© Lonely Planet Publications 354 Champagne CHAMPAGNE CHAMPAGNE Known in Roman times as Campania, meaning ‘plain’, Champagne is a largely agricultural region and is celebrated around the world for the sparkling wines that have been produced here for more than three centuries. According to French law, only bubbly originating from this region – grown in designated areas (now being expanded to meet growing demand), then aged and bottled according to the strictest of rules – can be labelled as Champagne. The production of this prestigious sparkling wine takes place mainly in two départements: Marne, whose metropolis is the ‘Coronation City’ of Reims, and the less prestigious (though increasingly respected) Aube, whose préfecture (departmental capital) is the ancient and picturesque city of Troyes, home to several exceptional museums and entire streets lined with half-timbered houses. The town of Épernay, 30km to the south of Reims, is the de facto capital of Champagne (the drink, that is) and is the best place to head for dégustation (tasting session). The Champagne Route wends its way through the region’s diverse vineyards, taking visitors from one picturesque – and prosperous – wine-growing village to the next. A number of name-brand maisons (literally ‘houses’, meaning Champagne producers) have achieved international renown, but much of the region’s liquid gold is made by almost 5000 small- scale vignerons (wine makers) in 320-odd villages, many of whose family-run facilities welcome visitors. HIGHLIGHTS Climb to the top of the tower at Cathédrale Notre Dame in Reims ( p357 ) for 360-degree views across France’s flattest province Sip bubbly and nibble biscuits roses (pink bicuits) at Reims the end of a cellar tour in Épernay ( p363 ), the ‘capital Champagne Route of Champagne’ Épernay Explore the rolling vineyards along the various sections of Champagne’s scenic Champagne Route ( p360 ) by car or even by bicycle Troyes Wander through the back streets and alleys of the old Champagne Route city in Troyes ( p366 ), one of the best-preserved in Europe POPULATION: 1.3 MILLION AREA : 25,606 SQ KM lonelyplanet.com CHAMPAGNE •• Reims 355 CHAMPAGNE CHAMPAGNE 0 40 km fairs at which merchants from around Europe CHAMPAGNE 0 20 miles bought and sold products from as far afield as To Brussels Ronse Enghien (20km) the Mediterranean. Tubize The region’s name has been associated Soignies Nivelles Gembloux with bubbly since the late 17th century, La Louvière when a Benedictine monk named Dom Pierre Meuse Namur Mons Charleroi Pérignon perfected the process of using a sec- Jemappes Binche Châtelet ond fermentation to make ho-hum still wine BELGIUM Ciney sparkle. But while the province may appear to NORD N5 Dinant Maubeuge be living the good life now, that hasn’t always Se N2 Givet mo is been the case. Champagne is dominated by Avesnes- sur-Helpe an infertile chalk plain ‘branded for its pov- Le Cateau- Cambrésis Chimay Furnay erty and sterility with the unseemly name La Champagne Pouilleuse (literally ‘flea-bitten Hirson Champagne’)’, to quote Sir Walter Scott in his N43 Monthermé Vervins Bouillon The Life of Napoleon Buonaparte, Emperor of To Lille(155km); Charleville- the French (1827). Calais (220km) Mézières Sedan AISNE N51 ARDENNES To Longwy Getting There & Around des (33km); Luxembourg l Champagne (www.tourisme-champagne-ar Rethel na s Laon Ca e Meuse- n A26 en Argonne denne.com), just north of Burgundy, makes a Ard American- Cemetery Cormicy Vouziers refreshing stopover if you’re driving from far Parc Naturel Romagne- St-Thierry sous-Montfaucon Trigny Régional de la northern France or Paris eastward to Lorraine Montagne de Reims Montfaucon d'Argonne Vandeuil Reims A or Alsace. With the TGV Est Européen line Verzenay i Butte de Savigny- s To Paris n Montfaucon sur-Ardre e (90km) Mont Sinaï (336m) ( p975 ) now up and running, both Reims and (288m) Forêt Pourcy Sacy d'Argonne Châtillon- Verzy Épernay can be visited on a one-day excur- sur-Marne Hautvillers Champillon A4 Dormans Bouzy Ste-Ménehould sion from Paris. Château Mutigny To Verdun (8km); Thierry Épernay France’s rail lines radiate out from Paris Damery Cuis L'Épine N3 Metz (88km) Oger MARNE Châlons-sur-Marne (Châlons-en- like the spokes of a wheel and, as it so hap- Vertus M MEUSE a Champagne) rn pens, Reims, Épernay and Troyes are each Étoges e To Paris N44 on a different spoke (more or less). Although (100km) Bar-le-Duc Sézanne N4 To Nancy there are pretty good rail connections between Vitry-le- (80km) SEINE- François ET- A26 Reims and Épernay, the best way to get from MARNE Lac du Der- St-Dizier e Chantecoq Reims to Troyes is by bus. ein Romilly- S Au sur-Seine be Park Naturel Régional de la HAUTE- Forêt d'Orient MARNE REIMS To Paris N19 AUBE (100km) D960 Piney (Nigloland pop 202,600 Theme Park) Lac Over the course of a millennium (816 to To Paris Troyes d’Orient Dolancourt Colombey- A5 les-Deux- N19 Églises 1825), some 34 sovereigns – among them Mesnil Bar-sur-Aube N19 To Sens St-Père Bayel two dozen kings – began their reigns as rul- Chaumont (29km) Côte des Bar A5 ers in Reims’ famed cathedral. Meticulously YONNE N77 Bar-sur- Chaource Seine Essoyes reconstructed after WWI and again following St-Florentin Les Châteauvillain To Riceys N71 Langres WWII, the city – whose name is pronounced Y (30km) o Château Châtillonnais n n Pontigny de Tanlay Châtillon- something like ‘rance’ and is often anglicised e CÔTE-D'OR Tonnerre sur-Seine Fôret de Châtillon Auxerre Château as Rheims – is neat and orderly, with wide Chablis d'Ancy-le-Franc To Dijon (70km) avenues and well-tended parks. Along with Épernay, it is the most important centre of History Champagne production. Champagne’s most famous convert to Christianity was the Merovingian warrior- Orientation king Clovis I, who founded the Frankish In the commercial centre (north and north- kingdom in the late 5th century and began west of the cathedral), the main streets are the tradition of holding royal coronations rue Carnot, rue de Vesle, rue Condorcet and, in Reims. In the Middle Ages, the region – for shopping, rue de Talleyrand. The train especially Troyes – grew rich from commercial station is almost exactly 1km northwest of the .