Champagne,
lying to the east of the Paris region, is one of the great historic
provinces of France. As far back as the times of the Emperor
Charlemagne, in the ninth century, Champagne was one of the great
regions of Europe, a rich agricultural area that was famous for its
fairs. Today, thanks to a type of sparkling
wine to
which the region has given its name, the word Champagne is known
worldwide – even if many of those who know the drink do not
know
exactly where it comes from.
Champagne, that most delightful of sparkling
wines, was
not actually invented in the region. According to legend, it was monks
who bought the method for making sparkling wine up from the
Languedoc,
in the south of France; but they soon discovered that the chalky soil
and climatic conditions in the Champagne region produced a bright
bubbly wine that was in many people's opinion better than the
sparkling wines produced further south. There was of course more to the
story of champagne than that; commercial success over the centuries had
as much to do with the fact that the Champagne region was close to
Paris
and other great European cities, as with the inherent qualities of the
product. But there is no region in France - perhaps no other region in
the world - whose name has been made so famous by a local product.
The modern region of
Champagne-Ardenne,
capital
Châlons
en Champagne , is not however one of the
most prosperous of French regions; indeed, in terms of GDP,
it is 17th out of
the 21 regions of continental France - though 8th in terms of GDP per
inhabitant. The difference is explained by the fact that in spite of
bordering on the Paris region, Champagne is a relatively sparsely
populated region - forming the north eastern end of what geographers
have called the "
empty
diagonal" of France.
Curiously, the capital
Châlons is by no
means the main city in the Champagne-Ardenne region; this honour goes
to the former capital
Reims
(often spelt Rheims in English), one of the great historic cities of
northern France, and four times the size of Châlons.
The Champagne-Ardenne region consists
of four departments - the
Ardennes
(08), the
Aube
(10), the
Marne
(51) and the
Haute-Marne
(52). The region is bordered by Belgium in the north, by
Lorraine in the
east, by
Franche-Comté
and
Burgundy
in the south, and by the
Paris
region and
Picardy
in the west.
The region is made up essentially of
areas of
relatively flat agricultural land and areas of gently undulating hills.
The hills are higher and more pronounced in the north of the region -
the area of the Ardennes - and the south of the region, an area known
as the Plateau de Langres. The central part of Champagne is an
important agricultural area, with vast expanses of cereal production,
and – in particular north of Reims – production of
vegetables and sugar beet. In the north of the Ardennes department,
the landscape is characterised by wooded hills and valleys.
The
famous vineyards of Champagne lie on the chalky hills to the south west
of Reims, and around the town of Epernay.
Apart from the former regional capital
Reims, the Champagne region is not a particularly busy tourist
destination. Its rurality, accessibility and low population density
have attracted a number of second-home owners from the Paris region and
from Belgium and Holland - particularly in the hillier areas;
but
more often than not, it is a region that tourists pass through, rather
than a destination. Lying on the
main autoroutes from Paris to Germany and from the UK or
Belgium
to the south of France, Reims, a university city, has all the
feel of a bustling regional capital; the old city is dominated by
the 13th
century cathedral, one of the great gothic cathedrals of northern
France, and a UNESCO world heritage site. Badly damaged in the first
world war, the cathedral has been painstakingly restored to its true
glory. The city is also home to some of the major Champagne producers,
such as Taittinger, and cellar tours are available.
However, for perhaps the most
enjoyable cellar
visits and champagne tasting, many visitors will prefer to visit the
smaller
town of Epernay, fifteen miles south of Reims. Lying in the heart of
"champagne country", Epernay is home to many of the most famous
champagne producers, including Moët & Chandon or
Perrier-Jouët. The town being small, it is easy to
visit a
number of champagne houses or cellars on foot.
Finally,
there is another small
area producing champagne, which is quite distinct from the
Reims-Epernay vineyard. The southern champagne vineyard area lies in
the Aube department, between the towns of Bar sur Aube and
Les
Riceys.
Among the many
historic sites in
France that are less known than they ought to be, the small hill town
of
Langres,
in the south of
the region, must be near the top of the list. Sometimes referred to as
the "Carcassonne of the North", the old town is a remarkable ensemble
of historic stone buildings, enclosed within 3.6 kilometres of
ramparts, mostly dating from the 13th and 17th centuries. But parts are
much older, as Langres has been a fortified city since Roman times; and
unlike Carcassonne, Langres is not jam-packed with tourists.
The Champagne region prides itself on historic links with
some of the most iconic leaders that France has ever had - and in
particular Joan of Arc (Jeanne d'Arc) , who came from the village of
Domrémy, now in the Aude department, and General de Gaulle, who
is buried at Colombey les Deux Eglises, in the Haute Marne. Contrary to
false information repeated on several websites, de Gaulle was not born
here, and had no ancestral link to the region.
Access:
by TGV from Paris Gare de l'est, train from many cities,
motorway from Paris, Lille, Strasbourg, Nancy, Lyon, Geneva. Nearest
airport: Paris Charles de Gaulle.
Language
note: in French, the region is called "la Champagne", the
sparkling wine is "le
champagne".
Main
tourist attractions in
Champagne Ardenne
Reims cathedral - photo Kessiye - cc.
Langres - photo Chelmsfordblue - cc |
- Champagne
cellars visits (51): at Rheims and at Epernay. Travel
underground and see how the precious product is matured.
- Charleville
Mézières (08): capital of the
Ardennes department, birthplace of the poet Rimbaud. Old town.
- Colombey
les Deux Eglises . village with the country residence of
General de Gaulle, who is buried here.
- Epernay:
the "champagne capital", small town in the hills south of Reims, with
many of the biggest champagne producers. Cellar tours, champagne tours.
- Reims:
one of the finest mediaeval cathedrals in France. Once the kings of
France were crowned here. Historic city centre.
- Lac
du Der (52)
. the biggest reservoir in Europe (48km²), built in 1967, this
lake has become a particularly important area on the migration routes
of water birds. The annual visits of flocks of cranes draw birdwatchers
from all over Europe.
- Nigloland
(10): Near Bar sur Aube: one of the biggest theme parks in
France
- Langres
(52) ; fortified
hill town with 3.6 km of ramparts and city gates. Off the beaten track,
the historic stone-built town centre is a remarkable ensemble.
A
gem
- Regional
natural parks (51): the Montagne de Reims, hills south of
Reims; the forêt d'Orient, near Troyes.
- River
tourism: the Seine, the Marne, the Aube and various canals.
- Sedan,
Château-fort (08) - purportedly the biggest
ancient fortress in Europe, built in the early fifteenth century.
- Troyes
(10): 13th century gothic cathedral with fine stained
glass; historic city centre.
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