Ludes

Location

Ludes lies in the Marne département in the Grand Est region, about 12 kilometres south of Reims and 15 kilometres north of Épernay. The village nestles against a slope: to the south the forest of the Montagne de Reims begins, on the other sides the vineyards come right up to the houses, and to the north-east arable fields take over. The village is part of the Montagne de Reims Regional Nature Park. Its neighbours include Mailly-Champagne, Chigny-les-Roses, Rilly-la-Montagne, Ville-en-Selve, Louvois, Puisieulx and Taissy. The Livre, a 15-kilometre stream, also rises within the commune and flows into the Marne at Aÿ-Champagne.

Viticulture

Ludes is classed Premier Cru. Of the commune's 1,222 hectares, around 318 hectares are planted with vines under the champagne appellation, and 416 hectares are forest. The Montagne de Reims as a whole is regarded as Pinot Noir country, and wines from Ludes have a good name here. Older accounts already say that the village's wine ranked among the best of the Montagne and was prized as early as the time of Henri IV. Its reputation is said to have spread as far as England and Russia.

“Saint Vincent de Paul preached in Ludes in 1645, and in 1652 the Duke of Lorraine burned the village down.

With only 687 inhabitants (as of 1 January 2023), Ludes is a small winegrowing village. Around 100 growers are based there, and everyday life revolves around the vines.

Champagne houses

• Canard-Duchêne: the best-known house in the village and also its most important employer
• Bereche et Fils: another champagne house in Ludes

The cellars of the houses are among the village's sights. If you would like to taste, it is best to ask about visits in advance.

History and sights

The name of the village goes back to the Latin Lucida, meaning "clearing". It is recorded in this form as early as 818. Saint Vincent de Paul preached in Ludes in 1645, and in 1652 the Duke of Lorraine burned the village down. From 1896 to 1931 a branch railway linked the village with Reims and Châlons-en-Champagne. Ludes was destroyed in the First World War, and in 1921 it was awarded the Croix de guerre 1914-1918.

Boizel Champagner Fass

On a stroll through the village, these are worth seeing:

• the church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste, with a Romanesque tower, parts dating from the 16th and 18th centuries and a 17th-century stained-glass window, the "Tree of Jesse"
• the remains of the château of 1873
• the round bandstand

A market is held on the village square every Wednesday morning. On 22 January the village celebrates the feast of Saint Vincent, patron saint of winegrowers. Since 1991/1992 it has been twinned with Sörgenloch in Rheinhessen.