UNFORGETTABLE TIMES IN CHAMPAGNE TOURIST GUIDE 2015 Welcome to Champagne By turns unusual, amazing and delicious, Champagne and its many faces have some exceptional times in store for you. Discover its landscapes, its trails bursting with treasures and its unexpected wildlife. Enjoy the stillness and smells of its forests steeped in mystery and legends, then plunge into a sea of vines and colours. Continue the adventure by strolling around the streets of towns and cities like Châlons-en-Champagne, Epernay, Reims, Sainte-Ménehould, Sézanne and Vitry-le-François. Immerse yourself in the history of France by visiting the many UNESCO World Heritage sites. Between two visits to wine estates, let yourself be carried away by the euphoria of the festivals that mark the seasons. Heighten your days by tasting top champagnes and savour local culinary specialities before succumbing to the appeal of a prestigious hotel or unusual accommodation. The pages of this guide reveal a surprising Champagne and hold the promise of an unforgettable holiday. 3 On the bill 16 Effervescence If there is one word that describes the Marne, it has to be ‘effervescence’. The world’s most famous wine is made here, its roots in the chalk. Effervescence is the murmur of the wind in the vine leaves along the 6 Champagne Trail. A change of scenery Far from the city bustle, the Marne is easy to get around and take in, whether by car along the famous Reims-Gueux racing circuit, by hot-air balloon above the gently undulating vines, or by mountain bike around the Lac du Der, Montagne de Reims Regional Natural Park or the Argonne Forest. 20 12 Delicacies Land of history From escargots de Champagne and sauce champagne, to the Let’s keep it simple and modest: the history of legendary and exquisite pig’s trotters à la Sainte-Ménehould the Kingdom of France began in Champagne, and the delicious gâteau de biscuits roses with its magical with the baptism of Clovis in 496. From almond flavour, Marne gastronomy is both surprising and Romanesque austerity to Gothic flamboyance, sophisticated, just like its great wines. places of worship increased in number and, in the Middle Ages, Reims Cathedral was built. Crédit photo : couverture Christophe Manquillet, Air Tonic. P2-3 : L. Weyl. P4 : M. Jolyot, Shutterstock, C. Manquillet, Maison Fossier. P5 : Shutterstock, C. Manquillet, Franck Kauff. P6-7 : M. Jolyot. P8 : C. Manquillet, Ksurrr_Fotolia. P9 : C. Manquillet, Food Micro_Fotolia, Marie-Anne Louvet (Les Secrets du Vin). P10-11 : Dites-nous tout productions, Sébastien Higonet, Nacer Chenoufi, Carole Denize, Céline Martin-Prin, Cabaret des Secrets. P12-13 : Shutterstock. P14 : R. Kiezer-CDT Marne, C. Manquillet, P. Bourguignon, Claire Dépalle (Directrice - Centre historique Valmy 1792). P15 : R. Kiezer-CDT Marne, studio photo Remy de Viegler, C. Manquillet. P16-17 : C. Manquillet. P18 : Air Tonic, Guillaume Perret, C. Manquillet. P19 : L. Weyl, C. Manquillet, Horizon Bleu. P20-21 : Maison Fossier. P22 : Maison Fossier, Charbonneaux-Brabant. P23 : AS. Flament, G. Pezé-CDT Marne, Château d’Etoges, Arnaud Lallement (L’Assiette Champenoise). P24-25 : Shutterstock. P26 : Reims Tourisme_Carmen Moya. P27 : H. Guillaume, C. Manquillet, Dominique et Edith Brochet-Lanvin (Jardin botanique de la Presle). P28-29 : Shutterstock. P30 : JL. Girolet_Fotolia, Foudre Champagne Mercier, AC. Mécuson-CDT Marne, C. Manquillet, Xavier Thibaut (Chocolaterie Thibaut). P 31 : Chocolaterie Thibaut, Créations Julie Valade, Distillerie Guillon, H. Guillaume. P32-33 : Franck Kauff. P34 : Châteaux et Hotels Collection, C. Manquillet, Le Palais Champenois. P35 : C. Manquillet, La Briqueterie, Karine Anciaux et Julien Agnellet (Directeurs – Hostellerie La Briqueterie). P36-37 : Shutterstock. P38 : Conseil général de la Marne, Cathedrale-Karlsruhe©Vincent Delesvaux, Reims Tourisme_Carmen Moya. P39 : Ville d’Epernay, Sylvain Cambon_Fotolia, Philippe Bachman (Directeur Général et Artistique – La Comète).P40-41 : C. Manquillet. P42 : Shutterstock. P45 : M. Jolyot. P46 : J.M. Lecomte. P47 : Ph. Maille.P48 : J. Guillard.P49 : Office de tourisme Châlons-en-Champagne. P50 : C. Manquillet. P51 : R. Kiezer- CDT Marne. P52 : C. Manquillet. P53 : Musée automobile Reims-Champagne, 4 C. Manquillet. P54 : R. Kiezer-CDT Marne. P55 : Ph. Maille, H. Guillaume. P56-57 : S. Millot_CCB. P58 : Les Avisés. P59 : Sur la Route du Der. P60 : D. Brajkovic-CDT Marne. P63 : Comme à la Maison. P64 : CDT Marne. P65 : CDT Marne. P67 : Les Tems Perdus. P69 : Plaine-i-tude. P71 : S. Millot_CCB. P72 : Les Crayères. Photos pages 1, 8, 9, 23, 39, 45, 46, 47, 53 : abuse of alcohol is harmful to health. Enjoy your visit, but drink with moderation. The Marne County Tourism Committee declines all responsibility for errors and omissions, which may have slipped into the document and are completely unintentional, despite checks and verifications that have been carried out. As the information was gathered in August 2014, changes may apply. Thank you in advance for your understanding. Non-exhaustive list, more information on www.tourisme-en-champagne.com This document cannot be sold. Flower power The Marne is France’s first ‘department in bloom’ and its inhabitants are very proud of the fact. 24 36 Join in the party Music, drama and circus arts are present all year round in the Marne. For lovers of authenticity, the winegrowing festivals live up to their reputation: their moving simplicity is a direct expression of the heart of the people of Champagne. Made in Champagne Practical info 28 All the information you need on what to do and Manual dexterity continues to fascinate us, all the more where to stay in our department is available here. so in the digital age. Champagne is home to true artists, You can also visit our website: who practise ancestral skills. www.tourisme-en-champagne.com Sweet nights Staying away from home is always exciting, and even 40 more so if you choose to spend a weekend away in an extraordinary setting. From a character suite or cosy bed & breakfast to a real Mongolian yurt, the variety of accommodation available is such that enjoying a night away is most definitely on the cards when you stay in Champagne. 32 5 Effervescence If there is one word that describes the Marne, it has to be «effervescence». The world’s most famous wine is made here, its roots in the chalk. Effervescence is the murmur of the wind in the vine leaves along the Champagne Trail. It is also the «sparkle» in the eyes of men and women as they speak of vin clair, fine bubbles and golden colour. Along the Marne’s winding roads, a new landscape is revealed at the top of each hill and in the dip of each new valley. Effervescence is the Champagne way of life! 6 7 Eglise de Chavot Effervescence A taste of effervescence Wine-tasting is first and foremost a meeting of people. Champagne experts and growers have an innate sense of sharing. For the blending of the three grape varieties – pinot noir, pinot meunier and chardonnay – is a complex, authentic art, which each successfully interprets in their own way. There is an infinite variety of tastes, just as there are human passions. 5 discovery circuits Almost 250 miles of marked trails throughout the Champagne region pay testament to the region’s wine-growing Vignobles & Découvertes Label heritage. Five routes, marked out with special signposts, lead you on a journey through the Massif de Saint-Thierry to the west of Reims, the Montagne de Reims Seven areas in the Champagne appellation have been awarded in the south, crossing the Regional Nature Reserve, the Marne Valley with its the national label «Vignobles et exceptional viewpoints after Epernay, the Côte des Blancs and the Coteaux du Découvertes»: Côte des Bars, the Sézannais, famed for Chardonnay, and the Coteaux de Vitry to the north-west Coteaux sud d’Épernay and the of Vitry-le-François where timber-framed houses are in abundance. Côte des Blancs, the Massif de Saint-Thierry and the Ardre Valley, the Coteaux du Sézannais, the Montagne de Reims and the Champagne’s Marne Valley, and the Coteaux de Vitry. This answer to the label guarantees that visitors are received in Champs-Elysées the best conditions in some 450 wine-related The town houses of 13 of the most tourist services, from the wine-growers who prestigious champagne houses line this love to share their passion to restaurants avenue over nearly a kilometre, giving proposing a fine selection of local wines, it a magical appearance. Beneath our including events to celebrate Champagne. enlightened feet stretch 120 km of cellars, centuries old, dug out of the chalk, which More information on jealously guard several million bottles www.tourisme-en-champagne.com of the finest crus. in the Discover/Labels section 8 For further information, see www.ot-epernay.fr Avenue de Champagne Effervescence Weekend break idea On the Way of St. James, Introduction to tasting: food Hautvillers, the magnificent and wine pairing ‘Birthplace of Champagne’, is Effervescence needs a quiet, tranquil setting a typical Champagne village, to be appreciated. Discover the elegance and to be explored on foot. Its sophistication of Champagne well-being, in a abbey is where the monk historic property known for its charm. With its Dom Pérignon modernised comfortable décor in noble, contemporary mate- rials, here you will be in the best possible frame champagne production. Numerous of mind to enjoy an introduction to wine tasting, wrought-iron signs lend the village at a wine estate in Avize, in the Côte des Blancs, unquestionable charm. the birthplace of Chardonnay. Watch the video “Hautvillers”. For more videos, visit www.youtube.com/ tourismechampagne Abbaye d’Hautvillers Interview Marie-Anne Louvet Les Secrets du vin Abuse of alcohol is harmful to health. Enjoy your visit, but drink with moderation. What are the main courses offered by Les Secrets du Vin? There are obviously our workshops and guided tastings, on themes like rosé champagnes, vintages, blends and grape varieties.