Champagne-Ardenne: historic towns, vineyards and prestigious cellars

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The Champagne-Ardenne region is located in the north-eastern part of France, the largest city in the region is Reims, but the capital is the city of Châlons-en-Champagne, administratively it is made up of 4 departments: Ardennes (08) with capital Charleville-Mézières; Aube (10) with capital Troyes; Marne (51) with capital Châlons-en-Champagne; and Haute-Marne (52) with Chaumont as its capital.

Located in the north of France, the Champagne-Ardenne, bordering the extreme north with Belgium, the region is rich in waterways, the most important of which are the Seine, the Marne, the Aube, the Aisne and the Meuse.

Predominantly flat, the region has low reliefs in correspondence with some plateaus such as the Côtes des Bars, the Langres and Barrois plateaus, all of which are however of low altitude, between 550 and 350 metres.

Champagne-Ardenne is a region whose agriculture is very rich, where cereals are produced, excellent wines including the famous Champagne.

TOURIST ATTRACTIONS: WHAT TO VISIT IN CHAMPAGNE-ARDENNE

A trip to Champagne-Ardenne presents cultural, artistic and food and wine attractions. Most tourists who travel to the Champagne-Ardenne region are attracted by its prestigious vineyards and cellars where the famous Champagne is produced, a sparkling wine with a controlled designation of origin (appellation d’origine contrôlée (AOC)).

Among the main attractions to visit are: Troyes for its ancient houses; Châlons-en-Champagne with the beautiful cloister (Cloître) of the church of Notre Dame-en-Vaux; Sedan for his castle; Reims for its cathedral, Roman remains, and the palaces and monuments of its historic centre; Langres famous for its walls; Épernay known for its cellars and home to the most important Champagne brands.

UNESCO has included the Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Saint-Remi Abbey and the Tau Palace of Reims in the list of World Heritage Sites. Also part of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites are the sites of the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela in France (Chemins de Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle en France ) two of which are located in the region (the Basilica of Notre-Dame Dame in L’Epine; and the Church of Notre-Dame-en-Vaux in Châlons-en-Champagne).

Spa tourism is practiced in Bourbonne-les-Bains, a spa resort which also has a casino. In the commune of Dolancourt, between Troyes and Chaumont, is the theme park of Nigloland, which extends over 25 hectares, there are dozens of attractions including roller coasters, a Ferris wheel, the train, and has four thematic areas:

The Canadian village (le village canadien), the rock’n’roll village (le village rock’n’roll), the fantasy village (le village merveilleux) and the Swiss village (le village Suisse).

In Colombey-les-Deux-Églises, a small town in the Haute-Marne department, there is the Mémorial Charles de Gaulle, dedicated to General Charles de Gaulle. The permanent exhibition retraces the main historical events of the twentieth century through the life of Charles de Gaulle.

The climate of Champagne-Ardenne.