Epernay's Avenue de Champagne Cellars
The Avenue de Champagne in Épernay is arguably the most valuable kilometre of real estate in France — a single boulevard lined with the grand 19th-century mansions of Moët & Chandon, Perrier-Jouët, Pol Roger and a dozen other houses, all sitting atop 110 km of chalk cellars where 200 million bottles of Champagne sleep in the dark. You can walk into the ground beneath them for the price of a tastin
Choosing Your Cellar Tour
Moët & Chandon offers the most theatrical tour — 8 km of illuminated galleries, a Napoleon connection (he visited repeatedly) and a tasting of three cuvées for around €30. Book online; tours run in English and French almost hourly in summer.
For a more intimate experience, Champagne de Castellane at the eastern end of the avenue has a climbable Art Deco tower with rooftop views over the Marne valley, and its cellar tour (€16) is smaller and less crowded than the grandes maisons. Champagne Mercier offers a laser-guided electric train ride through its cellars — kitsch, but genuinely fun for families.
Beyond the Big Names
The Musée du Vin de Champagne et d'Archéologie Régionale, housed in the former town hall on the avenue, gives context to the industry's history and is free to enter — a good first stop before any paid cellar tour.
After your tasting, walk five minutes to the covered market hall for local cheeses and charcuterie to pair with the bottles you inevitably buy. The town of Épernay itself is small and manageable in a half-day, making it an easy day-trip from Reims (25 min by train) or Paris (1 hr 20 min by TGV to Reims, then regional train).
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