Amiens Floating Gardens and Local Produce Walk

The Amiens Floating Gardens and Local Produce Walk is a two-hour guided experience in the Hortillonnages, the network of market gardens and water channels on the edge of Amiens, in the Somme department of the Hauts-de-France region. It is offered through the Office de Tourisme d'Amiens, reachable on +33 3 22 71 60 50 or through visit-amiens.com, and tours depart from Pont de la Dodane in Amiens (80000); the address listed for the experience is 54 Boulevard Beauvillé. The Hortillonnages are a centuries-old landscape of small cultivated islands separated by canals, where vegetables have long been grown for the city's markets, and the main part of the tour is a guided boat trip through these channels. During the outing visitors meet a market gardener who explains how the plots are worked and what grows there, and the experience finishes with a vegetable and fruit tasting. The food element is therefore fresh produce rather than prepared dishes, with a mostly savoury and vegetal character and some fruit for sweetness. The price is €25 (about $27) per person and covers the boat tour, the meeting with the gardener and the tasting; transport to the departure point and any meals are not listed as included. The tour is rated 4.4 and is listed as running from April to October, when the gardens are in growth and the boats operate. The pace is gentle and mostly seated on the water. Group size and language of the commentary are not stated in the listing, and visitors should confirm both with the tourist office when booking. Because the tasting consists of raw vegetables and fruit, the experience suits vegetarians well, though allergies should be mentioned in advance. Amiens is also home to a major Gothic cathedral, which makes an easy pairing for the same day.