- Département
- Aube
- Site
- Côte des Bar, 28 km south-east of Troyes
- Inhabitants
- 206 (2023)
- Source
- Wikipedia, eigene Zusammenfassung
Ville-sur-Arce is a small village in the south of the Aube département, on the Côte des Bar. It is neither grand cru nor premier cru, but it shows the rural everyday life of the southern Champagne region.
Ville-sur-Arce is a quiet village in the south of Champagne, in the Aube département. With 206 inhabitants (2023), it is one of the region's smaller communes. The village has no grand cru or premier cru status. If you want to get to know Champagne away from the big names, this is a place to see a slice of everyday life on the Côte des Bar.
Location
Ville-sur-Arce lies about 28 kilometres south-east of Troyes and belongs to the arrondissement of Troyes and the canton of Bar-sur-Seine. Some of the neighbouring villages have telling names: Buxières-sur-Arce, Merrey-sur-Arce, Celles-sur-Ource and, of course, Bar-sur-Seine, which serves as the centre of the area. The commune falls within its catchment. In the south of the commune there is a small airfield.
The village takes its name from the river Arce. It is 26 kilometres long, rises in Saint-Usage, passes through nine communes and flows into the Seine at Bar-sur-Seine.
Landscape and viticulture
The statistics paint the picture of an agricultural landscape. Around two thirds of the land is farmed. Arable land takes the largest share at 42.2 per cent, followed by woodland at 28.3 per cent. Permanent crops cover 19.3 per cent of the commune, which in this area essentially means vineyards. Built-up areas make up only 3.9 per cent, and the housing is loose and scattered.
With 206 inhabitants (2023), it is one of the region's smaller communes.
The climate is temperate, with fresh summers. For 1971 to 2000 the mean annual temperature is 10.1 °C and rainfall around 829 millimetres. Météo-France describes the region as having harsh winters and frequent fog in autumn and winter. The nearest weather station, in Celles-sur-Ource 5 kilometres away, recorded its highest temperature of 40.6 °C on 25 July 2019 and its lowest, minus 15 °C, on 20 December 2009. Swings like these are a real challenge for the vine in such a northerly position.
Sights
The most important building is the church of Saint-Aubin, dating from the 16th century. It has been protected as a monument historique since 15 July 1991. A stop is worthwhile above all for travellers linking the villages of the Côte des Bar on a single route.
The village in figures
- 206 inhabitants in 2023, about 2.8 per cent fewer than in 2017
- 30.1 per cent of residents are over 64, compared with 22.9 per cent in the département as a whole
- Classified as a rural commune with scattered housing
Ville-sur-Arce is not a place for a grand occasion, but it is an honest glimpse of the Champagne hinterland. If you are passing through, the best plan is to combine the visit with a detour to Bar-sur-Seine and a tasting with growers in the surrounding area.
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