Itinerary: Lose your bearings in architecture – Amiens, Le Havre, Lille [1]
Route Description
Exceptional cultural and architectural heritage, natural settings that reach all the way to the beach, flavorful gastronomy that reflects a welcoming people. This is the north of France!
It’s Lille’s old town, a showcase of French and Flemish architecture; and the micro-breweries, championing the cause of beer in the heart of beer country. It’s France's second largest art collection drawing crowds even while the city celebrates its annual September flea market, the largest in Europe. Learn more about Lille [2]
In Amiens, it’s the magnificent UNESCO World Heritage-listed cathedral, a jewel of Gothic architecture, and the “hortillonnages,” amazing floating gardens that earned the city the nickname “little Venice of the north.” It’s the lively, student-dominated Saint-Leu district, and even Jules Verne and Emmanuel Macron too. Learn more about Amiens [3]
In Le Havre, on the one hand, it’s Auguste Perret’s post-war reconstruction architecture using reinforced concrete and today a recognized UNESCO World Heritage Site. On the other hand, it's France's second largest collection of Impressionist paintings hosted in the city where Monet inadvertently gave the artistic movement its name. Learn more about Le Havre [4]
Along the Way
Between Lille and Amiens
Calais: the frequently bypassed port city, famous for trade and transportation, but notable for more
Le Touquet: a leafy beach resort
Between Amiens and Le Havre
Rouen: notable for its restored medieval quarter, tall Gothic cathedral and top-quality museums
Honfleur: once an important commercial port but now much loved for its medieval architecture
Beyond Le Havre
Bayeux: made world famous by its 1,000-year-old, 59-panel, embroidered illustration of the 1066 Norman invasion of England
Normandy Landing Beaches: the coastline on which the Allied D-Day forces landed on June 6, 1944, to turn the tide of World War II
How to Cover the Route
| Cities |
Approximate shortest-path road distances between cities | Approximate shortest train/bus travel times between cities |
| Lille ↔ Amiens |
75 miles | 1 h 20 min (regional train) |
| Amiens ↔ Le Havre | 115 miles | 2 h 30 min (regional train) |
Given the short distances between cities, and the numerous attractions to see both in the city environs and along the way, this route lends itself to driving. However, as there are direct rail links with relatively short travel times, it is also easily accomplished by train.