ChampagneArdenne

Champagne-Ardenne was a former administrative region of France in the northeastern part of the country. Created in 1956 as one of the original regional divisions, it comprised four departments: Ardennes, Aube, Marne and Haute-Marne. The regional capital was Châlons-en-Champagne. The name reflects the historical provinces of Champagne and Ardennes, and the region includes a portion of the Champagne wine region, famed for sparkling wines produced around Reims and Épernay, as well as extensive Ardennes forested areas in the north.

Major cities included Reims, Troyes, Charleville-Mézières and Chaumont, which served as administrative or commercial centers for their departments. The region’s geography combined plains and forests with vine-growing areas in the Champagne portion, contributing to a diversified economy.

Its economy traditionally blended agriculture, food processing and light manufacturing, with tourism focused on wine production, historic towns, and cathedral cities. Cultural heritage included prominent religious architecture and regional historical sites associated with the Champagne wine story.

In 2016, Champagne-Ardenne was merged with Alsace and Lorraine to form the Grand Est region as part of a nationwide territorial reform. The four departments remained active within Grand Est, and while the as‑a‑region identity of Champagne-Ardenne ended for administrative purposes, the historical name continues to appear in cultural and regional references.