Normandy, Brittany & the Best of the North_ With Paris (Fodor's) - Fodor's [69]
La Paix.
$$$ | A modern eight-story hotel run by the same family since 1911, La Paix is a Best Western-branded property 10 minutes on foot from the cathedral. It has a cozy contemporary style with modern furnishings, dramatic artworks, and rich colors of mustard, aubergine, red, or chocolate. A heated indoor pool with jacuzzi and hammam can be found at the back of a pretty garden. Its brasserie-style restaurant serves mainly grilled meats and seafood. Pros: central location; stylish hotel bar; free Wi-Fi. Cons: often hosts corporate groups. | 9 rue Buirette | 51100 | 03–26–40–04–08 | www.hotel-lapaix.fr | 169 rooms | In-room: a/c, safe, refrigerator, Wi-Fi. In-hotel: restaurant, bar, pool, gym, some pets allowed | AE, DC, MC, V | BP.
L’ÉPINE
56 km (35 mi) southeast of Reims via N44/N3, 7 km (4½ mi) east of Châlons via N3.
The tiny village of L’Épine is dominated by its church, the twin-tower Flamboyant Gothic Basilique de Notre-Dame de l’Épine.
The church’s facade is a magnificent creation of intricate patterns and spires, and the interior exudes elegance and restraint.
WHERE TO STAY IN L’ÉPINE
Aux Armes de Champagne.
$$$–$$$$ | The highlight of this cozy former coaching inn (just up the street from the town church, so ask for a table with a view) is the restaurant, with its renowned Champagne list and imaginative cuisine. Among the specialties are grilled scallops with cabbage and chestnuts, grilled venison with prunes, wild boar with chestnuts, and artichokes with local goat cheese. (The restaurant is closed Monday, and no dinner is served Sunday year-round.) Guest rooms are divided into three buildings, furnished with solid, traditional reproductions, wall hangings, and thick carpets. No. 21, with wood beams, is the most atmospheric. Pros: great restaurant (especially local game); friendly service. Cons: out-of-the-way location; rooms can be pricey. | 31 av. du Luxembourg | 51460 | 03–26–69–30–30 | www.aux-armes-de-champagne.com | 37 rooms, 2 suites | In-room: no a/c, refrigerator, Internet. In-hotel: restaurant, bar, tennis court | AE, DC, MC, V | Closed Jan.–mid-Feb. | BP.
CHÂLONS-EN-CHAMPAGNE
7 km (4½ mi) west of L’Épine via N3, 34 km (21 mi) southeast of Épernay via N3.
Several major churches bear eloquent testimony to Châlons’s medieval importance. It is also one of the few towns in Champagne that has good bus and train service.
Getting Here and Around
Trains from Paris (Gare de l’Est) leave for Châlons every 2 hours or so (€25); the 174-km (108-mi) trip takes around 1 hour, 30 minutes. There’s also limited TGV service from Paris: one train in the afternoon, one in the evening (1 hr, €29.30). There are four direct trains a day from Reims to Châlons-en-Champagne (36 mi, 45 mins; €9.70). STDM Trans-Champagne (03–26–65–17–07 | www.stdmarne.fr) runs three buses Monday through Saturday from Reims to Châlons-en-Champagne (50 mins, €8) and several buses each day from Épernay (1 hr, €6.60).
EXPLORING IN CHÂLONS-EN-CHAMPAGNE
With its twin spires, Romanesque nave, and early Gothic choir and vaults, the church of Notre-Dame-en-Vaux is one of the most imposing in Champagne. The small museum beside the excavated cloister contains outstanding medieval statuary. | Rue Nicolas-Durand | 51000 | 03–26–69–38–53 | €3, free under 18 | Apr.–Sept., Wed.–Mon. 10–noon and 2–6; Oct.–Mar., Wed.–Fri. 10–noon and 2–5, weekends 10–noon and 2–6.
The 13th-century Cathédrale St-Étienne (Rue de la Marne | 51000) is a harmonious structure with large nave windows and tidy flying buttresses; the exterior effect is marred only by the bulky 17th-century Baroque west front. Recently, the cathedral reopened after many years of renovations, including restoration of its famed 19th-century organ.
WHERE TO STAY IN CHÂLONS-EN-CHAMPAGNE
Hôtel d’Angleterre.
$$–$$$ | Guest rooms at this stylish spot in central Châlons have modern furniture, gaily patterned curtains, and either wooden floors or plush red carpets; all have marble bathrooms. Those in the back are quietest, while those on the upper floor have