Champagne Vineyard Walks: Marked Trails, Lengths and Start Points

Champagne vineyard walks follow marked trails through the vines, villages and forest of the Montagne de Reims, the hillsides around Épernay and Reims, and the Côte des Bar. Some start at a Ligne des Bulles station, others at a village parking lot. They include village loops of 2.5 to 3 km and the 52 km GR de Pays, walked in 2 days.

The Montagne de Reims Regional Nature Park, the Épernay and Hautvillers tourist offices and the Côte des Bar tourist office publish the routes. This page covers the main marked walks with their lengths and start points, how to reach them by train, when to go, and the estates along the way that receive walkers.

Getting there

The fastest route from Paris is the direct TGV from Gare de l'Est to Reims-Centre, in 45 minutes. Direct trains from Gare de l'Est to Épernay take 1 hour 20 minutes.

From Reims or Épernay, the TER Ligne des Bulles runs about every 30 minutes from 6 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. It stops at Rilly-la-Montagne, Germaine, Avenay-Val-d'Or and Aÿ-Champagne, and walks start at each of these stations. For timetables, see Reims to Épernay and Champagne without a car.

Hautvillers has no train station. A taxi takes 10 minutes from Épernay and 30 minutes from Reims. Drivers are asked to park at the free Jard Kiedrich parking lot or along Avenue de Chandon and explore the village on foot.

For the Côte des Bar, about 10 direct trains a day run on the Paris–Troyes–Bar-sur-Aube line, taking 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours. By car, take the A5 and leave at exit 22 (Magnant) for Bar-sur-Seine or exit 23 (Ville-sous-la-Ferté) for Bar-sur-Aube.

The marked walks

Montagne de Reims: the GR de Pays

The GR de Pays de la Montagne de Reims is a 52 km loop walked in 2 days. It starts at Rilly-la-Montagne station and passes through Chigny, Mailly, Verzenay, Verzy, Trépail, Val de Livre, Fontaine-sur-Aÿ, Avenay-Val-d'Or, Mutigny and Germaine.

The park publishes a three-day version without a car. Day 1 runs from Rilly-la-Montagne through the forest to Mailly-Champagne, down the geological trail, then on to Verzenay. Day 2 follows the southern part of the PR Entre Vignes et Faux to Verzy, past the Mont Sinaï observatory and the Faux, and continues to Trépail. Day 3 reaches Mutigny and descends through the vineyards on the PR du Cubray to Aÿ-Champagne, where the Ligne des Bulles runs back to Reims or Épernay.

Montagne de Reims: shorter loops

• Sentier de découverte géologique, Mailly-Champagne: 4.5 km, 2 hours 30 minutes, easy. It has an observation platform, the artwork la Vénus de Mailly with picnic tables, and panels on the local geology.
• Sentier des Loges de Vigne, Trépail: 5.2 km, 1 hour 45 minutes, easy, past several vineyard shelters (loges) with interpretive panels.
• Circuit entre Vignes et Faux (PR 63), Verzy: 9.7 km, 3 hours, moderate.
• Circuit de la Paramelle, Villers-Marmery: 4.7 km, 1 hour 30 minutes, moderate.
• Circuit autour de Rilly-la-Montagne: 7.3 km, 2 hours, easy.
• Circuit du Mont Aigu, Avenay-Val-d'Or: 11 km, 3 hours, moderate.

The balade des Faux at Verzy is an easy 3 km loop from the free Parking des Faux, open to strollers and people with reduced mobility. Verzy has nearly 800 of these twisted beech trees, in a Réserve Biologique Dirigée protected by the ONF. The Mont Sinaï observatory, a listed historic monument, has its own parking lot opposite the Parking des Faux. At 286 meters, it is the highest point of the Montagne de Reims.

From the Ligne des Bulles stations

Three village walks start at the station parking lots:

• Si Aÿ m'était conté, Aÿ-Champagne: 3 km, 1 hour 15 minutes.
• Si Germaine m'était conté, Germaine: 5 km, 1 hour 30 minutes.
• Si Avenay m'était conté, Avenay-Val-d'Or: 2.5 km, 1 hour.

In and around Aÿ, the Circuit du Cubray runs 10.5 km (3 hours 30 minutes) from Place Henri Martin, and La promenade du Mont Gruguet in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ runs 6 km (1 hour 30 minutes) from Place Charles de Gaulle. In Bouzy, the Chemin des Vignes covers 5 km in 1 hour 45 minutes from rue Pasteur.

Hautvillers

The Hautvillers, Aÿ and Mareuil-sur-Aÿ hillsides are part of the Champagne Hillsides, Houses and Cellars, added to the UNESCO World Heritage list on July 4, 2015. These Hautvillers walks start at the Jard Kiedrich parking lot:

• Circuit des moines: 3 km, 1 hour.
• Circuit des Rinsillons: 4.8 km, 1 hour 30 minutes.
• Sentier Bulles et Croquis: 6 km, 1 hour 30 minutes.
• Circuit de Saint Marc: 12.2 km, 3 hours 30 minutes.

La Boucle de Bellevue (8 km, 2 hours 40 minutes) starts at Place de la République. The Sentier du Pic Noir, 1.8 to 2.5 km, starts at the Briquetterie parking lot and takes 1 to 2 hours.

Around Épernay and the Côte des Blancs

The Épernay tourist office's walking circuits run from 4 to 18 km and from 45 minutes to 4 hours. In Épernay itself, about sixty wooden steps climb to the Pierre Cheval belvedere on Mont Bernon, at 208 m. It looks over the vineyards, the Avenue de Champagne and the UNESCO hillsides from Hautvillers to Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, with interpretive panels.

Circuit La Vertusienne is a 13 km loop from the Porte Baudet in Vertus, 20 km south of Épernay, marked in yellow. It climbs 100 m over the first 2.5 km through chardonnay vines and passes the Mont de Vroyes viewpoint over the slopes toward Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. A detour climbs to the Clos des Bouveries viewpoint and its orientation table.

In Vinay, a 4 km route (about 1 hour on foot) marked with vine leaves leads from the church to the Jardin de Vignes. The Cramant belvedere has panels, an orientation table, a telescope and a vineyard hut with an exhibition.

Côte des Bar

The Côte des Bar tourist office's TopoGuide "La Côte des Bar en Champagne à pied" covers 24 marked trails. Its routes include PR16 L'Arce, entre vignes et vallons (Ville-sur-Arce), PR17 Le chemin du vigneron (Celles-sur-Ource), PR18 Les cadoles de Courteron, PR20 Entre coteaux et chapelles (Bar-sur-Seine) and PR24 Coteaux et cadoles (Les Riceys).

When to go

The Sentier du Vigneron in Mutigny opens daily from March 1 to October 31, 2026, from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., then Monday to Friday until December 22. The Phare de Verzenay opens daily from April 1 to September 30, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The Champagne harvest generally takes place in September. In 2026, picking became widespread from August 17, the earliest harvest recorded in Champagne.

In winter, the Faux de Verzy have no leaves, and their trunks and branches are more visible.

Visiting the estates

These estates and sites in the walking villages receive visitors:

• Sentier du Vigneron, Mutigny: a guided 1 hour 30 minute walk on the village's paths and viewpoints, ending with a tasting of the village's champagne. Booking is recommended. It meets at 1 place Garitan, in English or French.
• J-M. Gobillard & Fils, Hautvillers: the visite gourmande is a 2 km walk through the vineyard followed by a guided tasting of four cuvées. From June 1 to September 30 it opens every day, public holidays included. From March to May and from October 1 to December 30 it opens Friday to Sunday, with Monday to Thursday by reservation. From January 2 to February 28 it opens on Saturdays, with weekdays by reservation.
• Joseph Desruets, Hautvillers: walk-in tastings from February 1 to December 22, 2026, from a vineyard exclusively on the Hautvillers hillsides. It is open Monday, Tuesday and Thursday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to noon and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
• Guy Charbaut, Aÿ-Champagne: tastings and cellar visits Monday to Saturday from January 6 to December 19, 2026, bookable through the Épernay tourist office.
• Champagne Morize, Les Riceys: a guided cellar visit with three champagnes, 1 hour 15 minutes, by online booking only.

The Phare de Verzenay, a lighthouse above the vineyards, has 101 steps to a 360° viewpoint and a museum of the vine. Its 1 hour 30 minute route is audioguided in French, English, German, Spanish and Dutch, with a panoramic garden and a tasting area.

In Aÿ-Champagne, Pressoria has a permanent exhibition that includes the history of the Pommery pressing center, with a guided tasting of 2 champagnes or 2 grape juices.

What it costs

Tastings at estates in the walking villages cost €5–25 ($5–27):

• J-M. Gobillard: three cuvées €5 ($5), visite gourmande €25 ($27).
• Joseph Desruets: tastings €15–25 ($16–27), tour and tasting €25–35 ($27–38).
• Sentier du Vigneron: €18 ($19) with one tasting, €22 ($24) with two and €25 ($27) with three. Ages 12 to 18 pay €5 ($5), and children under 12 go free.
• Guy Charbaut: tastings €12 ($13), €21 ($23) or €23 ($25), cellar visit with two champagnes €26 ($28).
• Champagne Morize: €10 ($11) for the cellar visit with three champagnes.

At the Phare de Verzenay, adults pay €3 ($3) for the lighthouse, €8 ($9) for the museum or €9 ($10) for both. Children pay €2 ($2), €4 ($4) or €5 ($5), and under-6s go free. Pressoria's Sensory Journey costs €18 ($19) for adults and €9.50 ($10) for children aged 6 to 17.

The Côte des Bar TopoGuide costs €12.40 ($13) at the Bar-sur-Aube and Bar-sur-Seine tourist offices. The Topoguide "Le Parc naturel régional de la Montagne de Reims à pied" is sold at the Maison du Parc, in tourist offices and in the FFRandonnée online shop.

Before you go

• From September to February, look up the hunting dates at dateschasse.parc-montagnedereims.fr before a walk in the Montagne de Reims.
• During the harvest, drive carefully on vineyard roads, where tractors and trailers are at work, and do not approach pickers without permission.
• At Verzy, stay behind the barriers: the roots of the Faux lie close to the surface, and walking at their foot compacts the soil.
• Follow the park's Quiétude Attitude: stay on marked trails, keep quiet, keep dogs on a leash, walk in daytime and take your waste home.
• Spit or choose a designated driver if you are driving between estates.

For the wider region, see Champagne.