- Your step :Péronne - Albert
- Start :Péronne
- Finish :Péronne
- Km :48
Stage 1: Péronne to Albert
- Step 1
- Step 2
- Accommodation
Begin in the heart of the Somme, in the town of Péronne, under German occupation for most of World War I. Today its château houses the Historial de la Grande Guerre, a museum focusing on the war’s social context.
Discover another British cemetery, plus French and German ones, in Rancourt a 10-minute drive north.
Ten minutes west, Longueval has a memorial commemorating the actions of the New Zealand Division in the area in 1916. The memorial and museum at nearby Delville Wood pay homage to South Africans who served in all theatres of war.
Just north-west, Courcelette is noteworthy for its Canadian Memorial, while a 15-minute drive south-east brings you to the Thiepval Memorial inscribed with the names of 72,195 men who died in the Somme but have never been found.
At Beauhamel-Newfoundland Canadian Memorial five minutes north-west,explore a battlefield with intact trenches. From there, head back south to Lochnagar Crater at La Boisselle – the only surviving evidence of 17 mine explosions designed to disorientate the Germans on 1 July 1916.
Where to Refuel:
Péronne: Bistrot d’Antoine opposite the Historial - try the ficelle picarde (ham crêpes).
Rancourt: Le Prieuré, serving classic French cuisine.
Auchonvillers (near Beauhamel-Newfoundland): Ocean Villas Tea Room, all day English breakfasts, plus tours of a cellar used by British troops.
Near Thiepval: Auberge de la Vallée d’Ancre, fine dining near the river.
Pozières (near La Boisselle): Le Tommy's Bar, with WW1 displays & simple pub fare.
Stage 2: Albert to Péronne
- Step 1
- Step 2
- Accommodation
Explore the historic legacy of Albert: the Allies’ main town behind the lines nearest the battlefields was devastated during the war but retains one of the British troops’ World War I icons – the golden Madonna on top of the basilica (they claimed that whoever made it fall would lose the war). The basilica’s crypt is how home to the Musée Somme 1916 with its compelling re-creations of trench life.
Ten minutes east you’ll discover the Mametz Wood Memorial, a dramatic 1980s sculpture of a red dragon commemorating an engagement of the 38th (Welsh) Division of the British Army between 7 and 12 July 1916.
Crossing the Vallée de la Haute Somme south-west of Contalmaison, you’ll pass quiet little villages and enjoy views over small fish-filled lakes. At Villers-Bretonneux half an hour from Contalmaison lies the Australian National Memorial.
From here it’s another half-hour’s drive to vibrant Amiens with its UNESCO-listed cathedral. Here you will find the famous 17th-century Ange Pleureur or Weeping Angel, postcards of which were popular with British, Australian and New Zealand troops writing home.
Heading back to Péronne, you’ll pass more classically French villages and small lakes, and see more cemeteries – at Corbie, at Vaux sur Somme (with its viewing platform over the valley), at Méricourt-l'Abbé, at Cappy, at Suzanne, at Curlu and at Herbécourt.
At Froissy, you can also take a trip on the Petit Train de la Haute Somme, a steam railway Railway built in 1916 to supply trenches and artillery, offering visitors panoramic views over the Somme Valley.
Where to Refuel:
Albert: Restaurant La Basilique opposite the basilica, serving classic and modern regional cuisine including ficelle picarde. You can also stock up on local products in the town’s Boutique du Coquelicot (‘Poppy Shop’).
Amiens (outskirts): the Aubergade à Dury with its Michelin-starred dining.
