- Département
- Marne (Grand Est region)
- Site
- North of Reims, in the surroundings of the Massif de Saint-Thierry
- Inhabitants
- 298 (2023)
- Source
- Wikipedia, eigene Zusammenfassung
Villers-Franqueux is a small village in the Marne département, about ten kilometres north-north-west of Reims. It has no cru classification, but sits in the rural surroundings of the Massif de Saint-Thierry.
Location
Villers-Franqueux lies about ten kilometres north-north-west of Reims, in the north of the historic province of Champagne. With 298 inhabitants (2023), it is a small, rural place. It belongs to the catchment area of Reims, yet remains a village with scattered buildings. The village centre sits at around 110 metres above sea level. To the south-west the ground climbs quickly to over 180 metres, while to the north-east it drops to under 90 metres. There are no watercourses within the commune.
The neighbouring communes are Hermonville, Loivre, Courcy, Thil and Pouillon. The D 944, the former Route nationale 44, runs along the north-eastern boundary of the commune. A Champagne Mobilités bus line connects the village with Reims and Cormicy.
Landscape and viticulture
Villers-Franqueux is classified neither as grand cru nor as premier cru. Around 76 per cent of the commune's area is farmed, mostly as arable land (about 69 per cent). Permanent crops make up around 6.5 per cent, woodland just under 15 per cent and built-up areas a good 9 per cent (2018). The village is associated with the Massif de Saint-Thierry, the range of hills north-west of Reims. If you are looking for champagne from here, you will find the quiet, down-to-earth side of the region rather than big names.
Permanent crops make up around 6.5 per cent, woodland just under 15 per cent and built-up areas a good 9 per cent (2018).
The climate is temperate oceanic. For 1971 to 2000, the source gives an average annual temperature of 10.3 °C and 713 millimetres of rainfall a year on average. These are cool conditions, typical of the northern sites of Champagne.
Name and history
The name of the place is documented from the 12th century, then still as "Villa Francorum" (1126). "Villers" goes back to the Gallo-Roman "villare", which meant a larger rural estate. The addition very probably points to Frankish settlers. In 1842 a major fire destroyed thirteen houses and the church.
In the First World War the village was caught up in the fighting north of Reims. On 28 September 1914 the German racing cyclist Otto Meyer, who had been hiding in the church tower, was taken prisoner.
Things to see
Don't expect grand monuments, but rather a quiet village that makes a good detour from Reims:
- The church of Saint-Théodulphe, badly damaged in the First World War
- The Moulin de Villers-Franqueux
- The Bois de la Montagne, with ruins and an area for mountain biking
- The village's wash-houses (lavoirs)
For food and wine lovers, the village is worth a visit above all as a stop off the beaten track. You can reach Reims and its champagne houses in a short time.
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