Northern France is usually about rolling hills, butter-heavy cuisine, and somber war memorials. But honestly, the most mind-blowing thing in the Picardy region isn't even on the surface. It’s a massive, sprawling limestone labyrinth hidden thirty meters beneath the quiet village of Naours. People call it a "cité souterraine," or an underground city, but that description almost feels too clinical for how eerie and human this place actually is.
It’s big. Like, really big.
We’re talking about two miles of tunnels and 300 rooms that could once house 3,000 people and their livestock. It wasn't built for dwarves or mythical creatures, though local legends definitely tried to claim that for a while. It was built by terrified peasants. For centuries, whenever an army marched across the plains of Picardy—which happened a lot—the villagers didn’t run away. They went down.
Why the Underground City of Naours Exists
History in this part of Europe is basically just a long list of people invading each other. You had the Middle Ages, the Thirty Years' War, and various marauding bands of English and Spanish troops. The villagers of Naours realized they were sitting on a goldmine—or rather, a chalk mine. They had been digging out limestone for building since the 3rd century. Eventually, someone had the bright idea to turn those quarries into a permanent hideout.
This wasn't a "man cave" situation. It was survival.
The underground city of Naours was designed to be invisible. They engineered the chimneys so the smoke from their fires would filter through the village houses above or disappear into the woods. If you were a soldier riding through town in 1630, you’d see a "deserted" village, totally unaware that three thousand people were breathing right under your horse’s hooves.
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The Layout of a Subterranean Refuge
Walking through it today, you see "streets" and "squares." It’s organized. There are dedicated areas for cattle and horses because, let’s be real, if the soldiers stole your cow, you’d starve anyway even if you survived the raid. There are even small chapels carved into the rock.
The rooms are small. Imagine living in a limestone box with your entire family, a goat, and three weeks' worth of grain. It would have been damp, dark, and smelled... intense. The temperature stays at a constant 11°C (about 52°F) year-round. That's great in a heatwave, but if you're living there for months during a siege, it’s bone-chilling.
The 2014 Discovery That Changed Everything
For a long time, Naours was just a cool local curiosity. It was "rediscovered" in 1887 by a local priest named Father Danicourt, who spent years clearing out the rubble. But in 2014, researchers found something that moved the site from "neat medieval hideout" to "internationally significant historical site."
They found the graffiti.
Not just a few scratches. Thousands of inscriptions. Over 3,000 individual pieces of graffiti left by soldiers from World War I. While the tunnels weren't used as a primary combat zone in the Great War, they became a massive tourist attraction for troops stationed nearby behind the front lines of the Somme.
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The Soldiers of the Somme
When you look at the walls now, you see names, service numbers, and hometowns. Most of them are from the Australian Imperial Force. There’s something deeply haunting about seeing a name like "Leslie Russell, 14th Battalion" etched into the chalk. You realize these guys were just kids, taking a day trip to see the famous "underground city" before being sent back to the meat grinder of the trenches just a few miles away.
Archaeologists like Gilles Prilaux have spent years documenting these marks. It’s the largest collection of WWI inscriptions on the Western Front. It turns the site into a giant autograph book of men who, in many cases, didn't survive the year. It’s a weirdly personal connection to history that you don't get at a formal museum.
Common Misconceptions About the Tunnels
People often think this was a permanent residence. It wasn't. Nobody wanted to live in a hole in the ground. They were "muches"—a local Picard word meaning "to hide." They were used for weeks or maybe months at a time.
Another big myth is that it was a secret military base. While the Nazis used it as a fuel depot and the British used it for storage, its soul is civilian. It’s a monument to the regular person’s refusal to die in a war they didn't start.
The Logistics of Visiting Today
If you’re planning to go, don’t just show up in flip-flops. Even if it’s 35°C outside, you will freeze down there. Bring a jacket.
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- Location: It's about 20 minutes north of Amiens. Easy drive from Paris if you’re doing a day trip.
- The Museum: There’s a small museum at the entrance with artifacts found during the excavations—mostly everyday stuff like old keys, coins, and pots.
- The Park: Above ground, there’s actually a pretty cool park with old windmills. It’s a weird contrast to the claustrophobia below.
The site is open most of the year, but they do close for a bit in the dead of winter. Check the local Picardy tourism sites before you trek out there.
Why Naours Matters in 2026
We spend so much time looking at the grand cathedrals of France, but the underground city of Naours tells a different story. It’s the story of the 99%. It’s about how people throughout history have been incredibly resourceful when backed into a corner.
There's a specific kind of silence in those tunnels. It’s not the empty silence of a cave; it’s a silence that feels heavy with the presence of the thousands of people who once huddled there, waiting for the sound of boots above to fade away.
Actionable Insights for Travelers
- Book the guided tour: While you can walk through some parts alone, the guides know where the best soldier graffiti is hidden. You’ll miss the most moving parts without them.
- Amiens as a Base: Stay in Amiens. Visit the Cathedral (it’s the largest in France) and then drive to Naours. It gives you the full scale of Picardy history.
- Photography: It’s dark. Bring a camera that handles low light well, but don't expect to use a tripod unless you have special permission; the tunnels are narrow and you’ll block the path.
- Check the "Silent Soldiers" Project: Before you go, look up the Australian War Memorial’s database. If you have an ancestor who fought in the Somme, there is a literal chance their name is on the wall in Naours.
The site remains one of the most poignant reminders of human resilience in Europe. It isn't just a hole in the ground; it's a preserved record of the instinct to survive.