Top 15 Attractions in Champagne-Ardenne You Can’t Miss

It is well known that Champagne-Ardenne serves as the origin of the world’s most cherished sparkling wine.

Many travelers allocate their holidays to exploring the esteemed Champagne houses and venturing into the cool Crayères, the chalk caves where vintners have preserved champagne for centuries.

The city of Reims is rich in Champagne history and is notably the site where nearly all French monarchs were crowned.

However, Champagne-Ardenne offers much more than just fine wine: Charles de Gaulle once called the region home, and visitors can enjoy a premium theme park, solemn war memorials, lush countryside, and well-preserved medieval towns such as Troyes.

Let us delve into the top attractions in Champagne-Ardenne:

1. The Champagne Trail

Few beverages are as synonymous with luxury and prestige as champagne, and you can immerse yourself in its culture and history along a 250-mile designated route.

This path meanders across plains and hills lined with verdant vines cultivated by growers of pinot noir, pinot meunier, and chardonnay grapes since the 1600s.

You will pay respect to your preferred brands, gain insight into secondary fermentation, and, naturally, sample world-class wines.

Regardless of your itinerary, certain experiences are indispensable, such as traversing the Crayères, the historical chalk quarries where wines have matured for ages.

Veuve Clicquot is a must-visit, featuring 24 kilometers of galleries, while the Ruinart cellars ascend to heights of 50 meters.

2. Reims Cathedral

Every French monarch, from Charles the Simple to Charles X, was crowned at this iconic location.

Prior to entering, take a moment beneath the portals, which feature more sculptures than any other European cathedral aside from Chartres.

Consider pairing your visit with the nearby Episcopal Palace of Tau, where the cathedral’s treasury is exhibited, and where post-coronation banquets occurred.

Be sure to observe the sainte-ampoule, which holds a fragment of the flask that anointed the kings during their coronation, albeit it was shattered during the Revolution.

For enthusiasts of modern art, Marc Chagall designed the stained glass windows in the apse’s axis, added in 1974, several decades after the cathedral sustained damage in the First World War.

3. Nigloland, Dolancourt

Champagne-Ardenne may not initially seem appealing to children; however, this theme park is ranked just behind France’s major attractions like Disneyland in terms of popularity.

While many attractions cater to younger children, older kids can enjoy an impressive range of roller coasters and thrill rides, including the new Donjon de l’Extrême, which boasts a 100-meter drop, making it the tallest in the country.

Wait times rarely exceed an hour, even during the height of summer.

Adults can unwind by strolling through Nigloland’s expansive forest and flower gardens.

4. Avenue de Champagne, Épernay

A visit to Champagne would be incomplete without a stop at this grand avenue in Épernay, where several iconic brands have established their headquarters.

This avenue can be considered the spiritual heart of Champagne, showcasing extravagant symbols of wealth that the industry brought to these winemakers during the 18th and 19th centuries.

Approximately 200 million bottles of champagne are stored beneath this street, making it even more opulent than the Champs-Élysées. The first house on the avenue to open its doors to the public was Moët & Chandon at the dawn of the 19th century; it would be remiss not to visit and procure a few bottles.

5. Ouvrage La Ferté, Villy

During the Battle of France, the Germans largely circumvented the Maginot Line; nevertheless, isolated positions like Ouvrage La Ferté experienced intense combat, rendering it a unique and profoundly moving site due to the loss of life.

This location has been preserved as it was at the end of the conflict and now serves as a war memorial.

The two substantial concrete combat blocks bear the marks of shell damage, and guided tours allow access to the tunnels.

Visitors may climb into the operational gun turrets, understand the weight of a machine gun, and load an anti-tank gun to get a sense of life along the Maginot Line.

6. Château de Sedan

This castle is of considerable stature, and upon its completion in the mid-16th century, it held the title of the largest feudal fortress in Europe.

It could accommodate four thousand men within its walls, which featured sections measuring at least seven meters in thickness.

It serves as a fascinating site for children’s imaginations, particularly during falconry demonstrations or jousting tournaments.

On guided tours, visitors interact with characters in period costume, including a combative knight challenging one to a duel, while traversing the bastions and ramparts to learn about the power wielded by the Princes of Sedan within this fortress.

7. Abbey of Saint-Remi, Reims

This structure forms a part of a UNESCO World Heritage site in conjunction with Reims Cathedral.

It is a Romanesque and Gothic basilica that is attached to an abbey originally founded in the 8th century.

The basilica preserves relics of Saint-Remi, who achieved canonization for baptizing the Frankish king Clovis at the onset of the 6th century.

The current structure dates back to the 1000s and 1200s, though it was looted during the Revolution, and the roof had to be replaced following bombardment in 1918. Visitors can find intricate details rich in symbolism, such as the “Couronne de Lumière,” a chandelier with 96 candles—one for each year of Saint Remi’s life.

8. Place Ducale, Charleville-Mézières

If you have visited the Place des Vosges in Paris, you will find a remarkably similar square in Charleville-Mézières.

This plaza was designed by Clément Métezeau, the 17th-century royal architect responsible for the seawall at La Rochelle.

It is a rectangular plaza measuring 127 meters by 90, featuring arcaded Renaissance palaces on three sides.

During summer, you can enjoy the ambiance from one of the square’s cafés, which also offers summer games for children, including a large paddling pool and carousel.

The Museum of Ardennes, located in Place Ducale, features exhibits on natural history and archaeology that narrate the story of the region.

9. Maison de l’Outil et de la Pensée Ouvrière, Troyes

Located within the elegant Hôtel de Mauroy, a 16th-century Renaissance mansion, this distinctive museum exhibits the wide array of tools pertinent to manual trades during the 18th and 19th centuries, just prior to the onset of mass production.

A total of 11,000 tools are displayed across 65 showcases, arranged to appear as if they are being utilized by an invisible hand.

The tools are categorized by craft, and it is intriguing to observe their evolution over time, revealing their similarities to contemporary tools.

Visitors can find a variety of items, including axes, forks, hammers, needles, planes, knives, trowels, spades, and much more, all collected by the Jesuit priest who founded the museum.

10. Villa Demoiselle, Reims

Situated directly opposite the Pommery Estate is a stunning Belle Époque architectural gem, commissioned by art collector and wine merchant Henry Vasniers in 1890. The building was at risk of demolition but was acquired by Pommery owner Paul-François Vranken in 2004 and fully restored.

The interior harmonizes Art Nouveau and Art Deco styles, featuring a mahogany bar designed by Louis Majorelle and a fireplace by Paul Alexandre-Dumas, a follower of Majorelle, showcased at the 1900 World Expo.

Conclude your visit with a glass of champagne in this extraordinary residence.

11. Troyes Cathedral

Like the abbey in Reims, this site has hosted a religious building since the Dark Ages.

The current structure took several centuries to complete, spanning up to the 1700s.

This extended timeline was partially due to two significant catastrophes: a tornado destroyed the steeple in the 14th century, and a lightning strike again brought it down in 1700, after which it was not reconstructed.

The building exemplifies Gothic artistry, notably illustrated by the intricately designed rose window on the north transept.

Inside, a wealth of precious artwork awaits, with visitors easily losing themselves in the examination of each piece of Renaissance sculpture.

12. Musée d’Art Moderne de Troyes

This museum provides an engaging overview of French art from the mid-19th century through to the 1960s.

It is based on a collection donated by Troyes textile industrialists Peter and Denise Levy in 1976. Visitors do not need to be art experts to recognize many of the notable artists whose works feature in these galleries, which include Degas, Gauguin, Georges Seurat, Georges Braque, Matisse, and Gustave Courbet, to name a few.

Moreover, the collection includes four bronze sculptures by Degas, alongside works by Aristide Maillol, Auguste Rodin, and Picasso.

13. Memorial Charles de Gaulle, Colombey-les-Deux-Églises

Following Charles de Gaulle’s passing in 1970, a 43-meter-tall granite Cross of Lorraine was erected in his honor atop a hill adjacent to Colombey-les-Deux-Églises, his hometown.

During the Second World War, this cross symbolized the Free French forces he led.

In recent years, a new visitor center has been established, featuring insights that may surprise even the most knowledgeable historians of the 20th century.

This permanent exhibition offers context by outlining the landmark events throughout de Gaulle’s lifetime and his significant role as a military leader in the 1930s and 40s, as well as his presidency of France.

14. Cycling

Visitors can cycle extensively across the picturesque Champagne-Ardenne countryside while minimizing time spent on roads.

The region now boasts more than 400 kilometers of greenways, which are repurposed cycling trails adjoining canals and following the courses of defunct railways.

An example is the Canal de Haute-Seine, which commences in the medieval center of Troyes and winds its way through the verdant countryside for 33 kilometers, providing former lock houses as rest stops.

15. Apothicairerie de l’Hôtel-Dieu-le-Comte, Troyes

After taking a leisurely stroll through Troyes’ charming medieval streets, a visit to this intriguing museum is highly recommended.

This 18th-century apothecary retains its original oak shelves, showcasing a vast array of ancient ceramic jars and over 300 painted medicine boxes.

Those inquiring at reception will receive an English guidebook detailing the rather unsettling ingredients employed in medicine during the 1700s, including powders derived from animal bones, human skulls, and precious stones.