2014 ssential Press Pack Champagne-Ardenne PRESS CONTACTS: Doug Goodman Public Relations Tel: 0208 614 1448 - [email protected] Sarah Flook - Champagne-Ardenne Tourisme [email protected] Contents INTRODUCTION ..............................................................................p. 4 CENTENARY OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR ............................................ p. 5 TOWNS & HERItage ...............................................................................................p. 8 Reims, Epernay, Châlons-en-Champagne, Charleville-Mézières Chaumont, Troyes, Langres ..........................................p 8 Small Towns of Character ........................................... p. 15 WINE TOURISM ............................................................................. p. 16 HIstOry & CUltURE ..................................................................... p. 23 Churches & Abbeys ......................................................p. 23 Castles & Fortifications ................................................p. 28 Second World War ...................................................... p. 31 Famous People ............................................................ p. 33 ACTIVITIES & OUTDOOR PUrsUIts ................................................................. p. 37 On the Ground .............................................................p. 37 In the Air .................................................................... p. 40 On the Water ...............................................................p. 41 NatURE : WILD & TAMED ...............................................................p. 44 Fauna and Flora ..........................................................p. 44 Parks, Garden, Towns & Villages in bloom .................p. 48 RelaXatION & WELL-BEING .............................................................................. p. 49 scape With a dual identity and a rich history, the Champagne- Ardenne region of France offers visitors a wealth of his- torical and cultural sites, unspoilt nature, many leisure activities and one of the world’s most famous wines! In the north of the region, the Ardennes département is named after the hilly plateau that stretches through this njoy part of France, southern Belgium and Luxembourg. Re- A little history nowned for the natural beauty of its landscapes, such as the valleys of the Meuse and Semoy rivers, thick forests The importance of Reims in French history goes back to around 498AD, when King Clovis I and rocky peaks, the Ardennes is an ideal destination converted to Christianity and was baptised by the bishop of Reims, the future St Remi. Clovis for lovers of the outdoors, nature and activities such as became the first Christian King of the Francs and this event marked the beginning of the link hiking and cycling. Characterised by the wild boar which between the church and the French monarchy and of a tradition of coronations at Reims. roams in the Ardennes forests, the area has many pork specialities on its local menus, such as the smooth white From the late 12th to 14th centuries, the trading fairs known as the ‘Foires de Champagne’ pudding of Rethel or the cured Ardennes ham. brought prosperity to the province of Champagne, and particularly its capital Troyes, which was under the rule of the Counts of Champagne. In the south of the region, the fortified city of The main town of the Ardennes is Charleville-Mézières, Langres was ruled by the bishop and therefore attached to the kingdom of France. famed for its magnificent Place Ducal, the revolutionary poet Rimbaud, and its reputation as the world capital of During the First World War, the Marne was the scene of major conflicts and trench warfare puppet theatre and the city of Reims was badly destroyed. At the start of the Second World War, the Germans invaded Western Europe via the Ardennes, surprising the allies at Sedan followed by ferocious The gateway to Champagne is the city of Reims, just fighting at Stonne. It is appropriate that the end of the war should also take place in the 2½ hours down the motorway from Calais and 45 mi- region, with the signing of the capitulation taking place in secret at Reims on 7th May 1945. nutes from Paris by TGV (high speed train). Reims is the The reconciliation ceremony between France and Germany took place at Reims cathedral on coronation city of France with a long line of kings crow- 8th July 1962 in the presence of President Charles de Gaulle and Chancellor Conrad Adenauer. ned at the magnificent gothic cathedral. Many famous champagne houses have their headquarters here and the extensive champagne vineyards stretch southwards from Reims, over the ‘Montagne de Reims’ to Epernay, at the heart of the champagne industry. They continue more sporadically towards the beautiful medieval town of Troyes with another concentrated area of vineyards to the south-east of Troyes in the ‘Côte des Bar’. The 3 départements of Champagne are named after ri- vers: the Marne, the Aube and the Haute-Marne (upper Marne). This is the realm of the Knights Templar and the Counts of Champagne and the heart of the Cistercian or- der with mystical names such as the Forest of the Orient and the famed abbey turned prison at Clairvaux. Local specialities include the creamy cow cheeses of Chaource and Langres, and the light and crunchy pink biscuits of Reims. 4 CENTENARY OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR (1914-1918) The Marne gives its name to the two decisive battles of the Great War - a land that, still today, through its deeply scared landscape, bears witness to the ferocity of the battles which took place here from 1914 to 1918. THE MAIN BATTLES FOUGHT IN CHAMPAGNE-ARDENNE THE Battle OF THE ARDENNES, Boosted by the arrival of 10,000 French Rudimentary at first, the entrenchments reserve infantry troops from Paris, 6,000 gradually expanded, becoming deeper, 21-23 August 1914 of whom were transported in 600 Parisian more impregnable and better organised taxi cabs, the French were able to halt the with underground shelters (saps), firing One of the opening battles of World War I German advance towards the capital and slits, a network of barbed wire belts, mined and one of the 4 major battles of the Battles retake Reims on 13th September as well as dugouts and reinforced concrete bunkers. of the Frontiers; the Battle of the Ardennes the Fort de la Pompelle. Second and third defence lines were crea- is characterised bY the mutually confused ted where supplies could be delivered and colllision of French and German Forces in the Although the remaining forts around Reims exhausted troops could rest. They also ser- lower Ardennes forest due to thick fog. were still in German hands, from where the ved as back-up defences for the Front Line. Germans were able to bombard the town, The German Army came through Belgium including the cathedral which was badly hit The trenches spread along the whole length and attacked France in the Ardennes, on 19th September, the bulk of the German of the Western Front, a distance of approxi- according to a meticulously planned invasion forces were obliged to abandon their plans mately 450 miles, with No Man’s Land in known as the Schlieffen Plan. The Germans and retreat northeast until they reached between. Sometimes the distance between were well equipped with heavy artillery, higher ground where they were table to the Front Line trenches on both sides was Field Grey uniforms, and were superior in hide by ‘digging in’ and taking cover. little more than a couple of metres. numbers to the French, whose red trousers only served to highlight their positions in The First Battle of the Marne was a strategic the wooded terrain and open countryside. victory for the Allied Forces, marking THE Battles OF CHAMpagNE The French began a disorderly retreat on 23rd a decisive turn of events and stopping September 1914 to end of 1915 August. The Germans forced their way into Germany’s bid for a swift victory over France. Thin-le-Moutier 4 days later. The Zouaves However, the aftermath of the battle was The French mounted an offensive to take the and Algerian artillery from the Moroccan that both sides dug in and four years of German positions around Massiges, Perthes division tried to stop the advance and there stalemate ensued. and Souain. This first Champagne Offensive, was a fierce battle at Fosse-à-Eau, to the which took place from December 1914 to south of Thin-le-mouthier on 28th and 29th June 1915, became known as the ‘War of At- August, with heavy losses. The French Army THE war OF attrITION trition’, with each side ‘nibbling’ away at the was forced to withdraw and the Ardennes other. By the end of this period, the French remained occupied by the Germans for the Having retreated from the Marne, the Ger- troops had ‘gained’ 4km, but at the price of remainder of the war. man Army began to “dig in” wherever they 150,000 men lost on both sides. A second found high ground, such as on the Chemin offensive was launched in September 1915. des Dames ridge in the Aisne and the ridges After the end of 1915, fighting around Mas- THE FIrst Battle OF THE MARNE above the village of Massiges in the Ar- siges became less intense, with the focus of 6-13 September 1914 gonne. The Germans dug defensive trenches the war moving to Verdun, although trench to protect themselves from artillery fire and warfare continued here right up to the end automatic weapons, with the intention of of the War in 1918. The second major clash on the Western Front securing the position and preventing any