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, which 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 located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

inscribed to the

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

World Heritage List World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural heritag ...

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, which 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,

Aÿ Aÿ ( ; also Ay) is a former communes of France, commune in the Marne (department), Marne Departments of France, department in northeastern France. On 1 January 2016 it was merged into the new commune Aÿ-Champagne. Champagne Aÿ is most famous a ...

, and Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, 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 Departments of France, department of Marne (department), Marne, and the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, 12th most populous city in Fran ...

, an urban vineyard with its own cellars that is combined with public spaces and parks. * Avenue de Champagne and Fort Chabrol in Épernay, the most well-known location for showcasing and selling the champagne. The vineyards at Hautvillers,

, and Mareuil-sur-Aÿ 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