Chantilly Garden Festival & Gardens of Northern France

Depart the UK

Drive to Dover and take the ferry across to Calais or Dunkerque.  Upon disembarkation continue to Amiens for the next 4 nights on a dinner, bed & breakfast basis.

Amiens, Floating Gardens and Light Show

Meet up with a local guide for a tour of the jewel of the city and a UNESCO listed site – Amiens Cathedral.  Once described as lacework carved in stone, this 13^th century masterpiece is one of the largest Gothic cathedrals in the world.  If you are feeling energetic you can climb the towers for some great views of the city.

Lunch will be taken in a local restaurant followed by a guided tour  of ‘Les Hortillonnages’ on board a traditional wooden boat.  These are a maze of floating gardens which are linked together by a series of waterways.

Return to the hotel for dinner.

(Info: Every evening between 14 July – 21 September a spectacular sound and light show brings the colours of the façade of Amiens Cathedral to life)

Gerberoy’s Remarkable Gardens and Beauvais

We will visit 2 gardens today. The Jarden des Ifs (Garden of Yews) which has received many awards for its trees and is recognized as the oldest garden of “monumental topiary art” in France and houses a unique collection of monumental yew trees.  The rose is an emblematic flower of Gerberoy and the garden features more than 300 old, modern and botanical roses.  It also has an on-site tea-room and restaurant.  Nearby is Henri Le Sidaner’s garden, the famous post-impressionist painter. He transformed a neglected orchard into a masterpiece.  From the rose garden, wall-walk, tower, pergola, balustrade and statues to the little studio in the former barn where he made his sketches, the artist conceived it all minutely.  Today, they are labelled as “remarkable gardens” spread out over three storeys and connected to each other by steep trails winding through the trees.

Return to Amiens, via Beauvais to make a visit of Saint-Pierre Cathedral famous for its choir and astronomical clocks (optional). Dinner at the hotel this evening.

Chateau Chantilly & Chantilly Garden Festival

Visit the remarkable and stunning Chateau Chantilly whose vast expanse of parkland can be explored on foot or by mini-train (local charge may be payable). The gardens cover over 115 hectares including the French-style garden, Anglo-Chinese Garden and the English Garden. There are statues and grottoes, lakes, shaded walkways and secret paths to explore.

On a guided tour of the house and Conde Museum, discover an amazing collection of antique paintings and a series of rooms housing many other collections.

Enjoy a tour of the Great Stables, home to the Museum of the Horse. They are a chateau in their own right with stunning architectural details where paintings, artwork, books and horse paraphernalia fill the rooms. Meet the horses and see where the equestrian shows are held beneath a 28 metre high majestic dome.

Chantilly Flower Show takes place twice yearly in May and October.  For 3 days in Spring and Autumn the grounds of Chantilly Castle transform into a hive of horticulture when they host the Journees des Plantes show.  This is an unmissable event for garden and floral enthusiasts, dedicated to plants, biodiversity and garden themes with over 200 exhibitors amongst some of the most prestigious in Europe.  Workshops are also available on many specific subjects from orchids to perennials.

We return to the hotel for dinner.

Return to the UK

Depart after breakfast and drive to Calais or Dunkerque for the ferry across to the UK, and home.

Chroma Sound and Light Show, Amiens

As the sun goes down in July to September and during the Christmas Market period in December, the Chroma Show transforms Amiens Cathedral into a mesmerizing canvas.  Witness saints, apostles and historic statues come alive through a breathtaking display of high-definition colour projections, blending art and technology.