Hautvillers

On the outskirts of Epernay, a small village, known around the world thanks to a Benedictine monk named Dom Pérignon, is perched on sunny vine planted hillsides.

This is Hautvillers. Its streets and alleys are lined with naive style wrought iron signs. These signs, some simple and some very colourful, reveal the activities undertaken behind the doors of the villages houses and buildings.

Even the school, the wash house and the fire station have signs like this. These signs are all steps in a visit during which it is delightful to stroll with your nose in the air to choose the one you prefer. Some recount a stage in the work on the vines or the production of champagne.

The legend of Dom Pérignon adds an intangible but no less genuine aura to Hautvillers. He is said to have been able to make a "grey" or red still Champagne wine into a sparkling wine of perfect clarity... Dom Pérignon is buried in the village church.

From the hills above the village, several viewpoints provide a unique panorama over the Marne Valley and surrounding vineyards.

Office de tourisme d'Hautvillers (Tourist Office Hautvillers):
www.tourisme-hautvillers.com