Ma Champagne

No other region in our Mon Pays series is as famous for one thing as Champagne. Resident Imogen Whitaker guides us through the bubbling maze of vineyards and woodlands, to churches with exquisite glasswork, Michelin-starred restaurants in grimy backstreets and towering historic monuments, as well as some fine glasses of a certain sparkling wine.

Champagne local –
Imogen Whitaker

I first moved to Champagne 20 years ago. I’d been a teacher, a book binder and worked in an awful corporate job I won’t talk about! Now, I’ve bought a ruin, no exaggeration, in the village of Ay, and the kids and I are busy turning it into a B&B. Champagne is a beautiful place, very hilly as you’d expect, and with lots of upmarket places thanks to the big-name brands here, but also some quiet villages and smaller wine makers that keep the old, casual spirit alive.  

Do

  • Walk, as long as you don’t mind a few climbs! From my village, Ay, you can walk around the old Bollinger vineyards, where the vines are grown low to the ground like bushes. Lalique was born here too, and there’s a trail that picks out some things from his early life. While on the edge of Epernay, Mont Bernon has a lovely walk with views of the town and a little obstacle course, which is great for kids. It’s past some big tower blocks and you wouldn’t think to go there, but it’s a lovely spot
  • Visit vineyards. The time was when you could just roll up anywhere you liked and drop in, but now most places are appointment only and can be booked up far in advance, which means planning more carefully. Egrot et Filles is a personal favourite, while Gatinois has a great reputation and Dauby is run by a mother and daughter team, which is still rare in the winemaking world
  • Epernay and tastings. All the really big makers (except Bollinger) have houses on the Avenue de Champagne, which is worth a look for the architecture alone. Again you need to book visits in advance but you can also sample plenty of makers in the many bars and the tourist office at the bottom of the street runs a tasting every day, which can be a lovely way to discover a new maker. They’ll give you cards and tell you where you can buy anything you’ve taken a liking to. 

See

  • Sézanne is a lovely town with great cafés and old buildings, a bit quieter than some places. On the way if you’re coming from the north, is a monument built to commemorate the first battle of the Marne in WWI. Even for people not interested in war history, it’s a striking sight – 33 metres high and made of a rich red stone. It’s not on the main road, but well worth a small detour if you’re heading that way
  • In Reims is the cathedral liberated from the English by Joan of Arc and where French kings were crowned from then on. It’s impressive, but there’s also the church of Saint Nicaise, which has some lovely Lalique glasswork. It’s in a less-frequented part of town, newly built after the war with the church as a centrepiece
  • Troyes is about an hour from Epernay and another beautiful town to wander. The Musées des Troyes has parts dedicated to several different themes and, while you might put it last on your list, the apothecary section is fascinating and very interactive. Troyes was also the centre of the cloth industry in France for years and many big-name fashion brands were based here. There’s an outlet village on the edge of town where you can find some real bargains for souvenirs.  

Eat

  • There’s a little café/restaurant here in Ay which I only discovered a week ago. I’ve walked past it a million times, because it doesn’t actually say it’s a restaurant. It’s called Le19Cent60, because they love the 60s and that is, or was, the price of the lunch menu. It’s quite traditional, what we used to call Restaurant Les Blues, places for the workers
  • There’s a similar little bar/brasserie in the next village, Mareuil-sur-Ay, which is always packed at lunchtime and that’s right on the canal, near the newly refurbished Port de Plaisance, where boats can moor up and there’s space for kids to run about. I’ve heard good things from a restaurant owner in Ay about Le Bec Fin, in a village called Bouzy (pronounced exactly how you think). It’s on my list to visit
  • For something a bit more “gastronomic”, The Loisium spa hotel is on the edge of the forest high on a hill to the north of Ay, and Royal Champagne (the bar is called Le Bellevue) has simply spectacular views. I took my son there for a treat recently. If the price is a sticking point, remember that lunch is always cheaper. 

Featured places to stay in Champagne

Bubble 8 - Gallery

Bubble 8

Épernay, Marne

Getting around

The train service is great for getting between Epernay, Reims, Troyes and most of the towns you’d want to visit. There are also places to hire electric bikes, so you can experience the countryside, but walking is the best way to get a feel for it. Generally, you’re fine to wander fields and vineyards if you keep to the edges and of course, don’t pick the grapes, which are sour wine grapes anyway, so less tempting! Watch out for hunting season in autumn too, although shoots are usually well signed. 

 

Getting there

By train:

Eurostar to Paris Gare du Nord (2hrs), TGV from Gare de L’Est to Reims (1hr). Onward travel from Reims by train is around 40 minutes to Epernay, a couple of hours to Troyes.

By ferry:

The nearest ferry port is Le Havre, but this still leaves you a 4-hour drive to Epernay as well as a longer crossing. The train makes much more sense even if you live outside London.

By plane:

Reims does not have an international airport, so Paris is the simplest entry point by air and trains make onward travel easy.

Imogen’s top tip!

They really do only drink champagne around here! Even if you roll up to see somebody at 11 o’clock in the morning, you are likely to get given a glass of champagne. It’s not, “would you like a cup of coffee?” Everyone always seems to have some on hand, and I love it! 

A few days in…Champagne

Blending some of Imogen’s suggestions with tips from our team and the owners of our places in Champagne, we’ve created a five-day itinerary that sees you sampling some beautiful old towns, riverside restaurants and, of course, world-famous producers of a certain sparkling wine. 

Read more >

Foodie guide to Northern France by Carolyn Boyd

In her new book, Amuse Bouche, Carolyn Boyd tours France investigating the culinary quirks of its various regions. In these extracts, you’ll find the decadent dunking of biscuits in Champagne, the finest baguettes in Paris and long meals in Normandy punctuated with shots of Calvados. 

Read more >