There is so much more to Champagne than bubbles!

The tour starts with the touristic Champagne route passing through the Marne Valley, bursting heaps of intersting heritage due to the amount of châteaux and churches. The private Dom Pérignon estate, l'Abbaye d’Hautvillers, which has become a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is on this route. The nephew of King Dagobert I of France had the abbey built in 650. The Château de Pierry, built in 1734, is not far and was once the personal residence of Monseigneur de Choiseul Beaupré. The estate is steeped in family history (owned by the same family since 1624) and has evolved over years with the wine. Don't miss the gardens, in particular the lawns in the shape of butterfly wings! Continue onto the town of Épernay, the Capital of the Champagne region. The surrounding lush green vineyards add light and charm to the town. Avenue de Champagne, also a World Heritage Site, is reputed as the most expensive avenue in the world due to the thousands of bottles in the cellars of the prestigious champagne producers, Moêt & Chandon and Maison Mercier to name but a few, maturing there. Enjoy exquisit sparkling wine tasting sessions at leading French champagne maisons.

1st night at the elegant 25bis by Leclerc Briant town house.

The second day begins by visiting the Leclerc Briant estate, followed by a tasting session at the hotel. The wine producers adore discussing the wines and explaining the history of the Croisette vineyard. Then drive through the Montagne de Reims Nature Park to Reims and stop off in one of the villages to simply soak up the typical picturesque scenery, in particular the oddly-shaped and protected Drawf Beech trees (Faux de Verzy). Once in Reims, we suggest starting at the Gothic style Notre-Dame Cathedral, the city's historical monument which boasts over 2,300 sculptures inside and out. The kings of France were all crowned here since the times of Henri I of France. Next go to the old Saint-Rémi abbey to visit the works at the museum, divided into four sections covering the history of the abbey up to the Second World War. Followed by a mixture Art Nouveau and Art Déco architecture at the Villa Demoiselle. The villa has been recently renovated and plunges visitors into a bright and colourful décor created by the many stained glass windows and glass chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. The cellars and grounds at the Maison Pommery-Vranken, built in the 19th century by Madame Pommery, are the ideal way to end the afternoon. The 11-mile estate where 20 million bottles are stored in chalk cellars is a pure delight to explore (and sample the produce of course!).

2nd night at the elegant 25bis by Leclerc Briant town house.

Visiting the ramparts and the Château de Pierrefonds at Ferté Milon is an excellent way to start the day. Although the château was built in the 14th century by Louis I, Duke of Orléans, Napoléon III commissioned Viollet-le-Duc to make many alterations. It was designed as a genuine fortress to protect the inhabitants, for example there are 8 towers protecting the exterior between the drawbridge and the courtyard. We suggest visiting the Jean de La Fontaine museum at Château Thierry. The famous poet's birth place immediately immerses visitors in the universe of his famous Fables through the collections of his work (similar to Aesop's Fables). Reveillon is a few miles further on where 20th century authors found inspiration at the Château de Reveillon. Marcel Proust actually described time spent here in his 1952 novel, Jean Santeuil. A sculpture of Minerva, the Goddess of wisedom, commissioned by the Marquis d’Argenson (1719 – 1730), decorates the main facade. See the splendid 18th century decor in the ground floor halls. End the afternoon at the Champagne AR. Lenoble estate, famous for being one of the last independantly and family-run producers, founded in 1920.

3rd night at the historical Château de Picheny.