Dawn: the viewpoints of Baroville, a hike in the heart of the Champagne vineyards

Fewer than 300 inhabitants and more than 50 wineries. Baroville (Aube), on the border with Haute-Marne, thrives primarily on champagne. With over 220 hectares of vines, it is the largest vineyard in the Bar-sur-Aube area. Unsurprisingly, the main grape variety is Pinot Noir (90%). Other grape varieties include Chardonnay (8%) and Pinot Meunier (2%). Walking around Baroville, as suggested by this walk entitled "The Views of Baroville" , is like alternating between climbs and descents in the middle of the vineyards. The vineyard encircles the village. A few passages in the heart of the forest, just to refresh yourself, are welcome. The walk is labeled PR® (Walks and Hikes).

The distance is accessible to all: 5.5 km. The elevation gain is also within the reach of most people: 165 m of elevation, but no steep slope as is sometimes the case in this part of the department. Between 1h30 and 2 hours, without rushing, are enough to complete this loop which invites you to stroll.

The starting point is near the town hall, with plenty of parking available. In a few streets, you leave the village. After an initial climb, you quickly find yourself in the heart of the vineyards. You cross a pine forest. A brief variation before returning to the plots from which you will make champagne.

Before beginning the descent into the Servienne valley, a break allows you to admire Baroville for the first time, seen from above , and to see the unmissable Cross of Lorraine of Colombey les Deux Églises (Haute-Marne). Only twenty kilometers separate Baroville from the village of Haute-Marne. General de Gaulle had a personal residence there, the Domaine de La Boisserie, which became a museum in 1980. He is buried in the town. Inaugurated on June 18, 1972, the immense Cross of Lorraine is made of blocks of pink granite from Brittany and bronze plaques. It is 43.50 m high. It's hard to miss!

We don't draw a cross on the cross. We'll soon find it again. We continue the descent before gaining height again to offer a new view of Baroville. The climbs and descents follow one another, but the slope is gentle. We pass by the site of a former monk's priory. We skirt a wood before carefully crossing the D70.

On the other side of the road, the view of the Aube Valley is breathtaking. We climb towards a pine forest. At the summit, the highest point of the hike at 315 m (we're in Champagne, not the Vosges...), there was once a windmill. The site has since been rehabilitated. Its dry lawns are protected and there is an area with numerous picnic tables. Guess what we can see in the distance? The Cross of Lorraine.

It's time to head down towards Baroville to complete the loop via the least sexy portion of the journey. Despite a few photo stops, unless you get lost—the route is pretty well marked—we didn't spend more than two hours on the trail.

To finish the day, head to Bar-sur-Aube to visit its medieval town center, or Bayel to discover the Cité du Cristal and its glass workshop, which occupy the space of the former Royal Champagne Crystal Works. Those nostalgic for Gaullism and lovers of more contemporary history should head instead to Colombey.

This hike is taken from the topoguide “Côte des Bar en Champagne à pied”, published by the FFRandonnée with the help of its section in Aube.