Guide to Champagne-Ardenne

Champagne-Ardenne

Region to the east and north of Paris comprising the départements of:
Ardennes (08)
Aube (10)
Marne (51)
Haute-Marne (52)

Population: 1.4 million
Principal city: Châlons-en-Champagne.
Tourist board

Less than three hours' drive from Calais along the deserted A26 brings you into this historic area (to say nothing of its wine). All but three of the kings of France were crowned at Rheims, including Charles VII who had to rely on Joan of Arc to get him there.

'Champagne' has two meanings, which is often a cause of confusion in articles covering this part of france. The geographical area of Champagne (with a capital C) was formerly a province and is now a part of the modern administrative region known as Champagne-Ardenne. In 1997, the capital of the region, Châlons-en-Champagne, changed its name from Châlons-sur-Marne back to its original historic name after a referendum. Among the reasons for the change were the fact that it was frequently mistaken for the Burgundian homonym Chalon-sur-Saône: now there is no confusion about the region the city is in!

The world-famous sparkling wine produced within part of the region is called champagne, with a lower-case c. In French the two are further distinguishable by gender: the region is la Champagne, whilst the drink is le champagne.

Ardennes (08)

Population: 296,000
Principal city: Charleville-Mézières
Tourist board

The name 'Ardennes' comes from the Celtic meaning 'deep forest', and to this day deciduous forest covers nearly all the old mountain mass of the Ardennes. High mountains once existed here, but erosion has worn them away. The rock base again rose up when the Alps emerged, forming a high plateau of schist in which rivers have hollowed surprising meanders and gorges. Many viewpoints have been set up so visitors may enjoy the landscape that has inspired many legends. Canoeing and horse-riding are popular sports in the forest, with cross-country skiing taking over in wintertime.

Very fittingly, the wild boar is the symbol of the Ardennes; indeed the subject of game and hunting crops up on an almost daily basis. It is very much part of traditional ardennais life.

Monks were the first to clear the forest; tourist routes take you to some superb 17th-century abbeys, fortified churches, and Gothic and Romansque masterpieces. The Ardennes' frontier position has left with with a wealth of fortifications, from the vast castle at Sedan and the star-shaped fortifications at Rocroi to defences of the Maginot Line.

The capital, Charleville-Mézières, has a beautiful central place, built in the 17th century.

Aube (10)

Population: 296,000
Principal city: Troyes
Tourist board

Much medieval architecture subsists in the Aube: the département has 85 churches on the national historic monuments list, and Troyes, once known as "the town of a hundred spires", has the most stained glass of any French city. A school of painting was also established in Troyes in the 16th century.

There are many points of interest in the département: the Royal Crystalworks at Bayel, which has been a centre for glassworks since 1666; the Cistercian abbey of Clairvaux; and Brienne-le-Château, at whose military academy the young Napoléon Bonaparte studied.

The large man-made lakes of the lac d'Orient, the lac Amance and the lac du Temple are especially popular with water sports enthusiasts, anglers, migrating birds and birdwatchers, whilst the surrounding Forêt d'Orient is a regional natural park containing wild boar.

Although Reims and Épernay, in the département of Marne, tend to take the credit for marketing it, more than 22% of the champagne appellation comes from Aube.

Marne (51)

Population: 296,000
Principal city: Troyes
Tourist board

The préfecture of Marne and capital of Champagne-Ardennes, Châlons, has some elegant medieval houses with overhanging upper storeys, and the cathedral is famous for its stained glass. In 451, south-west of Châlons, Attila the Hun was engaged and routed by the Roman army at a place called les Champs catalauniques; the name Châlons itself comes from the name of the local Gaulish tribe, the Catalauni.

Guaranteed to catch out unwary Anglophones, the name of Reims, the Marne's most famous city, rhymes with the French word pince, not the English word 'reams'! This is where the kings of France used to be crowned, and four of its monuments, including the royal cathedral and the Saint-Rémi basilica (where King Clovis was converted to Christianity) are listed by the UNESCO World Heritage register. The area surrounding the cathedral was damaged by fire and bombing in WWI; the cathedral itself lost its roof timbering, and was hit by hundreds of shells, but survived and was skilfully restored. The most famous of the sculptures in the cathedral is the Ange au sourire - the Smiling Angel - which you will not be able to avoid if you hit the souvenir shops in town. Or, come to that, anywhere in town: the Smiling Angel is the mascot of Reims. Reims is well endowed with Michelin-rated restaurants, but it's most famous for being the capital of champagne country - or at least, it shares the title with Épernay to the south.

In Épernay, the other great champagne city, it is possible to visit the caves, carved into the chalk, which are used to store champagne: amongst the houses based in the town are De Castellane, Mercier and Moêt et Chandon. Three of the most famous champagne houses, Clicquot, Pommery and Bollinger, owe their success to three widows, all equally determined and dedicated to the making of this 'king of wines'. As the tourist pamphlets declaim: "It's only champagne if it comes from Champagne", so a visit to a great champagne house is almost obligatory. Champagne is made grapes that thrive in the temperate climate and chalky sub-soil covered by a layer of clay, which ensures an ideal temperature and humidity. The dry character of champagne derives from the minerals in the soil.

The lac du Der-Chantecoq, to the south-east of the département, is a popular destination for birdwatchers, as it is the largest man-made lake in Europe. Many species of wildfowl can be seen here, but the lake is especially well known for migrating cranes.

Haute-Marne (52)

Population: 204,000
Principal city: Chaumont
Tourist board

Chaumont, whose Latin name Calvus Mons means Bare Mountain, was the fortified medieval seat of the counts of Champagne; the Tour Hautefeuille dates from the 11th century. The traditional local industry is glove-making.

In the south of the département, perched on the edge of a plateau, stands the sous-préfecture of Langres; the view from the ramparts are spectacular. This compact city is remembered principally as the birthplace of the philosopher Denis Diderot in 1713. Diderot is remembered for his critiques of art and literature, and principally for his Encyclopédie, for which Voltaire, Montesequieu and Voltaire were contributors.
With nearly three acres of forest per inhabitant, the département of Haute-Marne is intensely rural; one of the lesser-known secrets of the area is the Tuber uncinatum, a truffle that was widely used in Parisian restaurants in the last century, and is undergoing a renaissance amongst gastronomes of the region.

One of the typical crafts in the area is basket-making, which was introduced in the Fayl-Billot area east of Langres in the 16th century. Today production is geared towards furniture and luxury items. Langres has also been renowned for its cutlery industry, and nearby Nogent still produces both high-volume cutlery and artisan-produced limited series. Visits to the workshops are possible, and knives and other articles can be bought at many local shops.

Thirty kilometres north-west of Chaumont lies Colombey-les-Deux-Églises, the village to which General de Gaulle retired after his election defeat in 1969. He died on 9 November 1970, and a huge granite two-barred Cross of Lorraine, the symbol of the Free French fighters, stands as a memorial to him; France's greatest war hero.
The lac du Der-Chantecoq, to the north-west of the département, is a popular destination for birdwatchers, as it is the largest man-made lake in Europe. Many species of wildfowl can be seen here, but the lake is especially well known for migrating cranes.

The inhabitants of Haute-Marne love the countryside that surrounds them; that's natural enough. But you'd be surprised at the pride they show explaining some geographical features around Langres: apparently a very worse-for-wear Gargantua, after a long session tasting the wines of Burgundy, scraped his boots on Mont Grigou, copiously emptied his bowels to form the colline des Fourches and eased his bladder all over the villages of Voisines and near to Vivey, where the source of the River Aube rises.