In the recently created National Forest Park, truffles, mushrooms, cheese and even ordinary apple juice taste like newfound treasures. You can discover them at the foot of 50 million trees, in 1000-year-old abbeys or villages built of light-colored stone, along bridle paths or along the many rivers. Here there is harmony between the East and Burgundy, the Haute-Marne and the Côte d'Or . In autumn, when the maples turn yellow, red and gold amidst the beech, ash and alisiers, you know that it is time to indulge.
Truffle Cavage in Bure-les-Templiers
Less famous than the black truffle, the Burgundy or Champagne truffle is just as delicate to discover. But unlike the “tuber melanosporum”, the “tuber incinatum” can also be found in the wild under the trees of the forest. Fabrice Bret, Christine and Jean-Charles Dupaty, truffle growers in the magnificent medieval village of Bure-les-Templiers, take visitors on a hunt during the season, from September to December. What a bark when the dogs find a nugget! The delicate hazelnut taste of the grey truffle is revealed during the tasting that follows the hunt, or at the exquisite table of the village restaurant, the Sabot de Vénus.
Cavage and tasting to be booked with l'Office de Tourisme du Châtillonnais
Savor a rare apple juice at the Auberive Abbey.
Fancy bringing back a rare art work as a souvenir from the newly opened National Park in mainland France? Then drive, cycle or ride to Auberive Abbey. Founded in 1135 by Cistercian monks, it is famous not only for its remarkable collection of contemporary art,but also for having imprisoned Louise Michel. Perhaps the Communard found rest in the abbey's meadow, through which the Aube flows. Old apple trees bend their trunks alongside sculptures by Marc Petit or Rebeyrolles. Maintained by the Croqueurs de Pommes association, these conservatory orchards produce 1500 liters of organic apple juice in their good years, which is sold exclusively on site.
Learn all about the Langres cheese in Vaux sous Aubigny
The Langres plateau, a water tower criss-crossed by springs - the Aube, the Ource, the Seine...form the eastern part of the National Forest Park. It has given its name to a creamy orange cheese that has an AOP classification. At the heart of the Germain cheese dairy, a discovery corridor allows you to understand how this small cheese is made. Visit the shop to purchase local products and then enjoy a picnic in the refreshing gorges of the Vingeanne. Fromagerie Germain
Sip a herbal tea on the banks of the Seine
The beautiful village of Chamesson is home to the first terrace on the banks of the Seine, which rises not far away... Narrow and peaceful, the river forms a long meander under a charming stone bridge. Far from this bucolic view, the interior of the café associative, les Z'uns possibles, reveals the obsessions and work of the plastician Fabien Ansault. The adjoining lounges of this small house on the banks of the river, adjacent to his studio, are a real cabinet of curiosities: paintings, books, naturalized animals, "caressed wood" collected from the Seine, all rub shoulders in an erudite and playful jungle. The ideal place to forget time accompanied with a herbal tea from the garden.
Taste the forgotten fruits of Montigny-sur-Aube
This castle is one of the most gourmet in France! In fact, the American president Harry Truman lingered in its Renaissance main building. You’ll have difficulty choosing between the options in the areas open to visitors: the fig garden with its seven varieties of fig trees? The nine gardens, one of which is devoted exclusively to red fruits? Or the 19th-century vegetable gardens? They are home to more than 250 fruit trees with branches full of forgotten varieties. You can enjoy them on the spot, with vegetables from the kitchen garden at one of the tables in the farmhouse or in the shade of the trees in the park.
On the Crémant de Bourgogne route
What a symbol for a wine route! The Vix vase could contain 1400 litres of wine in its bronze walls. It is the jewel in the crown of the Vix treasury, which in Châtillon-sur-Seine reveals the results of the excavations of the tomb of a sixth century princess. After a period of absence,the vines once again cover the hillsides. On the edge of the park, the Route du Crémant AOP de Bourgogne (Burgundy sparkling wine route) winds its way through the Châtillonnais area, with some beautiful spots en route. In the garden of Domaine Brigand, for example, where vines of 120 different varieties grow. You can pick a grape before discovering the Ampelopsis Oenocentre and its seven rooms full of tools related to the world of oenology.
Route du Crémant du Châtillonnais Musée du Pays Châtillonnais - Trésor de Vix Domaine Brigand
Treat yourself to a starry evening in Courban
Covered with ivy, this mansion surrounded by vineyards has a lot of charm. The owner, a former interior decorator, has furnished the 24 rooms in a country chic style with fabric-covered wardrobes and free-standing baths. After a drink in front of the fireplace, you can enjoy the cuisine of chef Takashi Kinoshita, who expertly showcases the region's delicacies, from pink lentils to forest mushrooms. A meal that is subtly rounded off by pastry chef Sae Hasegawa.
By Aliette de Crozet
When you're curious and a gourmand, walking around France is a good idea.
