A Champagne Escape in Épernay
A boutique stay, an afternoon along Avenue de Champagne and a journey beneath the city into the historic cellars of Moët & Chandon.
Épernay revealed a quieter, more intimate side of France—grand Champagne houses above ground, miles of cool chalk cellars below, and an entire town shaped by the wine that made the region famous.
Hôtel Jean Moët
We stayed at Hôtel Jean Moët, a refined four-star boutique hotel in the center of Épernay. Set within an elegant private mansion, the hotel felt intimate and ideally placed for exploring the town on foot.
A walk along Avenue de Champagne.
We spent time walking through central Épernay and along Avenue de Champagne, the town’s most celebrated address. The avenue is lined with stately mansions, landscaped courtyards and some of the world’s best-known Champagne houses.
Part of the UNESCO-listed Champagne heritage landscape, the avenue offers only a hint of what lies beneath it: an extraordinary network of cellars carved into the chalk. After exploring above ground, we returned to the center for dinner at a restaurant close to the hotel.
Inside Moët & Chandon
Our visit to Moët & Chandon began with the story of a house founded in Épernay in 1743, then continued underground through its cool, arched cellars. Walking past long galleries of aging bottles made the scale and patience behind Champagne production feel tangible. The tour concluded with a guided tasting—a polished finish to the experience.
“Épernay made Champagne feel like more than a drink—it became a place, a history and an experience.”Eliza’s final thoughts
Épernay at a glance.
A compact Champagne-region escape built around an elegant stay, a walkable town and one unforgettable cellar tour.
- Destination
- Épernay, France
- Stay
- Hôtel Jean Moët
- Walk
- Avenue de Champagne
- Essential Tour
- Moët & Chandon
- Evening
- Dinner near the hotel
- Pack
- Warm layers for the cellars