ABOVE: Champagne-Ardenne tourist board
Brochures of Champagne-Ardenne Tourisme
In addition to its tourist guide “Exploration & enchantment”, the Champagne-Ardenne tourist board has published a series of short, themed brochures to give useful and practical information, suggestions and off-the-peg ideas on a number of different topics.
You can download below all the brochures from the Champagne-Ardenne tourist board website.
Download the tourist guide - Exploration & EnchantmentOnly 45 minutes from Paris, the Champagne-Ardenne region is made up of four administrative divisions or départements: Ardennes, Marne, Aube and Haute-Marne.
Its history is closely linked to that of France, ever since the Coronation of Clovis and the Kings of France in Reims, and the Foires de Champagne markets, right up to more recent, darker times, with the Battle of the Marne that took place in WWI, or the famous Battle of the Ardennes in 1940.
Today, it makes our local way of life sparkle, thanks to Champagne, a unique wine that is a source of celebration for the planet!
The reputation of this exceptional nectar, together with the fame of its heritage, the beauty of its more secret nature and the diversity of events that take place all year round, make Champagne-Ardenne a much sought-after destination not only for cultural tourism, but also for family holidays and sporting activities.
The tourist guide “Exploration & enchantment” gives you general and practical information about the region sorted by the following categories: “nature & scenery”, “sports & adventure”, “history & heritage”, “art & subject”, “detours & towns”, “land & flavours” and “festivals & events”.
Download brochure - Excursions: Walking - Cycling – Horse ridingWith over 3,000 miles of marked paths, tracks and country walks, Champagne-Ardenne offers a wide choice for lovers of rambling and hiking.
Whether walking, horse riding or cycling, delve into the depths of an unspoilt countryside at your pace: listen to the chatter of wildlife, cross over a stretch of water on a log bridge, or climb to the top of a ridge to gaze at the horizon. There are all sorts of nature trails in Champagne-Ardenne: footpaths through and around the vineyards, forests and lakes; discovery trails; long distance hiking tracks in the Ardennes; pilgrimage routes that lead to far off Meccas; or the 125 miles of greenways and towpaths.
The brochure “Excursions: Walking – Cycling – Horse riding” offers an overview of these activities on offer in the region. Full of information, this 16-page brochure details some of the hiking options available in Champagne-Ardenne, such as cycling tours in the vineyards, ambling through the countryside with a horse-drawn caravan, or a five-day hike in the Ardennes hills. The guide is full of hints and tips on walking and riding in the region with examples of excursions and short breaks, practical information and useful addresses.
Download brochure - Memory & HistoryThe scene of large-scale battles, acts of resistance and bravery, Champagne-Ardenne is a region deeply marked by history.
To ensure that the memory lives on, the brochure “Memory & History” presents a number of sites linked to the major European conflicts of the last centuries and also pays homage to famous historic figures in the region, such as General de Gaulle and the kings of France crowned in Reims.
The regional tourist board gives also suggestions for short breaks and itineraries to discover a region rich in places of remembrance and sites of precious cultural heritage, for example the new Charles de Gaulle Memorial in Colombey-Les-Deux Eglises which is dedicated to the life and work of General de Gaulle. Other places of remembrance include the Interpretation Centre “Marne 14-18” in Suippes and the war and peace museum in Novion-Porcien, covering an area of more than 4,000 metres square, which was at the heart of the wars that took place in 1870-1871, 1914-1918 and 1939-1945. The Napoléon I Museum & Circuit in Brienne-Le-Château pays homage to Napoleon I (1769-1821).
Download brochure - Chateaux & FortressesChampagne-Ardenne is a region with a rich heritage and history. With over 150 châteaux and fortresses, visitors have plenty of opportunities to travel through French and European history, from the Middle-Ages to the Renaissance, including the Enlightenment.
The brochure “Châteaux & Fortresses” presents a selection of the most beautiful edifices of the region which visitors can discover in individually, in groups or by guided tour.
Among the most beautiful gems of the region, the Champagne-Ardenne tourist board recommends the following exceptional sites: Château Fort de Sedan, with its medieval architecture and the incredible height of its 40-metre walls, Château de Réveillon built in the style of Louis XII style in which famous writers such as Alexandre Dumas, Marcel Proust and Anatole France stayed, Château de la Motte Tilly built in 1754 following the initiative of Abbot Terray, future finance minister to Louis XV and Château de Corey-sur-Blaise which was built in 1643 and where Voltaire took refuge between 1734 and 1749.
Download brochure - Parks & GardensThe parks and gardens of Champagne-Ardenne are hidden treasures which offer visitors a great way to discover the colours of the region. Public or private, large or small, all have their own personality to entice visitors.
The brochure “Parks and gardens” presents a selection of the most beautiful gardens of the region sorted by the following categories: “gardens in towns”, “parks of châteaux”, “botanical gardens and arboretums” and “unusual sites”.
Here is a selection of some of these parks and gardens open to the public: the Arboretum of Vendresse is distinguished by its avenue planted with Douglas fir trees, famous for their spectacular size, the botanical garden of Marnay-sur-Seine has 3,000 different plant species, the park of the Château de Dormans is a beautiful 25 hectare French-style park and the Château of the great Garden or Château de Joinville is a Renaissance garden.
With 385 communes or districts labelled “Towns and Villages in Bloom”, Champagne-Ardenne has earned itself first place in the classification of French regions in bloom.
Download brochure - Fauna & FloraChampagne-Ardenne is a vast region with a diverse natural heritage which is often hidden out of sight.
The brochure “Fauna & Flora” presents its regional heritage in its mineral, plant, aquatic and animal forms. The educational quarry at Mailly-Champagne (Marne) is a summary of geological history stretching over some 70 million years. It is a listed site with an extremely lively biological habitat that has been active for thousands of years. The travertine rock of Rolampont (Haute-Marne) forms a natural monumental staircase carved out by running water.
Lawns of orchids, giant bonsais, majestic rivers and streams, deep valleys, inland seas, grandiose landscapes... here nature is preserved to ensure you can really go back to your roots. Nature is also spectacular particularly when the migratory birds and the common cranes stop off at the Lac du Der or at the lakes of the Orient forest (Aube) in the autumn. The wild boar is not only a proud representative of the local wildlife, but the emblem of an entire département, Ardennes.
Download brochure - Traditional crafts and skillsIn the same way as painting, sculpture, architecture and literature, traditional crafts and trades form part of the Champagne-Ardenne history.
Wood, glass, textiles, clay, metal…Champagne-Ardenne is rich in these ancestral skills that have been passed down over the centuries, succeeding in adapting both with new techniques and people’s tastes, without ever renouncing their origins or betraying the nature of the raw materials they were based on.
The aim of the brochure “Traditional crafts and skills” is to take the curious tourist on a historical journey that continues to influence the present day.
From the Moulin à Couleurs colour mill in Ecordal (Ardennes) to the Maison de la Vannerie wickerwork museum in Fayl-Billot (Haute-Marne), the Maison de l’Outil et de la Pensée ouvrière tool museum in Troyes to the Cristallerie Royale de Champagne crystalworks (Aube), the Salon d’Automne des Métiers d’Art autumn traditional craft fair (Marne) to the Ronde des Feux ceramics festival in Chaource (Aube), a whole host of trades and practices of yesteryear are there to be discovered, all of them traditional yet still essential to the art of our surroundings.
Download brochure - Churches & Abbeys Whatever our own convictions or lack of them, we cannot but marvel at the ardent sense of faith that must have inhabited the cathedral builders in Champagne-Ardenne.
Of course, nothing of the sort will be demanded of the visitors who enter the cathedrals of Reims, Troyes or Langres… Any more than it will of those who stop at Mouzon Abbey, Clairvaux Abbey or the Basilica of the Epine, or those travelling along the Romanesque churches trail in the Ardres Valley or Haute-Marne, the fortified churches trail of the Ardennes Thiérache or the half-timbered churches trail of the wetlands of Champagne...
But we can bet that none of them will remain unmoved by the beauty that the architecture, sculptures (rood screen of Villemaur-sur-Vanne, entombment of Chaource) and the stained glass (Mézières, Ceffonds, Troyes) evoke.
The churches, abbeys and cathedrals of Champagne-Ardenne have borne testimony to the genius of man for more than a millennium.
The brochures “Circuit 1914-1918 : the first world war in the Marne” and Champagne half timbered churches trail can also be downloaded on the Champagne-Ardenne Tourisme website at the following link: www.champagne-ardenne-tourism.co.uk/guide/donwnloadable-documentation.aspx