welcome to a sparkling region
Why (visit the Champagne region)?
Visiting the Champagne wine region, and in particular Epernay, the very heart of this region in France, is a must on your “Bucket List ” !
We’re not just saying this because we live here and love our town – well, maybe a little bit – but also because all the best guidebooks agree. So here are a few reasons why we’d like to help you make the most of your stay, and ensure that you discover the main attractions and things to do in the Champagne region, all with 100% local advice.
Top reasons to visit the Champagne region !
Did you Know?
#1 – Location, Location, Location - Very close to Paris!
Did you Know?
- It’s quicker to get from Paris Charles de Gaulle airport to Reims in the Champagne region (just 45 minutes by fast train), than it is to get to central Paris!
- If you’re already in Paris it’s just 45 minutes from Gare de l’Est station to Reims, where you can get a connection to Epernay, the capital of Champagne! With on average 8 direct connections daily from Paris Est to Epernay and an extra 12 from Paris via Reims to Epernay, accessing the Champagne region is fast and easy!
#2 – Amazing UNESCO World Heritage site destination!
A very impressive 34,000 hectares of vines spread over the 5 departments of the Champagne region are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list, along with several Champagne Houses on the famous avenue de Champagne in Epernay (the Capital of Champagne) and in the nearby coronation city of Reims (where 33 Kings were crowned!) and its Saint Nicaise hill with their impressive wine cellars situated in the underground chalk pits.
Excitingly, there are also several historical monuments in the Champagne region that are also inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list, and they include the world-renowned Notre-Dame de l’Épine (Basilica), Notre-Dame-en-Vaux (Collegiate Church), Palais du Tau (The Tau Palace), Saint-Remi Basilica and last but not least the Notre-Dame de Reims Cathedral, where no less than 33 Kings of France were crowned!
#3 - The most impressive cellars of Top Champagne Houses!
Pay a visit to a unique Champagne House cellar such as Moët & Chandon, Mercier, de Venoge, de Castellane, Élodie D, André Bergère, Collard Picard, Perrier-Jouët, Pommery, Taittinger, Veuve Clicquot, Cristal, Bollinger, Lanson, Krug, Ruinart, Roederer, Armand de Brignac and many, many more!
#4 – Stunning towns and cities to explore in Champagne!
- Epernay – The Capital of Champagne.
- Reims – Coronation City of 33 French Kings.
- 2025 : 80 years since the German surrender
From May 5 to 11, 2025, the City of Reims invites residents and visitors to take part in a program rich in emotions, memories and sharing. Through exhibitions, meetings, screenings and symbolic highlights, this 80ᵉ anniversary becomes a unique opportunity to bring generations together around the values of peace, freedom and transmission. A powerful moment, anchored in collective memory, to celebrate together a universal heritage.
- Châlons-en-Champagne (Sparkling Venice).
- Troyes – A Medieval Treasure.
#5 – Home of Dom Pierre Pérignon and a favourite destination for celebrities and royalty !
Many famous characters have visited the Champagne region throughout the ages, including the great impressionist artist Renoir who spent many happy holidays with friends in the village of Essoyes in Champagne where he met the love of his life, Aline Charigot. The picturesque landscape also served as great inspiration for his paintings.
General Charles de Gaulle and his family spent weekends at their residence La Boisserie in Colombey-les-Deux-Eglises, just under 2 hours’ drive from the heart of Champagne, and eventually retired to this picturesque location.
In 1782, whilst at military school in Brienne-le-château in Champagne, the future Emperor of France, Napoleon Bonaparte first met Jean-Rémy Moët, the grandson of the founder of the Moët Champagne business, Claude Moët. The two formed a lasting friendship which would see Napoleon visit the Champagne region on a regular basis.
In 1928 at a luncheon in Paris hosted by the British Ambassador to France, during which Vintage Pol Roger Champagne was served, the British Prime minister Sir Winston Churchill first met the charming Odette Pol-Roger and the Churchill and Pol-Roger families remained firm friends from then on. Indeed, Sir Winston named a racehorse Pol Roger in homage to the Champagne and the 1975 Prestige Cuvée vintage Pol Roger Champagne (released in 1984) was named the Cuvée Winston Churchill. There is even a street in Epernay named Rue Winston Churchill !
#6 – Which celebrities produce their own Champagne !
It’s no surprise that many celebrities have joined forces (and ownership) with several Champagne Houses by investing in vineyards and even producing their own vintage Champagne! These matches ‘Made in Champagne’ often reflect an extension of their lifestyle brand, but importantly can provide a very lucrative return on investment.
Several wise celebs are blazing the trail…
- Leonard DiCaprio & J de Telmont Champagne (Damery, Champagne region, France).
- Jay-Z & Armand de Brignac – Ace of Spades, produced by Champagne Cattier (Chigny-les-Roses, Champagne region, France).
- Brad Pitt & Fleur de Miraval, produced by Champagne Pierre Péters (Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Champagne region, France.
- Mariah Carey & Angel Champagne produced by Stefano Zagni.
To name just a few…
Let's Dive into the Bubbly World of Champagne
#7 - Fun Facts – all about Champagne!
- About 300 million – That’s the average number of times a Champagne cork is popped around the world annually!
- In 2023 alone a grand total of 298.7 million bottles of Champagne were shipped.
- There are 34,000 hectares of vines in the Champagne region.
- There are over 70km of cellars under the avenue de Champagne in Epernay, making it perhaps the most valuable real estate in the world!
- 200 million bottles of Champagne are stored in these cellars alone.
- The roots of the vines sometimes grow over 20 feet deep.
- The largest Champagne bottle in the world is the Melchisedec, from Champagne Drappier Carte d’Or Brut (in the Côte des Bar in Urville), which contains 30 litres of Champagne!
- Over 3.6 million visitors (including 1.9 from abroad) come to the region each year – Will you be next? (Source: Orange Flux Vision 2023 report).
#7 - Fun Facts – all about Champagne!
- Two methods of opening a bottle of Champagne – Classic & Le Sabrage
The Classic method using your hands to remove the cork (always twist the bottle, not the cork!), and the second is the more elaborate ceremony of “Le Sabrage” which involves cutting the top off the bottle with a sharp sword! This technique became popular when Napoleon’s cavalry celebrated victories using their weapon of choice, a saber, to cut the top off bottles of Champagne.
- Champagne Liqueur
Did you know? there are 3 types of Liqueurs of Champagne; Ratafia Champenois IG, Marc Champenois IG and Fine Champenoise IG.
These liqueurs are to the Champagne region what Cognac is to the Charente area and Armagnac is to Gascony.
In 1911, the sale of Champagne was in crisis due to lack of demand (during World War I) and much of what was produced was poured down the gutters. The forward-thinking Jean Goyard (originally from Burgundy) decided to offer his services to help the struggling local winegrowers and turn their waste product from wine production into Champagne liqueur by distilling it! The distillery based in Aÿ-Champagne still operates today and is open to visits from the general public.
This delicate wine brandy, now produced by many Champagne houses, can be served as an aperitif or a digestive and is great paired with both savoury and sweet dishes.
#8 – Iconic and Cheeky Quotes from the Rich and Famous over the Centuries!
“I can’t live without Champagne. In case of victory, I deserve it, in case of defeat I need it”.
- Napoléon Bonaparte.
“I only drink Champagne on two occasions, when I am in love and when I am not”
- Coco Chanel.
“Remember, gentlemen, it’s not just France we are fighting for, it’s Champagne!”
- Winston Churchill.
“Too much of anything is bad, but too much Champagne is just right”.
- Scott Fitzgerald.
“Only the unimaginative can fail to find a reason for drinking Champagne”.
- Oscar Wilde.
“One holds a bottle of red wine by the neck, a woman by the waist, and a bottle of Champagne by the derriere”.
- Mark Twain.
“Champagne, oh sublime marvel! Noisy as lightning, as quick as lightning, you flee the sides of the bottle, when free and joyful, the cork jumps into the air”.
- Jean-Louis Gonzalle.