Balade à Pargny les Reims

‘1 fleur’ village in bloom
Count Alfred Werlé left a lasting mark on the history of the village. In the 19th century, he had an imposing chateau built, which was destroyed in June 1918. All that is left are sections of wall and the ice house. The count, whose descendants remain the principal local landowners, also funded a night hostel for vagrants; the building, nicknamed the “prison”, can still be seen on the outskirts of the village. Also owing to Werlé’s generosity are the presbytery and the fine wrought-iron gate which adorns the 13th-century church. At the side of the road leading to Saint-Euphraise is the Saint-Martin spring, which in former times was a pilgrimage site due to the properties of its water, purported to cure diseases of the eyes. The site, equipped with picnic benches, offers walkers impressive views of the vineyards, the plain and the city of Reims.