Châlons-en-Champagne, Champagne-Ardenne, France
Bubbles on your doorstep
Châlons-en-Champagne is right in the heart of the rolling hills of the Champagne region of France and is ideal as a base for touring the area.
On our 2016 Champagne road-trip we chose 3 destinations for our week-long tour, Troyes, Châlons-en-Champagne and Reims.
Taking in the Champagne Trails along the way.
Châlons-en-Champagne was previously known as Châlons-sur-Marne and formerly changed its name in 1998.
It is also the capital of the French department of Marne.
A helpful guide
If like us, you love visiting different regions of France then this Michelin guide will definitely assist in your planning.
We used a previous version of this book to plan our eastern France road trips, now you can grab the revised copy.
Saint Etienne
Although we spent a day out and about immersing ourselves in the lush vineyards and touring through the small surrounding villages. We also found time to discover Châlons-en-Champagne the city.
Sitting proud in the city is the lovely Saint Etienne Cathedral, which was consecrated in 1147 by Pope Eugene III.
Mostly rebuilt in the Gothic style, but Romanesque sections can still be seen.
Along with 13th century stained glass windows.
Waterways
Châlons-en-Champagne sits on the banks of River Marne.
Running parallel to it is the Canal latéral à la Marne.
You can sit and watch canal boats cruising by and maneuvering their way through the locks.
Branching off and weaving its way through the town is the Canal Saint-Martin.
Notre Dame
On the banks of the Canal Saint-Martin sits the Notre-Dame-en-Vaux.
This collegiate church was built between 1157 and 1217.
Today it is a blend of Gothic and Romanesque style architecture and contains stained glass windows dating back to 16th century.
Also, housed in this church is the tombstone of Jean Talon, the first intendant of New France in 1695.
A statute dedicated to him stands in front of the church.
My fascination
For those who know me, realise by now that I have a bit of a fascination with cemeteries.
I struggle to walk past one without wandering in and soaking up the local history. I know, I know a bit weird….
I even came across Renoir’s last resting ground in Essoyes on this very trip.
Hotel de Ville
As always, no town or village in France is complete without a Hotel de Ville
Where we stayed
Our accommodation for the 2 nights in Châlons-en-Champagne was in Hotel L’Angleterre, located very central and easy walking distance of the town. Additionally, it had on-site parking at no extra cost.
Have You?
Visited Châlons-en-Champagne? What was the highlight of your stay?
Inspired to visit Châlons-en-Champagne?
It's a great base to explore the region.
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