Champagne hillsides, houses and cellars is the name given to several sites in the

Champagne Champagne (, ) is a sparkling wine originated and produced in the Champagne wine region of France under the rules of the appellation, that demand specific vineyard practices, sourcing of grapes exclusively from designated places within it, spe ...

region of

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

inscribed to the

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

World Heritage List A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the UNESCO, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNES ...

in 2015 for their historical ties to the production and sale of

champagne Champagne (, ) is a sparkling wine originated and produced in the Champagne wine region of France under the rules of the appellation, that demand specific vineyard practices, sourcing of grapes exclusively from designated places within it, spe ...

, as well as their testimony to the development of an internationally-renowned agro-industrial enterprise.

Description

Although it only occupies a small part of the Champagne wine region, the World Heritage site consists of locations that represent the entire process of creating and selling champagne. In total, there are 14 distinct sites, grouped into three categories: * The historic vineyards of

Hautvillers Hautvillers is a commune in the Marne department in north-eastern France. The Abbey of St. Peter which existed here until the French Revolution was the home of the famous Dom Perignon, a Benedictine monk whose work in wine-making helped to deve ...

Aÿ Aÿ (; also Ay) is a former commune in the Marne department in northeastern France. On 1 January 2016 it was merged into the new commune Aÿ-Champagne. Champagne Aÿ is most famous as a centre of the production of Champagne. Aÿ's vineyards a ...

, and

Mareuil-sur-Aÿ Mareuil-sur-Ay (, literally ''Mareuil on Ay'') is a former commune in the Marne department in north-eastern France. Since January 2016, Mareuil-sur-Aÿ is part of the administrative commune Aÿ-Champagne. Its population was 1,113 in 2019. The ...

, and their corresponding cellars, where the grapes have been cultivated and fermented since at least 1673. * Saint-Nicaise Hill in

Reims Reims ( , , ; also spelled Rheims in English) is the most populous city in the French department of Marne, and the 12th most populous city in France. The city lies northeast of Paris on the Vesle river, a tributary of the Aisne. Founded by ...

, an urban vineyard with its own cellars that is combined with public spaces and parks. * Avenue de Champagne and Fort Chabrol in

Épernay Épernay () is a commune in the Marne department of northern France, 130 km north-east of Paris on the mainline railway to Strasbourg. The town sits on the left bank of the Marne at the extremity of the Cubry valley which crosses it. Éperna ...

, the most well-known location for showcasing and selling the champagne. The vineyards at

, and

include the on-site harvest huts and presses, used to process the grapes with minimal transportation. The cellars beneath the villages and vineyards, dug into the chalky hillsides in the 17th and 18th centuries, run uphill from the vineyards. However, the most extensive cellars are found at Saint-Nicaise Hill. These cellars, built later than the ones outside of the city, expanded on already-existing underground chalk quarries and extend multiple kilometers underneath the vineyards and the town. The Avenue of Champagne in Epernay contains the headquarters of many of the preeminent champagne manufacturers. Built along a major trading route between France and Germany, the street has housed champagne merchant buildings since the 18th century.

References

{{World Heritage Sites in France World Heritage Sites in France Champagne-Ardenne