Châlons-en-Champagne is a city in the Grand Est region of France. It is the capital of the department of Marne, despite being only a quarter the size of the city of Reims. Formerly called Châlons-sur-Marne, the city was officially renamed in 1998. It should not be confused with the Burgundian town of Chalon-sur-Saône.
Saint Etienne's cathedral, including parts of the first Romanesque cathedral built in the 12th century. Nevertheless, it was mainly rebuilt in Gothic style. The west façade and two close spans were added in the 17th century.
Notre-Dame-en-Vaux church, part of the UNESCO World Heritage. Built between 1157 and 1217, the collegiate church had a cloister and was a place of pilgrimage in the 12th century, and Museum du Cloitre de Notre-Dame-en-Vaux 12th century.
Saint-Alpin, perhaps the oldest church of the city. It was rebuilt around 1170 in Gothic style, but still marked by the Romanesque style.
Hôtel de Ville. It has a façade representative of the neo-classic period of the end of the 18th century. The steps of the building are protected by four stone lions.
Porte Sainte-Croix. Previously called Porte Dauphine, this gate was one of the entries into the city. It was dedicated to Marie-Antoinette when she came via Châlons on her way to Paris to marry the future king Louis XVI of France.
La Dernière Relève : war memorial next to the cathedral, with group of bronzes by French sculptor Gaston Broquet.
Ancien Hotel des Intendants de Champagne. Today home to the Prefecture of the Champagne-Ardenne region and Prefecture of the Marne.
Le Cirque. The old town circus, completed in 1899, is sheltering the Centre National des Arts du Cirque.
A4 motorway, going from Paris to Strasbourg, towards Reims and Metz
A26 motorway, going from Lille to Lyon, towards Reims, Troyes and Dijon.
Châlons is also served by an international airport devoted to shipping, ranking third in France with almost 60,000 tonnes of freight passing through each year. Local transportation is provided by buses.
Education
University level
Arts et Métiers ParisTech, a national engineering graduate school. This teaching and research center was established in 1806. Students can attend courses focused on mechanical and industrial engineering.
Centre national des arts du cirque, which is a Circus Arts Learning Centre created in 1985. Each year about twenty students learn all the disciplines of modern circus arts.
The Camp de Mourmelon is a military camp of circa 10,000 hectares located near Mourmelon-le-Grand north. It was created at the behest of Napoleon III and opened 30 August 1857 during the Second French Empire. The initial purpose was simply for practising military manoeuvres, but it quickly turned into a showcase of the French Imperial Army, a theatrical propaganda display, where French citizens could meet the army and watch parades. Each year the camp was transformed into a town of tents and wooden chalets. The camp survived the fall of the Second Empire in 1870, but changed into a training camp and a departure point for troops engaging in overseas operations. The camp is used for military manoeuvres, and cavalry training, along with the neighbouring, 2,500 hectare, Camp de Moronvillers. Firing of live ordnance is prohibited.
