Champagne-Ardenne

Champagne is of course "the king of wines". Benedictine monk Dom Pérignon is credited with discovering the process of double fermentation in the 17th century, which puts the fizz into champagne.

Over the centuries, 25 kings of France chose to be crowned in the incomparable cathedral in Reims and the guests were naturally served champagne. Word spread in all languages that champagne was most definitely the drink to celebrate special occasions and toast good news.

Visitors are encouraged to follow La Route Touristique du Champagne to discover the main producers, but all roads seem to lead eventually to one producer or another.

Epernay and Reims bubble with champagne houses from the well known, such as Veuve Clicquot-Ponsardin, Pommery and Mumm, to smaller but equally important independent producers. Epernay is the unofficial capital of champagne, understandable as it is home to the distinguished houses of Mercier, Pol Roger and Möet et Chandon.

Beneath the celebrated Avenue de Champagne lie a staggering 90 million bottles of champagne! Most of the champagne houses have tours of their caves and tastings.

The fortified towns of Langres, Troyes and Sedan (with its colossal medieval fortified château) have survived intact and clearly show how the Champagnois protected themselves against attack.

Puppet capital Charleville-Mézières has an annual festival as well as weekly demonstrations by the puppet institute in the elegant Place Ducale, modelled on Paris’s wonderful Place des Vosges.