8 great ideas for celebrating springtime in Champagne.

It’s not the first thing that crosses your mind, but it’s true: there’s a beach in Champagne. It’s at Lake Der, Europe’s biggest man-made lake – a modest 48km² – and it’s the perfect way to welcome back the sun!

The perfect spot? Hautvillers, the birthplace of champagne. Pay your respects at Dom Pérignon’s grave. Then with your pic nic basket in one hand and your loved one in the other head throught the lush vines and have lunch on the grass.

Beard, goatee, moustache, or clean shaven, drop your man off at Monsieur, the barber of Reims. First they apply a menthol lotion, then the shaving foam goes on with the shaving brush, and a hot towel and squirt of aftershave top things off... Old school!

Ususally, its the champagne that goes to your head. Not this time. The Perching Bar has hung its champagne buckets and seats 6m up, slap bang in the middle of Verzy forest. You’ll have to work for your drink!

Glamping is just like camping, but with a dash of glamour and comfort. In Bar-sur-Aube, glamping means strolling through the forests, nights by the fire, and midnight dips in the lake, but you ditch the tent and sleeping bag for a cosy real bed in a retro wooden caravan.

Thankfully, fox-hunting has gone out of fashion. But there’s nothing stopping you from enjoying a horse ride through the forest of the Der estate. Seasoned riders: choose your mount. Prefer to ride in lordly style? Your carriage awaits...

After the First World War, Reims needed to rebuild. And it chose to do so in the Art Déco style. Take advantage of the first days of fine weather to explore the city along the “Art Déco” trail. Just follow the orange signs designed by Philippe Starck.

The coulée verte (green strip) is an 18km path along the Vesle. On foot, by bike, or on skates, the towpath will take you to the Grenouilles, Roseraie, and Cerisaie parks. In the allée des Tilleuls, an educational trail awaits the youngest visitors.