Parc Naturel Régional de la Montagne de Reims
Just 20 minutes north of Épernay, the Montagne de Reims regional park covers 70,000 hectares of ancient beech forest, chalk grassland and Grand Cru vineyards draped over a plateau that separates the Marne and Vesle valleys. It is one of the most underrated green escapes in northern France.
Walking the Faux de Verzy
The park's strangest and most photogenic feature is the Faux de Verzy — a grove of naturally twisted, umbrella-shaped beech trees (Fagus sylvatica tortuosa) found only in this corner of France. The gnarled canopy looks like something from a fairy tale, and the grove is freely accessible via a short loop trail from the village of Verzy.
The trees are thought to be 500–700 years old and their mutation is still not fully understood by botanists. Visit in early morning when mist threads through the contorted branches for the most atmospheric photographs.
Vineyard Trails & Wildlife
The GR141 long-distance trail loops the entire plateau, but shorter day routes connect villages like Verzenay, Mailly-Champagne and Ambonnay — all Grand Cru communes where you can stop for a tasting at a family domaine between walking stages. The Verzenay lighthouse (Phare de Verzenay), an eccentric 1909 folly in the middle of a vineyard, has a rooftop terrace and a small Champagne museum inside.
Roe deer, wild boar and red kites are all resident in the park's forested sections; the best wildlife-watching is at dusk along the forest edges between Verzy and Louvois. The park authority publishes free downloadable trail maps at parcmontagnedereims.fr.
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