Picardy is on the move!

In both summer or winter, discovering the Picardy coast or the Somme Bay walking with a nature guide, as a family on cycle paths or even on horseback is a pleasure to be repeated time and time again. In Saint-Quentin-en-Tourmont or Ponthoile, for example, horseback riding on Henson horses is even suitable for beginners. The Henson is the ideal mount for riders of any level as they are very calm horses. Breeders describe it perfectly when they say it is a “sturdy, calm and endearing horse”. On horseback: “I rediscover the Bay with every ride. The landscape varies with the colour of the sky. I find myself admiring a different scene every time” says a riding guide… like being alone in the world in the Marquenterre dunes.
“Our asset is space…” At low tide, the sea reveals vast sandy beaches at Fort-Mahon, Quend and stretching up to Crotoy, a paradise for sand-yachting enthusiasts: sail-carting or speed-sailing, with friends or as a family, for all ages, accompanied by a qualified instructor, just one hour is enough to grasp the basics of handling and to head off for the wide open spaces.
A green lung between Lille and Paris, Picardy has some of the finest forest estates in France, former favourite hunting grounds of the kings, together comprising some 343,000 hectares.

Miles and miles of forest trails to criss-cross by bike, or on foot, in the Halatte, Chantilly, Saint Gobain, Laigue, Crécy, Retz, Ermenonville or Compiègne forests, as a family or in a group with guide from the French Forestry Commission (ONF). While Picardy has over 1,500 km of official hiking trails (GR), it also has plenty of rivers to canoe down. With water everywhere, in ponds, lakes and marshes, Picardy is also a paradise for anglers.

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