Péronne offers two distinct focuses for a stay: museums and fortification history on the one hand, and trails and activities at Étang du Cam on the other. If you are looking for a hotel in Péronne, you can first consider whether you are mainly interested in the First World War, archaeological collections or spending time outdoors.
Understanding the First World War and Péronne’s history
The Historial de la Grande Guerre is located in Péronne’s medieval castle. Its modern building houses five rooms with permanent exhibitions and two audiovisual rooms. Together, they cover the First World War, from its origins to its consequences. The Salles des Gardes add a local perspective, covering, among other things, the history of Péronne Castle and its region, as well as the Battle of Mont-Saint-Quentin. The broader historical context and the history of the place are presented side by side in the same museum.
Archaeological collections in the town hall
The Musée Alfred-Danicourt was founded in 1877 and is now housed in four rooms on the first floor of Péronne Town Hall. Its archaeological collections are particularly renowned for the exceptional quality of their ancient glyptics, numismatics and goldsmithing. Glyptics is the art of carving stone; numismatics is the study of coins. The museum therefore offers a different thematic focus from the Historial: archaeological collections and their specialist fields take centre stage here.
The Porte de Bretagne and the former fortifications
The Porte de Bretagne was built in 1602 during the reign of Henry IV, replacing the Porte Saint-Sauveur, which had been damaged during the siege of 1536. It is the only surviving remnant of the fortifications that once surrounded old Péronne. It was listed as a historic monument in 1925 and restored in 1927. These dates distinguish the different stages of its history: the damage to the earlier gate, its replacement and its later designation and restoration.
Parc du Cam and La balade Péronnaise
At Parc du Cam, a landscaped path goes around the pond. Picnic areas, green spaces and remnants of former fortifications line the route. On the return leg, La balade Péronnaise passes through the park and offers a view of the Historial de la Grande Guerre. The route also goes beneath the Porte de Bretagne; afterwards, you can see Les Hardines. These vegetable gardens were created gradually by draining marshes and ditches. The park thus brings together green spaces and the pond with traces of the former fortifications.
Ropes courses, zip line and water activities
Au Fil du Cam offers seven high ropes courses of varying difficulty. There is also a 165-metre-long zip line above Étang du Cam. On the pond’s calm waters, you can canoe and kayak with Au Fil du Cam. The activities therefore vary in type: ropes courses, a ride above the water, or canoeing and kayaking on the pond. Before making plans, it is worth checking the latest visitor information for the Historial, operating details for Au Fil du Cam and trail conditions for La balade Péronnaise.
Discover more destinations: Miannay, Doingt, Ergnies, Saigneville, Villers-sous-Ailly, Poulainville, Bouvaincourt-Sur-Bresle, Velennes.
For the regional travel overview: Somme.
