In the city of Amiens, ancient capital of Picardy in northern France, north of Paris

 "Travel enables us to enrich our lives with new experiences, to enjoy and to be educated, to learn respect for foreign cultures, to establish friendships, and above all to contribute to international cooperation and peace throughout the world."

-- Jules Verne
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(in the capital of the Somme department in the region of Hauts-de-France) The city of Amiens, ancient capital of Picardy in northern France, is found in the Somme River valley, north of Paris. Famed since the Middle Ages for its textile industry and its Gothic cathedral of Notre-Dame (one of the finest in France), the old part of Amiens (including the reconstructed 17th-century City Hall, the 15th-century church of Saint-Germain, and the ancient theater with the Louis XVI facade) is latticed with seven branches of the Somme.
+ Known as Samarobriva in pre-Roman times and capital of the Ambiani (source of the modern name), Amiens became a Roman city, Christianized in the 4th century by St. Firmin, its first bishop. Its territory became the medieval countship of Amiénois, and its citizens profited from rivalry between bishop and count to gain a charter early in the 12th century. The Peace of Amiens (in 1802) marked a short pause in the Napoleonic Wars. In 1914, after a brief incursion into the city, invading Germans dug in 18 miles (29 km) east; their final drive in 1918 was stopped eight miles from the city. In World War II, Amiens was occupied by the Germans. (After serious damage in both wars, the city center was rebuilt.)

+ Les Hortillonnages d'Amiens (a series of floating gardens you can explore via small boats amid the floating market gardens), Jules Verne House, and the bars and restaurants of Quartier St-Leu add to the city's appeal. The mostly pedestrianized city center, rebuilt after WWII, is complemented by lovely green spaces along the Somme River. Jules Verne lived the last 34 years of his life here; his former home is now a museum. The Maison Jules Verne is another local temple of creativity and innovation. On display are the models of flying machines and naval ships, dreamed up by the city's most famous author. (Some 30,000 students from the Université de Picardie Jules Verne lend the city a youthful energy.)
+ Surrounded by quiet countryside, this lively little city boasts a wide variety of cultural events and unique points of interest. Many of the city's top attractions spark the imagination, such as the Notre-Dame Cathedral, which is the largest Gothic church in the world; and the Tour Perret, the first skyscraper built in Europe.

+ For those who should like to continue traveling farther afield, several excellent day trip destinations are within 30 kilometers (~19 mi.) of Amiens, such as the WWI Battlefields of Somme and the Samara Park, which reenacts scenes from prehistoric times. Amiens is located close enough to Paris that it could be a day trip destination by car or train; the drive takes less than two hours, while the train ride is just over an hour long.