Châlons-en-Champagne

Châlons-en-Champagne
Notredamedevaux-chevet.jpg
Notre-Dame-en-Vaux
Coat of arms of Châlons-en-Champagne
Châlons-en-Champagne is located in France
Châlons-en-Champagne
Administration
Country France
Region Champagne-Ardenne
Department Marne
Arrondissement Châlons-en-Champagne
Intercommunality Châlons-en-Champagne
Mayor Bruno Bourg-Broc
(2001–2008)
Statistics
Elevation 83 m (272 ft) avg.
Land area1 26.05 km2 (10.06 sq mi)
Population2 47,339  (1999)
 - Density 1,817 /km2 (4,710 /sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code 51108/ 51000
Website http://www.chalons-en-champagne.net/
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
2 Population sans doubles comptes: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Châlons-en-Champagne is a city in France. It is the capital of both the department of Marne and the region of Champagne-Ardenne, despite being only a quarter the size of the city of Reims.

Formerly called Châlons-sur-Marne, the city was officially renamed in 1998. It should not be confused with the Burgundian town of Chalon-sur-Saône.

Contents

History

Châlons is conjectured to be the site of the Catalaunian Fields in which the battle of Châlons, 451AD, turned back the westward advance of Attila.

Main sights

Cloister Notre-Dame-en-Vaux

Cloister Notre-Dame-en-Vaux

Hôtel de Ville

Old Town of Châlons

Châlons Cathedral

Transport

The Gare de Châlons-en-Champagne railway station is served by the TGV network with service to and from Paris Gare de l'Est. Other destinations are Reims, Saint-Dizier, Nancy, Bar-le-Duc and Verdun. Additionally, Châlons is connected with the Champagne-TGV station, near Reims, with high speed trains going to Lille, Nantes, Rennes and Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport.

Châlons is located at the intersection of two major axes:

Châlons is also served by an international airport devoted to shipping (Châlons Vatry Airport [1]), ranking third in France with almost 60,000 tonnes of freight passing through each year.

Local transportation is provided by SITAC BUS buses.

Education

University level

The 18th century Hôtel de Ville

Sport

Twin towns — Sister cities

Châlons-en-Champagne is twinned with:

Camp Châlons

'Camp Châlons' (also now known as "Camp Mourmelon") is a military camp of circa 10,000 hectares located near Mourmelon-le-Grand 22 km north. It was created at the behest of Napoleon III and opened August 30, 1857 during the Second French Empire.

The initial purpose was simply for practising military manoeuvres, but it quickly turned into a showcase of the French Imperial Army, a theatrical propaganda display, where French citizens could meet the army and watch parades. Each year the camp was transformed into a town of tents and wooden chalets.[3]

The camp survived the fall of the Second Empire in 1872, but changed into a training camp and a departure point for troops engaging in overseas operations.

The camp is used for military manoeuvres, and cavalry training, along with the neighbouring, 2,500 hectare, 'Camp Moronvillers'. Firing of live ordnance (rockets, missiles) is prohibited.

Births

Châlons-en-Champagne was the birthplace of:

Deaths

Châlons-en-Champagne was the death location of:

Mentions

British comedian Eddie Izzard mentions Châlons-en-Champagne (at the time known as Châlons-sur-Marne) on his stand-up album Definite Article, as part of a routine in which he tells of his school exchange trip to Châlons-sur-Marne, one of the highlights of which was a visit to a glue factory.

Image

Panoramic view of Hôtel de ville place in Châlons-en-Champagne.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Ilkeston Twinning Association
  2. ↑ Neuss sister city link page
  3. ↑ The Bonapartes in Châlons en Champagne, by Jean-Paul Barbier and Michel Bursal, Marnaises Studies, SACSAM, 2009.

Further reading

External links

Prefectures of the regions of France
Metropolitan France
Overseas regions