Drink
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The traditional drink of the region is the cider, especially the pear cider from Bray.
Picardy is also famous for Champagne with its 2 000 ha of vineyards in Aisne. (Pinot Meunier)
Other alcohol are drunk in Picarde countrysides, including the "grénette" (oak leaf), the "flipe" (sugar, apple and honey)and the "hydromel" (honey).
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Food
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Picardy offers a large variety of regional gastronomic specialities.
As starter: duck pâté from Amiens
As main dish: ficelle picarde (pancakes), Flamiches (leek tart), pork rinds,lamb from the salt marshes, tart au Maroilles (cheese tart), potatoes, bean of Soissons, rissoles (fish or meat paté), mustard, caghuse (pork and onions) or shellfish from the Somme Bay, including cockles, prawns, soles and eels.
As desserts: Maroilles(cheese from the Thiérache), Chantilly cream, gateau battu(brioche),macaroons,Confiture de lait.
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Leisure
| Picardy accounts for games invented in ancient times an still practised today: such as Longue Paume, Javelin and Ballon au Poing
Picardy has also been the home of many writers as varied as Paul Claudel, Chateaubriand, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Jules Verne, Victor Hugo, Marcel Proust, La Fontaine, Alexandre Dumas and Colette, inspired by Picardy lanscapes.
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Festival Celebrations
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Traditional festivals keep alive traditions which are of importance in the picard way of life.
Picardy celebrate history, costumes, local products, music and fireworks through number of festivals throughout the region.
Picardy is also the favorite region for cinema and has been used as decor in more than 250 films.
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Language
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The regional language of picardy is the "Picard" dialect. Some expressions, words and proverbs are still used by the old rural generations.
The region is particularly known for is strong French accent, which accounts for one of the Picardy identity feature.
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Fortifications
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Picardy, one of the oldest provinces of France, accounts for number of splendids castles including : "Pierrefonds": built in 14th century as cinema decor today,"Compiegne": royal residence as national museum today," Vic sur Aisne": from 18th century and classified as historical monument, " Péronne":feodal fortress, "Condé-en-Brie" or "Troissereux" from the Renaissance.
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Religious monuments
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Picardy also hosts splendid religious monuments including:Gothic cathedrals of Amiens, Soissons,Senlis, Noyon, Laon and Saint Quentin, Abbeys of Longpont, Chaalis, Valloire,St-Germer-de-Fly or Saint-Riquier and many churches like Poix-de-Picardie.
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“Beautiful Villages”
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Picardy accounts for many picturesque villages including those awarded as " Most beautiful villages of France" such as Gerberoy in the Oise, Samara in the Somme and Parfondeval in Aisne.
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Museums
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Numerous museums in Picardie cover a large range of interests including: "Jean de La Fontaine" museum in his old house, "Picarvie" museum about typical picard life in 19th century or "Historial de la Grande Guerre" about Somme battles in 1916.
Other sites regarding metal, textile and clothing handcraft have to be seen: "Manufacture Royale de la Tapisserie" in Beauvais, "fabriques de velours" in Amiens "fabriques de broderie" in Saint-Quentin "fonderie" in Fresnoy-le-Grand,and "poterie et verrerie" in Blangy-sur-Bresle.
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Champagne Routes
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The touristic round along the vineyards start from Chateau-Thierry to Romeny-sur-Marne and allow Champagne tasting.
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Historical Routes
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The road of "Lys de France et de la Rose de Picardie" accounts for famous castles, manors and abbayes trough the departments of Oise, Somme, across valleys, forests and countrysides,to the picarde coast.
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