By criss-crossing our beautiful region in search of cultural nuggets, your journey can lead you to the start of the Champagne Tourist Route. Then prepare yourself for a 220 km marked tourist circuit through the countryside, on the flamboyant Côte des Bar.Vineyards, hillsides, cultural monuments… you will cross natural landscapes and discover about thirty villages which have shaped, in their own way, the heritage of the Aube.
Beyond the journey, the Champagne Tourist Route promises you beautiful encounters with craftsmen who are passionate about their trade and proud of their territory. A taste of what to expect on the Côte des Bar, what do you think?
Let yourself be charmed by the villages of the Côte des Bar
Alone, as a couple, with family, with friends… the Champagne Tourist Route can be enjoyed in any context. The reason? Its great variety of points of interest, which makes this tourist route through the Côte des Bar an exceptional place.
The villages you will pass through along the Champagne Tourist Route are no exception to this rule: they are picturesque, charming, captivating ! They are full of nuggets to discover, all in an extraordinary natural setting. Bar-sur-Aube, Essoyes, Mussy-sur-Seine… admire here, in video, all the cultural wealth of the Champagne region which is waiting for you!
The cellar visit, a must along the Champagne Tourist Route
Obviously… One of the must-see stops on the Champagne Tourist Route is of course a visit to a champagne cellar. You simply can’t miss it! Grape variety, grape harvest, plot, cuvée… By visiting the champagne cellars with enthusiastic winegrowers and fond of anecdotes about this regional nectar, these words will no longer hold any secrets for you!
The little extra: the tasting* at the end of the visit. And yet! Bring the flute to your lips and fully savour this effervescence, this subtle taste: welcome to Champagne!
In the footsteps of Auguste Renoir on the Champagne Tourist Route
Following the Champagne Tourist Route, your steps will lead you to the charming village of Essoyes, in the Ource valley. Does this name mean nothing to you? It is the place where the family home and studio of the famous painter Auguste Renoir. Yes Our region has attracted more than one celebrity, moreover… Renoir’s former home is now open to the public, and allows its visitors to understand the sources of inspiration of the painter in the Auvergne landscape and to guess the man behind the artist.
A taste of the visit to this picturesque place here!
Dive into the history of Clairvaux Abbey on the Champagne Tourist Route
A lot happens on this road! But the territory has built up, over time, a cultural heritage so rich that it is only logical to find nugget after nugget along the Champagne Tourist Route!
The Cistercian Abbey of Clairvaux is a striking example of a local treasure. This building, founded in 1115 by Saint Bernard, has had a strong cultural and religious influence throughout Europe. Transformed into a prison by Napoleon after the revolution, this abbey has had many lives. Visits are now organised, from the chapel to the large cloister, via the barn or the former detention cells. Little bonus: Clairvaux Abbey has been awarded the Vignobles et Découvertes !
The Champagne Tourist Route and its cadoles
And then you think: the what? What is it again: a museum? The name of a winegrower? A famous artist from the Aube? No way! The cadoles are dry stone buildings typical of the regions of Courteron, Gyé-sur-Seine and Les Riceys. As you travel along the Côte des Bar, on the Champagne Tourist Route, your path will cross some of these lodges steeped in history, in the very marked architectural style.
The cadoles are part of the historical heritage of Aube and are a tourist attraction in their own right. Discover these 200 year old lodges in a breathtaking natural setting: follow the circuits and let yourself be guided!
Admire the brilliance of the Bayel Crystal Museum on the Côte des Bar
Another must-see! This famous Champagne Tourist Route has many attractions… it seems that it never stops!
Along your route, you will find the Bayel Crystal Museum located on the site of the former royal crystal factory: a mine of information about this transparent, pure and delicate treasure. On site, you will discover the secrets of crystal making and admire thepermanent exhibitions of this ecomuseum. Let yourself be dazzled by these Champagne masterpieces: a little poetry never hurt anyone!
How about it? Are you ready to tackle this Champagne Tourist Route? Between breathtaking panoramas, fascinating relics and committed winemakers, the Côte des Bar is waiting for you!