- Département
- Marne (Grand Est region)
- Site
- Brie champenoise, Südwesten des Départements Marne, 25 km von Épernay
- Inhabitants
- 123 (Stand 1. Januar 2023)
- Source
- Wikipedia, eigene Zusammenfassung
Champaubert is a small village in the Marne département, in the Brie champenoise, 25 km from Épernay. It is known for Napoleon's victory in February 1814, not for champagne vineyards.
Champaubert is not a place for winery visits, but a quiet village with a great history. It also goes by the name Champaubert-la-Bataille and lies about 25 km from Épernay. If you travel through Champagne, you will pass through here on the way between the wine villages. It has no Grand Cru or Premier Cru classification.
Location
The commune lies in the south-west of the Marne département and belongs to the agricultural region of the Brie champenoise. It covers 1,275 hectares, with elevations ranging from 216 to 236 metres. A shallow valley shaped by the Ruisseau de la Fontaine Noire runs through the middle. This stream forms the source area of the Verdonnelle, which rises here and flows into the Dhuis after 26 km. It is 46 km by road to Châlons-en-Champagne and 29 km to Dormans. The D933 and the D951, the former Routes nationales 33 and 51, cross in the village.
Landscape and farming
The village centre is a street village strung along the Rue des Ormeaux. Three hamlets belong to it:
- Les Déserts in the west
- La Grange de Vaux in the north-east
- Les Petits Bouleaux in the north-west
The land use is clear-cut: around 97 per cent of the area is farmed, most of it arable land. Vineyards play no part in the figures for the commune. The village has 123 inhabitants (as of 1 January 2023). The Étang des Déserts, a small pond of a little over one hectare, adds to the local waterways.
History
The name of the village is recorded early, for instance as Campus Alberti between 1124 and 1130. Champaubert became famous in February 1814. In the Battle of Champaubert, part of the Six Days' Campaign, Napoleon Bonaparte defeated the coalition forces. The village played a role again in 1940: during the Battle of France, the 10th Polish Armoured Cavalry Brigade covered the retreat of French units of the IV Army here.
Sights
At the crossroads, a commemorative column surrounded by cannons recalls the fighting of 1814. The source also mentions the church of Saint-Remi and the water tower. You do not need much more for a short stop. It is best to plan Champaubert as a stage on a route towards Épernay or Sézanne, and to combine the detour with a visit to a grower in the surrounding area.
Pictures
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