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the most atmosphere. In the outstanding restaurant, with its starched white tablecloths (closed Sunday; no lunch Monday or Saturday), chef Jacky Michel’s creations include quail with foie gras and red mullet with artichokes, as well as the seasonal dessert tout-pommes, featuring five variations on the humble apple. Cheaper fare (main courses start at €12) is offered in the brasserie, Les Temps Changent. Breakfast is a superb buffet. Pros: beautifully modernized rooms; inventive cuisine offered at different price points. Cons: booming business is detracting from the family feel; restaurant doesn’t serve dinner past 8:45 PM. | 19 pl. Monseigneur-Tissier | 51000 | 03–26–68–21–51 | www.hotel-dangleterre.fr | 25 rooms | In-room: a/c, refrigerator, Internet, Wi-Fi. In-hotel: restaurant, bar, some pets allowed | AE, DC, MC, V | Closed mid-July–early Aug. and late Dec.–early Jan. | BP.

ÉPERNAY

28 km (18 mi) south of Reims via N51, 35 km (24 mi) west of Châlons-en-Champagne via N3, 50 km (31 mi) east of Château-Thierry via D3/N3.

Although Reims loudly proclaims itself to be the last word in Champagne production, Épernay—set on the south bank of the Marne—is really the center of the bubbly drink’s spirit. It was here in 1741 that the first full-blown Champagne house, Moët (now Moët et Chandon), took the lifetime passion of Dom Pérignon and turned it into an industry.

Getting Here and Around

Trains from Paris (Gare de l’Est) leave for Épernay every hour or so (€20.60); the 145-km (90-mi) trip takes around 1 hour, 15 minutes. Several trains daily link Épernay to Reims (20 mi, 30 mins; €6) and Châlons (15 mi, 15 mins; €5.50). STDM Trans-Champagne runs several buses each day to Épernay from Châlons (1 hr, €8).

Visitor Information

Épernay Tourist Office.

| 7 ave. Champagne | 51200 | 03–26–53–33–00 | www.ot-epernay.fr.

EXPLORING ÉPERNAY

Unfortunately, no relation exists between the fabulous wealth of Épernay’s illustrious wine houses and the drab, dreary appearance of the town as a whole. Most Champagne firms—Moët et Chandon (20 av. de Champagne); Mercier (70 av. de Champagne); and De Castellane (57 rue de Verdun)—are spaced out along the long, straight Avenue de Champagne, and although their names may provoke sighs of wonder, their facades are either functional or overdressy.

To understand how the region’s still wine became sparkling Champagne, head across the Marne to Hautvillers.

Here the monk Dom Pérignon (1638–1715)—upon whom, legend has it, blindness conferred the gifts of exceptional taste buds and sense of smell—invented Champagne as everyone knows it by using corks for stoppers and blending wines from different vineyards. Dom Pérignon’s simple tomb, in a damp, dreary Benedictine abbey church (now owned by Moët et Chandon), is a forlorn memorial to the hero of one of the world’s most lucrative drink industries.

WHERE TO STAY IN ÉPERNAY

La Briqueterie.

$$$–$$$$ | Épernay is short on good hotels, so it’s worth driving south to Vinay to find this luxurious manor. The spacious guest rooms are individually decorated in lilac, blue floral, yellow and chocolate, all with carpeting; ask for one overlooking the extensive gardens. Chef Gilles Goess, who trained at the Paris Ritz, adds an inventive touch to the menu of regional cuisine, with gourmet six-course menus from €80. An indoor pool and spa overlooking the gardens include sauna and hammam facilities. Pros: wonderful garden; great chef; luxurious spa treatments. Cons: rooms can be small; corporate feel (frequent business seminars). | 4 rte. de Sézanne, 6 km (4 mi) south of Épernay, | Vinay | 51530 | 03–26–59–99–99 | www.labriqueterie.com | 40 rooms, 2 suites | In-room: a/c, refrigerator, Wi-Fi. In-hotel: restaurant, bar, pool, gym, some pets allowed | AE, MC, V | Closed late Dec. | BP.

CHÂTEAU-THIERRY

37 km (23 mi) east of Épernay via N3.

Built along the Marne River beneath the ruins of a hilltop castle that dates from the time of Joan of Arc, and within sight of the American Belleau Wood War Cemetery (open daily 9–5), commemorating the 2,300 American soldiers slain