Châlons-sur-Marne
Châlons-sur-Marne [also known as Châlons-en-Champagne], formerly Catalauns, is the capital of the departement of Marne.  It is located on the Marne River, 29 miles [ 46 km] southeast of Reims, 16 miles [27 km] east of Épernay, 18 miles [30 km] north northwest of Vitry-le-François and 117 miles [187 km] east of Paris. 

Châlons-sur-Marne is a commercial and manufacturing center; products include beer, champagne, textiles, precision instruments, and electrical equipment.  Among the notable buildings in the city are the Church of Notre-Dame-en-Vaux and the 13th century Cathedral of Saint Étienne.

The city was known as Durocatalaunum to the Romans, who in 451 AD defeated the Huns under Attila on the plain between Châlons-sur-Marne and Troyes.  In the 10th century, Châlons-sur-Marne became a prosperous trade center.  The city was badly damaged in both world wars. 
  

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Épernay
Épernay was founded in the 5th century.  Over the centuries, as the result of numerous battles, the town has been rebuilt twenty-five times.  It is located only an hour and a half from Paris.

From the 18th century, Epernay has been the heart of one of the world's most prestigious vineyards.   In the 19th century, the Avenue de Champagne was developed with magnificent town houses.  Most of these have become the headquarters for some of the most prestigious Champagne producers, whose impressive cellars, beneath the town, are open to visitors.  There are some 200 million bottles of champagne in the 60 miles of caves underneath.
 

Reims
Formerly named Remes, Reims is the capital of the departement of Marne and  of the Region of Champagne-Ardennes.  It is located on the Vesle River.  The Romans built Remes on the site of the former capital of the Remi [an ancient people of Gaul], called Durocortorum.

Christianity had been established in Reims since the third century.  In 498, Reims became the spiritual and political center of France.  This was due, in large measure, to the conversion, to Catholicism, of the Frankish king Clovis.  In the 8th century Reims became the seat of an archbishopric, and from the 12th to the 19th century, it was the traditional coronation site for the kings of France.  Subsequent to Clovis’s baptism, 25 French kings were crowned at the gothic Cathedral of Notre Dame.

During World War I, Reims was bombed by the Germans.  This resulted in the partial destruction of the 13th century cathedral.  It was repaired with the help of a large donation by the American philanthropist John D. Rockefeller.  The cathedral was damaged again, during World War II, and was subsequently restored.  Its famous rose windows are the work of Marc Chagall.  It is considered as one of the finest Gothic structures in France.

Other points of interest, in Reims, include the Church of St-Rémi which was begun in the 11th century.  There is a Roman triumphal arch that dates from the 3rd century AD.  The Saint-Denis Museum contains a notable collection of French paintings. The University of Reims, which was established in 1969. is also located in the city.

On May 7, 1945, During World War II, on May 7, 1945, the city was the site of the signing of the surrender of retreating German armies.  The city is a major trade and production center for champagne.  Other products include textiles, aerospace equipment, and processed food.

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Troyes
Tricasse was a magnificent city located on the Seine river.  It is now named Troyes and is the capital of the departement of Aube.  The Counts of Champagne, who ruled this area prior to there being a France, used it as their capital.

Troyes was an early major commercial center with widely attended annual trade fairs. The fairs set standards of weights and measures, such as the troy weight, which still is in use.  In 1420, during the Hundred Years' War, the Treaty of Troyes was signed here.  In the treaty, Charles VI of France recognized Henry V of England as his heir and also as regent of France.  In 1429, the English surrendered Troyes to Joan of Arc.  She then escorted Charles VII to be crowned at Reims.

Troyes is still a commercial and manufacturing center, producing such products as tires, hosiery, machinery and  processed food.  The city has many historical structures, including the Church of Saint Urbain (begun 13th century), which contains the relics of Pope Urban IV, a native of Troyes, and the 13th century Cathedral of Saint Pierre et Saint Paul.  Today, the city’s boarders bear a resemblance to the shape of a champagne cork.

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Vitry-le-Francois