Peronne
Peronne is a town in France located in the Somme department in the Picardy region, 126 km from Paris. Nestled on a hill in the heart of the Somme valley, Péronne offers breathtaking landscapes and original activities to liven up your holidays. Paris City Vision makes you discover Péronne for one day from Paris.
Peronne, a city with a rich medieval past
The city of Peronne has nearly 8,000 inhabitants; it has a very active city center that has been able to showcase its remains and take advantage of them, notably by developing its tourism with incredible museums. The development of the city of Peronne dates back to the Merovingian period. In the Middle Ages, merchants on the Route des Flandres and pilgrims became a popular stopping place on the Via Francigena (the road linking Canterbury in England to Rome in Italy). King Philip Augustus had a fortified castle built there around 1204, perhaps foreshadowing the future. Few cities have been so often attacked, burned, looted ... Already during Viking incursions, then severely damaged during the unsuccessful siege of Charles V in 1536, then ravaged by the Germans in 1870, and finally devastated during World War II: destroyed in 1917, rebuilt then bombed and burned in May 1940 by the German air force.
Installed in the city's former medieval castle, the Historial de la Grande Guerre is a must-see for the First World War fans. Its very original architecture expresses the vocation of the building to show the history of 14-18 differently, without reducing it to the battles alone. The Museum brings together a unique collection of more than 65,000 everyday objects, civilian and military, as many astonishing, unusual, and sometimes derisory testimonies.
After visiting the castle, you can admire the Louis XVI façade of the Péronne Town Hall and discover its buildings: the Alfred Danicourt Museum. This Museum presents incredible numismatic collections. You will find four rooms dedicated to painting, Prehistory, Antiquity, and the Middle Ages.
A few steps away is the church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste. Attached to the diocese of Amiens, it is the last remaining church since the French Revolution. Built in 1509, it is described as a martyr's edifice because of multiple destructions. However, its Gothic architecture has been preserved thanks to the restoration of architectural elements found in its rubble.
Fort Carabit is one of the monuments that cannot be missed if you visit Peronne. A true centerpiece of a fortification complex, its ramparts date back to the 19th century. You can even enjoy a walk in a bucolic atmosphere thanks to the nearby lake's peaceful waters.
Other sites are well worth a visit if you have a little time left:
- The gate of Brittany
- Doingt's menhir
- The ruins of Happlincourt castle
- The Saint-Quentin church in Tincourt-Boucly
How to get to Peronne
To get to this pretty town from the capital, you have several possibilities.
Less than 3 hours by TGV, you will be able to reach the city center without too many constraints, without getting stuck in traffic jams or parking. From the Charles de Gaulle airport TGV station or the Gare du Nord station, a TGV takes you to the Haute Picardie station. You can then take a taxi to the center of Péronne, thirteen kilometres away. Buses also offer itineraries, but be aware that with transfers between stations and connections, getting there by this means of transport takes long hours.
Although train timetables are flexible, some people prefer to be free to travel by car. In this case, you can easily save money by putting your carpooling services online using applications such as Blablacar. Outside rush hours, it will take you just two hours to get to Peronne from the center of Paris, enough time to occupy your weekends if you are looking for a destination.
Once there, you will easily find something to stay in for a weekend (hotel room, guest house, camping...). After your journey through the city center to discover the museums, you will find other pleasant activities to keep you busy during your trip: angling over bridges, meeting farm animals... Something to cut out of your daily routine. Our agency also organizes an excursion to discover the Historical Museum of the Great War with lunch included. Find on our site all the information concerning the trip "Battlefields of the Somme: 1st World War" (information sheet, map, visits, etc.).