Two thousand years of history to explore

A stage where history has played out for over a thousand years, the Marne boasts a rich cultural heritage.

Memorial to 1939-45
Places to visit: the Aviation Museum in Condé-Vraux, the resistance museum in Château de Montmort-Lucy, the surrender museum of 7 May 1945 in Reims, the former HQ of the Gestapo in Châlons.

The alternative Marne

Looking to be surprised? The Marne is packed with unusual places to visit: Mont Aimé, the site of the Cathar community trials; the necropolises in Coizard-Joches; the Dolmen in Le Reclus; the Congy standing stone, and more…

The necropolises in Coizard-Joches comprise 37 hypogea, funeral monuments carved from chalk against the hillside, two of which you can still enter today. Until around 2,000 A.D., the inhabitants of the region would lay down their dead here and hand them over to the protection of the gods, traces of which can be found on the walls inside one of the hypogea.

Mont-Aimé, or the tale of Queen Blanca
There were in fact two Blancas. The first, Blanca of Navarre, a "simple" countess locally exalted to almost royal status who laid the foundations of Château du Mont-Aimé. The other, Blanca of Castile, wife of King Louis VIII and Queen of France, who stayed in the château. This probably explains the proliferation of legends about the “White Queen” in connection with Mont-Aimé. Among them is the story of the secret affair between Blanca of Castile and Thibaut IV, who heard whispers of their relationship being uncovered one night. Queen Blanca finally saved her reputation by fleeing through the underground passages. Underground passages which, located under the mount itself, are supposed to extend as the marshlands in Saint-Gond, and even to the town of Sézanne.

Attila, King of the Huns
After Attila passed through the Marne, the grass did grow back, but the terrible Hun chief certainly left his mark: in the north of Châlons-en-Champagne lie the mysterious Champs Catalauniques (Catalaunian Fields) and towards Sézanne, in the south-west of the département, the Marais de St Gond where according to legend his legendary golden helmet is buried somewhere in the marshes…

Valmy or the history of Europe
In 1791, the History of Europe was unfolding in Argonne, a forest region in the eastern part of the Marne. One night in June, Louis XVI and his family, fleeing for their lives, were recognised in Sainte-Ménehould, capital of Argonne Champenois. They were later arrested in Varennes. Royalty lived. The Battle of Valmy, on the morning of 20 September 1792, was the first victory won by revolutionary France in a united Europe. A couple of miles from Sainte-Ménehould, it then sealed the Republic’s victory thanks to the heroic generals Kellermann and Dumouriez in September 1792. The wind-battered site is impressive with its windmill which was rebuilt after the storm of 1999. It remains the iconic symbol of the Republic proclaimed on 21 September 1792.

There are two important tourist trails along which the religious heritage of the Marne is revealed: first, the Trail of the Romanesque Churches of the 11th and 12th Centuries, which cuts through the Parc Naturel Régional de la Montagne de Reims. The Ardre Valley, northwest of Reims, boasts a remarkably high concentration of Romanesque churches. The Romanesque church trail currently groups 33 villages and as many churches, 25 of which are protected as historic monuments. The churches are open to visitors at Easter and All Saint’s Day.

And the Trail of Timber-frame Churches of Champagne, set around the big lakes in a region where building stone is scarce, and wood (mainly oak), clay earth and straw were once the materials of choice for buildings. This itinerary, in the south of the département, on the fringes of the Marne, the Haute-Marne, the Aube and Le Der, presents the biggest collection of timber-frame churches in France.
This itinerary of almost 40 miles takes small country lanes, passing by timber-frame sanctuaries and stone churches in turn, embellished with vibrant multi-coloured windows from the 16th century Troyes school. This group of churches is unique in France and comprises 10 churches and a chapel built between the late 15th century and the 18th century. Audio-guided tours of the churches in Outines and Lentilles will share the secrets of this extraordinary style of architecture with you.