Picardy offers an immaculate array of places to visit, which will delight passionate travellers in search of the magnificent. The Hauts de France region has more than a hundred parks and gardens, of which sixty are members of the Association des Parcs et Jardins de Picardie.

Travelers can discover places of lush beauty and great magnificence, ranging from 19th-century structures to more contemporary gardens, each as captivating as the next. Whatever the type of garden you are looking for, intimate and romantic or grandiose and monumental, there is something for everyone in Picardy.

Visit the Marquenterre ornithological park in Picardy

Located in the north of Picardy, the Marquenterre park is a must-see destination for nature lovers. With its variety of species, this bird park is part of the Baie de Somme National Nature Reserve and offers many places to watch birds during their migratory journey. You can even spot species unique to this area like cranes, avocets, and geese, while enjoying the lush scenery around you. Whether on foot or by boat, a visit to the Marquenterre Park and the opportunity to explore the places to visit in Picardy is an experience you won’t want to miss.

Les Hortillonnages: let yourself be lulled by the traditional boats during a visit

Les Hortillonnages d’Amiens is an incredibly unique place to visit in Picardy. This network of floating gardens, formed by 65 km of canals, offers a picturesque labyrinth to explore. What’s more, these places were reclaimed from the marshes as early as the Gallo-Roman period. If there used to be up to a thousand hortillons, today there are only about ten left.

Not only are they included in the National Inventory of Sites, they have also been recognized by Unesco as a World Heritage Site. During your visit, you will be guided by a boat, called a cone-boat, whose flat bottom allows it to easily navigate the network of canals. Don’t miss this amazing attraction on your next trip to Picardy!

Endless natural landscapes at Parc d’Isle

The Parc d’Isle in Saint-Quentin is one of the must-see places to visit in Picardy, as it offers an area of 48 hectares with lush natural habitats inhabited by different species of birds. The park is also home to the Wildlife Rescue Center, where sick and injured birds can be treated. Along its borders is the nature reserve of the Marais de l’Isle, which is protected as part of “Natura 2000” and fed by the river Somme which has its source 12 kilometres from Saint-Quentin. People should feel free to explore this oasis of rugged beauty, observe the wonders of nature, and appreciate the local wildlife on a visit to Picardy’s most beautiful parks and gardens.