlefields of the Somme where British, Scottish, Canadian, Australian, and South African soldiers fought in the Great War of 1914-1918, and the deportation camp in Compiègne where, during World War II, prisoners were kept while waiting to be deported East.

Today there is some rumor that Picary will no longer exist and that its departments of Oise, Aisne, and Somme will be pieced off and given to bordering regions. Otraged, the people of Picardie have started a campaign called 'Don't touch my Picardie'.

So many famous people have come from or lived in Picardie.Jules Verne, who lived in Amiens for 34 years, dying there in 1905, wrote many of his great works there. He made a lasting impression on the city creating the city's indoor circus, and was a part of the City Council. John Calvin, a French pastor during the Protestant Reformation who created Calvinism, was born in Noyon.

[edit] Talk

In general, most people have at least basic knowledge of English in Picardie. They will usually try to communicate with you, being more embarrassed by their own lack of English than annoyed at your lack of French. Anyone in the tourism industry should speak a decent amount of English, as it is often a job requirement. In tourist areas, shop keepers and restaurants are making more and more of an effort to speak foreign languages and cater to international clients, for example offering menus in English. There is a huge market for British tourists in Picardie due mainly to location (a fairly short drive from the channel and on the way to Paris), and interest (British war cemeteries, war memorials, etc.)

In the northen parts of Picardie, for example in the Aisne and the Somme, staff may also speak German and/or Dutch, targeting a specific tourist market. Some places, surprisingly, also translate their documents and information into Italian and Spanish, in particular Beauvais, who has a large Italian and Spanish tourist market due to flights from Italy and Spain to the Beauvais Airport.

Travelling in Pircardie without knowing French is not a problem. One can easily get around with help from tourism offices, shopkeepers, other tourists, and often curious strangers who love to speak English and help someone out!

[edit] Get in

[edit] Get around

[edit][add listing] See

[edit] Itineraries

[edit][add listing] Do

[edit][add listing] Eat

[edit][add listing] Drink

[edit] Stay safe

[edit] Get out