🍾 Champagne Hillsides, Houses and Cellars
UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Marne department, France
📋 Fast Facts
- UNESCO-inscribed in 2015 for outstanding universal value in Champagne wine production
- Encompasses Hautvillers, Aÿ-Champagne, and Mareuil-sur-Aÿ in the Marne
- Grand Cru vineyards producing highest-quality Champagne grapes since the Middle Ages
- Historic chalk cellars (crayères) integral to the region's winemaking heritage
The Champagne Hillsides, Houses and Cellars represent a unique cultural landscape shaped by centuries of wine production. Centred on the towns of Hautvillers, Aÿ-Champagne, and Mareuil-sur-Aÿ in northeastern France, this UNESCO-inscribed site documents the evolution of Champagne as both a product and way of life. The terraced vineyards, historic residences, and underground chalk cellars form an integrated system that enabled the region to become the world's premier source of sparkling wine ...