Champagne France - Northern France - IndigoGuide Champagne

Champagne (Champagne-Ardenne) France - Tourist Travel Guide - French Holidays

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According to the locals, squid fossils in the chalk give sparkling wine from Champagne that extra touch of class compared with sparkling wines from other wine-growing areas made using the champenois process, and this is why only champagne from designated areas of Champagne can lay claim to the title. Fine wines have been grown in this region for centuries, the vineyards having been planted by the Romans, and it was only in the seventeenth century that the bubbles were added. To learn more about Champagne wines, click here. Five thousand people are employed by the champagne industry all year round and during the harvest this number rises to about 40,000 people.

Northern France: Guide to Northern France > Amiens France - Tourist Travel Guide > Beauvais France - Tourist Travel Guide > Bologne France - Tourist Travel Guide > Calais France - Tourist Travel Guide > Champagne > Dunkirk France - Tourist Travel Guide > Épernay France - Tourist Travel Guide > Lille France - Tourist Travel Guide > Hotels in Lille > Reims France - Tourist Travel Guide > Troyes France - Tourist Travel Guide

Champagne-Ardenne

The best place for tasting champagne (called a dégustation) is Épernay, the centre of champagne production and home to many different maisons (champagne houses) who are happy to give a guided tour of their cellars. Otherwise, Reims is home to the big names in champagne production such as Veuve Cliquot, and also boasts a stunning Gothic cathedral where the kings of France were traditionally crowned. The region's capital is the medieval city of Troyes, which has pretty streets and is well worth visiting.

Map of the Champagne-Ardenne Region

The region of Champagne-Ardenne (usually referred to just as Champagne) is divided into four départements : Ardennes; Aube; Marne; and Haute Marne. The countryside is mainly rolling fields and much of it is cultivated, producing wheat and cabbages, among other things. Otherwise there is plenty of woodland in the Ardennes, and an ancient forest at Verzy that has some 1,000-year-old beech trees. The five rivers of Aisne, Aube, Marne, Meuse and Seine traverse Champagne, which is useful for irrigating all the crops but sometimes causes floods.

There is a small airport at Reims, and Reims is an hour and a half from Paris by train. Road access is good and the Route Touristique de Champagne meanders nicely through the vineyards, giving you a good view of the countryside. The region is good for such activities as mountain-biking, hiking and horse riding. All manner of water sports are possible as one of Europe's largest artificial lakes, the Lac du Der-Chantecoq, is near Saint-Dizier, and there are plenty of gorges and rivers on which to practise.

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