Visit of the Notre-Dame d’Amiens Cathedral
With its impressive profile overlooking the city for centuries, Notre-Dame d’Amiens, the largest Gothic building in France, surprises visitors upon first glance.
Listed as a UNESCO world heritage monument in 1981 thanks to its astonishing architecture, and again in 1998 as a step on the Compostela pilgrim route, the Notre-Dame d’Amiens cathedral is the most visited monument in Picardy.
Building of the Notre-Dame d’Amiens Cathedral started in 1220, at the initiative of bishop Evrard de Fouilloy, to replace an older building that had been destroyed by fire in around 1218.
It was part of the biggest wave of construction of Gothic cathedrals, like Soissons, Laon, Chartres and Paris, in the second half of the 12th century and start of the 13th century.
The Notre-Dame d’Amiens cathedral had to be up to receiving the relics of Saint-Jean-Baptiste, brought back from the crusades.
It was built quickly. The central stone in the labyrinth, which was laid in 1228, marked the finalisation of the main building work.
The Gothic, yet still classical art, announced the beginnings of an influential art and presented a work of great unity.
The cathedral of Amiens is a major example of Gothic architecture in Picardy and in Western Europe.
Duration of visit: 1½ hours
Price:
101 for 30 people
An extra € 4 per person with a second guide
€ 73 for a maximum of 20 people and a maximum of 30 children for school groups.
Extra fee on Sundays and public holidays, for foreign languages or for late hours: € 26 per guide
Cathedral opening times:
From 1st April to 30th September: from 8.30am to 6.15pm
From 1st October to 31st March: from 8.30am to 5.15pm
The Notre-Dame d’Amiens Cathedral cannot be visited on Saturday afternoon, Sunday morning or during religious services.