Famous for its fairs from the 12th century onwards, Bar-sur-Seine became a prosperous location in the 16th and 17th centuries. The town's well-preserved historic centre boasts exceptional architectural quality. In addition to the town's historic heritage, the area is home to the lush, green landscape of the Côte des Bar, the most southerly of the Champagne vineyards.
The town lies on the River Seine, which is only a narrow river at this point, and boasts a large number of half-timbered houses, of which the most outstanding example is the Maison de la Renaissance. The Église Saint-Etienne, built between 1505 and 1606, is one of the largest churches in the region and combines elements of Renaissance and classical architecture with an overall flamboyant Gothic style. A hillside path leads to the Clock Tower, the sole remaining part of the medieval castle around which the first village grew up in the Early Middle Ages.
The Côte des Bar vineyards stretch away to the south and as far as Bar-sur-Aube (to the east). This is the most southerly tip of the Champagne vineyards and forms a semi-circle to the south-east of the city of Troyes. Pinot Noir is the dominant grape variety.
At the southern edge of the town are the premises of one of the largest Champagne cooperatives, the Union Auboise (700 members and 700 hectares), owner of the Devaux brand. An impressive wine tourism attraction, the cooperative showcases its fine wines in an 18th century manor house on the edge of parkland leading down to the banks of River Seine. A 17th century dovecote included on the supplementary register of historic monuments overlooks the house.
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Bar-sur-Seine Tourist Office 33, rue Gambetta - 10110 Bar-sur-Seine Tel.: +33 3.25.29.94.43
