Hortillonnages of Amiens

The Somme marshes east of Amiens were cut into cultivated islets from at least the medieval period, dug out and built up with silt into around three hundred hectares of small plots separated by some sixty-five kilometres of channels, worked as market gardens supplying the city and reached only by boat. Vegetables were once taken to the water market in the city by the same route, a practice revived annually as a festival. Traditional flat-bottomed boats with high pointed prows, designed to slip into the banks, carry visitors now, and many islets have become private gardens rather than commercial plots, though some are still cultivated.

What to look for

• The channel network - sixty-five kilometres of waterways between plots.
• The flat-bottomed boats - high-prowed craft designed for the banks.
• The working gardens - islets still cultivated for vegetables.
• The garden festival - contemporary installations placed on the islets in season.

When to go

April to October; boats run from around April and stop for winter. June brings the water market festival. Morning trips are quieter and the light better on the channels.

Before you go

Boat trips are timed, about an hour, and book out at weekends. Many islets are private with no access. The electric boats have replaced much of the traditional punting.

Nearby

Amiens cathedral lies west; the Baie de Somme is northwest.

Key facts