Champagne Ardenne Population and Demographics

• Population: 1,342,363
• Pop.density (people per sq. km): 52

Three principal communes

Reims (pronounced 'râns', as in 'ran' with 's' sounded), along with Epernay, is an important centre for Champagne production. Visitors come to the town for tasting at the dozen or so champagne houses such as Mumm and Taittinger. They also come to see one of the most impressive Gothic cathedrals in France - Cathédrale Notre-Dame - which was formerly the coronation church of the French monarchs. Much of the city was flattened by the bombs of World War I, but has since been reconstructed with great precision. It is a very orderly city with wide avenues and well-tended parks.

Troyes (128,945)

Troyes has one of France's finest ensembles of medieval and renaissance half-timbered houses and has been an important centre since Gallo Roman times. It is also a lively commercial centre and there are numerous cut-price outlets specialising in brand-name clothing and accessories.

Charleville-Mézières (65,727)

The twin towns Charleville and Mézières, which spread across the meandering Meuse, are a good centre for exploring the Ardennes. Charleville-Mézières is a major international puppetry centre and annually hosts one of the largest puppet festivals in the world called Festival Mondial des Théâtres de Marionettes where troopes come from as far afield as Mali and Burma.