Somme, Picardie

The Somme has been fought over for time immemorial but most recently it was the site of many great battles in World War I and II and the department is home to a number of military cemeteries and to several major monuments commemorating the many soldiers from various countries who died on its battlefields.

Properties for sale in the department benefit from close proximity to the major town Amiens fine stone churches and an impressive Gothic cathedral.

Local produce includes Peronne beer and smoked eels.

The Somme coastline takes in cliffs, dunes, marshes and pretty villages. Here you'll find the delightful fishing village of Le Crotoy that bewitched Colette, Jules Verne, & the Duke and Duchess of Windsor among others.

10% of houses in certain areas of the Somme are second homes.


• Marquenterre - visit the Parc Ornithologique de Marquenterre, a bird sanctuary surrounded by beautiful dunes, salt marshes and pine forests.
• Somme Valley - enjoy boating, camping, walking and fishing along the banks of the pretty river Somme.
• History in Picardy at Peronne - the Historial de la Grande Guerre is a good starting point for World War I history with cemeteries, battlefields and memorials surrounding the area.
• Abbeville - visit the flamboyant Gothic church with a stained-glass window designed by Alfred Manessier.