Drink
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World renowned vineyards of Champagne, obviously. These wines are typically drunk during celebrations. There are many different varieties, depending upon the time, place of production, weather during the year of production and many other factors kept secret by producers. Most Champagne wines are made from a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
Here are the existing ranges of Champagne wines:
- Brut Natural or Brut Zéro (less than 3 grams of sugar per liter)
- Extra Brut (less than 6 grams of sugar per liter)
- Brut (less than 15 grams of sugar per liter)
- Extra Sec or Extra Dry (12 to 20 grams of sugar per liter)
- Sec (17 to 35 grams of sugar per liter)
- Demi-Sec (33 to 50 grams of sugar per liter)
- Doux (more than 50 grams of sugar per liter)
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Food
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This part of France is well known for its delicious farm products and many specialities:
- Red turkey form Ardennes (was originally a meal reserved for Kings, now usually eaten for Christmas and/or new year’s eve),
- Local cheeses as the Maroilles de la Thiérache, made from cow milk, of orange colour, the Rocroy, (is actually particular since it contains no fat at all).
- There are plenty of hunters in the region. Game is thus a favourite meal: wild boars, deers, rabbits, ducks. Cooked with sauces, cooked as a stew or pie dish...
- The Andouillette from Troyes: melt with spices, it is simply grilled, and creme fraiche, mustard, white wine and shallots are added: gorgeous!
- And many other products to discover, as Cider from the Pays d'Othe, farm produce with quality labels,... Gastronomy is a true tradition in Champagne Ardennes.
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Leisure
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Golfing, Quad or bike riding in the woods, Walks around lakes or ponds, Tree climbing (even for children), Visits of abbeys or other historical places... Nature and history of the region offer plenty of activities to do.
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Festival Celebrations
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All the year round, there are plenty of festivals: nature and animals photo festivals, music festivals, concerts, theatrical performances, often taking place in places with a dramatic scenery around.
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Language
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French is obviously the predominant language of the region. But other native languages are still used like the Champenois patois: it is still used in Champagne Ardennes but also in Belgium where it originally comes from.
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Fortifications
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Champagne has over 150 châteaux, manor houses and historical places one can visit. You can walk in the footsteps of the writer and philosopher Voltaire who wrote many of his works whilst living here.
Many of theses places date back to the 18th century, as la Motte-Tilly château, the château de Montmort, the fortified château at Sedan. With 35,000 sq. meter, it undoubtedly is the most important fortress in Europe.
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Religious monuments
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Reims cathedral is just one of the religious treasures of the region. There are lots of half-timbered churches, fortified churches and abbeys in the countryside. Entombment scenes can be seen, as well as altarpieces. The region still has outstanding ruins of a dozen of Cistercian abbeys (Trois-Fontaines, Morimond, Signy, and many others), and also the very famous Clairvaux Abbey. Built under St Bernard's “reign” in 1115, it was powerful and renowned throughout France and Europe as well.
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“Beautiful Villages”
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Twenty-three charming villages in Champagne Ardennes have been honoured as rural picturesque villages by the “Loveliest Villages of France” Organization:
Aube: Vieux Molhain, Hargnies, Wasigny, Gomont and Buzancy.
Marne:Hautvillers, Ambonnay, Oger, Saint-Amand sur Fion, Sainte-Marie, Outines, Villevenard.
Ardennes: Pont sur Seine, Rumilly-lès-Vaudes, Lentilles, Les-Riceys, Ervy-le-Chatel
Haute-Marne: Ceffonds, Joinville, Vignory, Auberive, Montsaugeon
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Museums
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The Royal Champagne Cristal factories: They were founded in 1666 by a glassblower from Venice, Jean-Baptiste Mazzolay, that were quickly elected to a Royal status unde Louis XIV. Today the factories are still in use, with the same techniques used then.
Maison de la Vigne at Essoyes and Musée de la vigne et du vin (in a former lighthouse) at Verzenay, where Champagne history is explained.
Musée de la Forêt, where you can actually understand how ancestors lived and worked in the local forests
Maison de l’Outil et de la Pensée Ouvrière, that has an impressive over 10,000 tools that were used used by local skilled craftsmen
Musée des Traditions du Mariage that offers a complete collection of traditional and modern bridal tiaras
One can discover the history of cutlery-making and related crafts is presented at the Espace Pelletier in Nogent-en-Bassigny, from small ancient knifes to the most sophisticated surgical tools.
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Wine Routes
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Degustation of "Grands Crus" on several kilometres through the winegrowing villages, from Reims and Epernay to Bar sur Aude and Les Riceys.
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Historical Routes
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Since history fashioned the region, routes are organized between many places of interest including cathedrals, chapel, castles, abbeys, half-timbered churches, manors, gardens and even cities as Reims.
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Property Sales