La Champagne

1h30 from Paris, between Belgium and Burgundy, the Champagne-Ardenne region offers nature and sports lovers a sparkling change of scenery: 600 km of navigable waterways, 240,000 hectares of forests, four lakes including the Der-Chantecoq created in 1974 to regulate the course of the river Marne, with its 4,800 ha it is one of the largest man-made lakes in Europe.

A fisherman's paradise, the 500-odd rivers of the Haute-Marne promise a fine catch. Lovers of old stones will not be outdone, with Reims the royal and Troyes the luminous. You can visit the fortresses of Rocroi and Langres, the medieval castle of Sedan, the basilica of Notre-Dame de l'Epine and Reims Cathedral. Golden stone covered with black slate, chalk and red brick, cob and half-timbered or white stone, each region has its own particularities.

The Champagne tourist route opens the doors of more than sixty producers. Criss-crossing the Mountain de Reims, the Marne Valley, the Côte des Blancs and the Côte des Bars, you'll follow a sparkling itinerary to match the specialities: dry-cured ham, andouillette de Troyes, croquignoles de Reims.