Top Reasons to Go

Drink Champagne (obviously!): Sample some bubbly, see the vineyards, and visit the cavernous chalk cellars where bottles are stored by the million.

Bask in Gothic glory: No fewer than 10 Gothic cathedrals dot the region—don’t miss the biggest (Amiens) or the tallest (neighboring Beauvais).

Look up in Laon: With its cathedral towers patrolling the hilly horizon, the "Crowned Mountain" has a site whose grandeur rivals Mont-St-Michel.

Drink now, pray later in Reims: Beyond being a center for Champagne production, regal Reims is also home to France's great coronation cathedral.

Get some exercise: Hiking on one of Champagne’s fabulous, forested sentiers de Grandes Randonnées can be an intoxicating outdoor activity.