Champagne Ardenne Property Insight

Champagne-Ardenne is a French region located in the north east of the country between the regions of Lorraine (east), Franche-Comté and Burgundy (south), Ile de France and Picardy (west). It is bordered with Belgium in the north. The department is composed of four departments: Ardennes, Aube, Marne and Haute-Marne. Champagne Ardenne accounts for about 1,339,000 inhabitants called the Champardennais or Champenois.

Overview

Champagne Ardenne was created like the other French departments in 1790. Its administrative centre is Châlons-en-Champagne. The name of the region comes from the fact that it represents a major part of the former French province of Champagne and some territories of the Meuse Valley, in the massif of Ardenne. The region has a rich and fascinating history. During the Roman period, Reims was a crossroads, it was later an important place in terms of religion and the town where all the Kings of France were anointed. From the end of the 12th century to the 14th century, important fairs took place in the region in towns being on the pilgrim route to Roma: Lagny-sur-Marne, Provins, Troyes, Bar-sur-Aube. The Champagne Ardenne region suffered a lot from the two World Wars as it was on the way between Germany and Paris.

As regards economy, agriculture is the main line of activity in Champagne Ardenne (61.4% of the territory is for agriculture). Other kind of activities and industries are also present such as the champagne-production, metallurgy and hosiery industries. The region is much appreciated for its champagne that you can taste in one of the numerous cellars or during a route across the vineyards.

No less than five towns received the label of towns of Art and History within the reigon: Châlons-en-Champagne, Langres, Reims, Sedan and Troyes. Champagne Ardenne boasts many fortified towns as well as wonderful castles and strongholds.

Champagne Ardenne Immobilier & Property Market Trends

As regards property prices, the Champagne Ardenne region is very affordable. In May 2009, the average price for a property to buy was €1,782 /square metre. If we compare this price with the national average: €3,197 /square metre, we can definitely say that it is worth investing in this region. In May 2009, the average price for a new apartment was €2,160 /square metre and a house cost about €1,645 /square metre.

Housing prices in big towns such as Reims, Troyes or Chaumont may be higher, but there are still reasonable given the setting and richness of the area. Below is a table indicating the property prices in the Champagne Ardenne region in 2009.

To get updated info about property prices in Champagne Ardenne, please browse our French Property Market Reports published in the News Section every month.

5 Reasons to Buy a Property in Champagne Ardenne

• Tourism - sights: the Champagne-Ardenne region is very popular amongst both French and foreign holiday makers. They come in the area to discover its rich heritage and great gastronomy. Amongst others, tourists come to see Troyes and its old houses, Châlons-en-Champagne, its cloister and rivers, Langres and its fortifications, but also Reims and its cathedral or the Marne and Meuse Valleys. The park called parc naturel regional de la Montagne de Reims is not to be missed when visiting the region. Close to Reims, Epernay and Châlons-en-Champagne, it offers great views and a pleasant and relaxing atmosphere. Some outstanding monuments of the regions are the cathedral and Saint-Remi basilica of Reims (listed in the world heritage of UNESCO), the citadel of Langres and stronghold of Charlemont.

• Gastronomy: the region is renowned for offering a fine gastronomy and delicious champagne. With 28,237 hectares of vineyards and more than 260 millions of champagne bottles sold every year, Champagne Ardenne is definitely the place to go if you love champagne! The route du Champagne (champagne’s route) spreads over 600km and proposes five different tours across the region to discover the area and its delicious champagnes. People can’t help loving the regional produce: white pudding (boudin blanc) of Rethel, andouillettes of Troyes, Ardennes ham, cheese of Chaource or Langres… the region has much to offer so do not hesitate to taste the local food!

• Nature and activities: the Champagne Ardenne region is one of the French regions offering the highest number of parks, forests and green areas. Indeed, one quarter of the territory is covered by forests, allowing people to practise varied activities such as hiking or riding a horse or a mountain bike. If you enjoy walking at the heart of green hills and valleys, the Haute-Marne department is perfect. Many rivers go through the region: the Seine, Marne, Aube, Aisne and Meuse Rivers. Several artificial lakes were created in order to avoid floods of the Seine River. In the Marne basin, the lac du Der is the largest artificial lake in Europe! The lac d’Orient, lac du Temple and lac d’Amance are also worth seeing. Water sports lovers as well as fishermen and swimmers will enjoy the 10,000ha of pools and lakes present in the region.

• Culture: many events take place in the region all year round, some of them being internationally renowned such as the world festival of puppets on Charleville-Mézières or the international festival of graphic arts in Chaumont. The region is also home to numerous museums such as the Ardenne Museum in Charleville-Mézières, Fine Arts and Archaeology Museum in Châlons-en-Champagne, Palais du Tau (listed by UNESCO) and Fine Arts Museum in Reims or Museum of Natural History in Troyes.

• Location – transport links: with 560km of motorways, the region is well-linked to the rest of France. Four major axes enable people to reach the region by road: the A4 Paris Strasbourg (Reims), the A5 Paris- Dijon, (Troyes and Chaumont), the A26 Calais-Dijon (Reims and Châlons-en-Champagne), the A34 Sedan-Reims Charleville-Mézières). Many towns of the region can be reached from Paris thanks regular trains such as Paris-Strasbourg, Paris-Charleville-Mézières or Paris-Bâle for instance.

Property Styles and Architecture in Champagne Ardenne

• Farmhouses: this kind of properties can be found in many French regions. Farmhouses in Champagne-Ardenne have a gently sloping roof and red tiles. They are traditional and rural houses which often come with stables, a bread oven and cowshed. They offer many rooms and are located in the Ardennes hills amongst others, providing therefore beautiful views over the natural environment.

• Half-timebered houses: given its proximity with Germany, the region has been influenced by the Germanic architectural style and offers thus half-timebered properties. Constructed of bricks or classic cob timberframe, these properties are very sought-after. Wood being an important construction material in the region, beams may be made of ash tree or chestnut tree for instance.

• Brick and chalk houses: influenced by the neighbouring Picardy and Lorraine regions, Champagne Ardenne also has chalk and brick houses to offer. As their name indicates, they are made of chalk and red bricks. They are also partially half-timebered. These properties are very luminous and typical from the region.

Click here for more info about the Architecture in Champagne-Ardenne.