A 13th-Century Dream: Moats, Drawbridges & Champagne’s Grandest Château

Step through the pages of history into this magnificent *monument historique*, where eight centuries of nobility still linger in the golden stone and whisper through the vaulted halls. Here, in the heart of Champagne’s rolling vineyards—just a stone’s throw from Châlons-en-Champagne—stands a château born from the visions of 1264, its foundations rooted in the age of troubadours and knights, yet reimagined with the grandeur of the 17th and 18th centuries. Two sweeping renovations, in 1608 and 1735, wove Renaissance elegance and Enlightenment grace into its very walls, creating a masterpiece where time itself seems to pause.

Approach as lords and ladies once did: across a moat spanned by not one, but *two* drawbridges, their timbers groaning softly beneath your carriage wheels. Beyond lies a world of meticulous symmetry—formal gardens designed by the esteemed Jean Debar, where boxwood labyrinths and fountain-scented breezes beckon you deeper into enchantment. Here, the air hums with the quiet prestige of a property that has watched empires rise and fall, its 16,523 square feet of living space unfolding like a private kingdom. Twenty-three bedrooms, each a sanctuary of carved moldings and firelit intimacy, await those who crave both legacy and luxury.

Yet this is no relic of the past. Modern indulgence glints in the heated swimming pool, its waters reflecting the same sky that once mirrored the gazes of medieval seigneurs. The Marne’s gentle hills cradle the estate in privacy, while Paris—just a train ride away—offers its glittering distractions should you ever wish to leave. But why would you? When dawn breaks over the champagne-colored stone, when the drawbridges rise like a promise against the twilight, when every corridor echoes with the quiet assurance of a home that has always been, and always will be, *extraordinary*.

This is more than a château. It is a living heirloom, a stage for grand gatherings and stolen moments alike, where the soul of 1264 dances with the comforts of today. For the connoisseur of rarity, the guardian of beauty, the dreamer who demands substance—here is your legacy, waiting behind the moat.