The Champagne region is situated within the triangle Luxembourg, Paris and Burgundy. As a matter of fact this area consists of a number of winemaking areas that do not necessarily border each other. It is popularly known as the Champagne-Ardennes. French officials speak about the Régions (provinces) Marne, Aisne and Aube.Winegrowers of course use their own zoning of the regions. All in all it covers an area of about four times the Netherlands. Directly or indirectly the inhabitants make their living on Champagne or on tourism generated by the Champagne making. In the areas that are regrettably unsuitable for winegrowing one will find agricultural activities such as the growing of corn, sunflowers and grain. There are also a small number of cattle farmers. Just to make the picture complete…
The Champagne region lies easterly at the latitude of Paris. It is not protected by orderly borders but just like real Champagne it cannot be bothered by rules and regulations. So it is a bit of a mess. Big cities are Reims and Epernay. Those are the two places that are the most worth while visiting if you happen to motor in the direction of the Champagne.
From Amsterdam it is a distance of 600 km. The road to Reims is really perfect. After having trundled through the Netherlands and having arrived at Breda you take the road to Antwerp, on the ring round Antwerp, pay attention to that nasty exit to Ghent (or Gand for some people with a speech impediment).
In case of traffic jams, and there are always traffic jams, it might be a good idea to go for a real Belgian pint at the foot of the cathedral. That is also a great place for a meal. Then onwards from Ghent to Lille. ( Rijssel).
Then roar down the A1 till Arras. Produce your credit card and enter the péage in the direction of Reims. Just another 170 km of low flying and Bob is your uncle.
In France you can still feel like a real Jacques Villleneuve and do some speed racing down the motorways. Just watch out for nasty little men wearing blue hats, whose favorite pastime seems to be stopping cars with a foreign number plate). For your information my personnel record is four and a half hours, whereby in the Netherlands I strictly keep to the limits of 110 or 120 km. From Reims onwards the roads are above all picturesque.
Once arrived in France (and your main interest being Champagne) I can recommend the area around Reims and Epernay as well as the neighbourhood of Aube. Following some maps and a survey of where the Champagne houses and cellars are to be found.
The bureau Routes du Touristique du Champagne has a number of tours for you in stock. Ron de Zeeuw wrote a travelling report of his visit to the Champagne Ardenne.
Well known places:
* nice
** worth a visit
*** great little place
**** must see
1. Reims (****)
2. Epernay (****)
3. Hautvillers (***)
4. Ay (***)
5. Cramant (***)
6. Vertus (**)
7. Ludes (**)
8. Ambonay (**)
9. Avenay (**)
10. Avise (**)
11. Bayeu (**)
12. Bouzy (**)
13. Cumieres (**)
14. Damary (**)
15. Mareuill (**)
16. Rilly (**)
17. Silly (**)
18. Verzenay (**)
19. Verzy (**)
20. Ville Domange (**).
Tips for Tourists
- Have a pick nick along the Route du Champagne
- Visit the September Festivals
- Ride the train in the Moët et Chandon cellars in Epernay
- See the biggest champagne vat in the world (200.000 bottles) at Mercier in Epernay
- Taste Champagne in the champagne
- Eat all kinds of stuff in Epernay, boiled, poached or soused in Champagne (escargots or salmon for instance) very Yummy!
The bulk of the Champagne splash is to be found around the Towns of Reims, Epernay and Troyes. In and around these cities the core of the business is to be found. The area around Reims lies 130-180 meters above sea-level. In the old days (the tertiary for the purists amongst you) Reims would have been under water. The mass of shells that lay at the bottom at that time were gradually compressed and are now a 200 meters thick layer under the hillocks of the Champagne. Troyes is chiefly a tourist village that harbours a lot of cheap Champagne producers