- Département
- Marne
- Site
- South of Épernay, at Mont-Aimé and the Marais de Saint-Gond
- Inhabitants
- 549 (as of 1 January 2023)
- Source
- Wikipedia, eigene Zusammenfassung
Val-des-Marais is a small commune in the Marne département, 22 km south of Épernay. It is known for Mont-Aimé, whose south-facing slope is planted with vines, and for the source of the Petit Morin.
Location
Val-des-Marais lies in the Marne département, about 22 kilometres south of Épernay. The commune reaches into the eastern end of the Marais de Saint-Gond marshland. Neighbouring villages include Vert-Toulon, Étréchy, Bergères-lès-Vertus, Pierre-Morains, Écury-le-Repos, Fère-Champenoise and Bannes. Arriving here, you won't see endless rows of vines, but wide, open country.
Viticulture and landscape
Farming sets the tone: around 90 per cent of the land is agricultural, almost all of it arable. Permanent crops, which include vineyards, make up only about 0.8 per cent (as of 2018). Winegrowing is more of a sideline here. Val-des-Marais is neither a grand cru nor a premier cru village.
All the more striking is Mont-Aimé on the northern edge of the commune. The hill rises to 237 metres and stands almost 100 metres above its surroundings. Its south-facing slope is planted with vines. For anyone exploring the nearby Vertus area, it is well worth a detour to this distinctive isolated hill.
History and hamlets
The present commune was created in 1977 from four formerly independent villages: Aulnay-aux-Planches, Aulnizeux, Coligny and Morains. Coligny absorbed the other three and from then on took the name Val-des-Marais. The Petit Morin rises at Morains. The river, 86 kilometres long, flows into the Marne at La Ferté-sous-Jouarre.
Administratively, Val-des-Marais has belonged to the arrondissement of Épernay since 2017, and before that to Châlons-en-Champagne. It lies in the canton of Vertus-Plaine Champenoise. On 1 January 2023 the commune had 549 inhabitants.
Sights
- Dolmen de La Plaque, a monument historique since 1937
- Church of Coligny, 16th century
- Church of Saint-Fal in Aulnay-aux-Planches
- Château d'Aulnay-aux-Planches
- Ruins of the Mont Aimé castle in Coligny
Getting there
Without a car it gets tricky, but it is not impossible. A bus line links Fère-Champenoise with Épernay, with the stop on the Place de la Mairie in Morains-le-Petit. There is also an on-demand service run by the Mouvéo network, with stops in all four hamlets, towards Épernay and Vertus. In 2025 it runs two return journeys a day, Monday to Saturday except on public holidays.
Pictures
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