Somme River lies in northern France. The river rises near the French-Belgian border. It flows west for about 140 miles (225 kilometers) into the Somme Bay, a tidal estuary on the English Channel. For centuries, battles fought along the Somme have served as turning points in European military history.
The Somme flows through Picardy, a rich agricultural region. It passes the historic cities of Amiens, Abbeville, and Saint-Valery-sur-Somme. Canals, busy with commercial barge traffic, connect the Somme with the Scheldt and Oise rivers.
In 1066, the Norman forces of William the Conqueror gathered at the Somme estuary before attacking Anglo-Saxon armies in England. In 1346, during the Hundred Years’ War, skirmishes along the river led to the pivotal Battle of Crécy. Some of the most violent battles of World War I (1914-1918), including the 1916 Battle of the Somme, were fought there. The region saw bitter fighting again during World War II (1939-1945).
