Chalons-en-champagne Attractions

Châlons-sur-Marne (pop. 47,339), chief town of the département of Marne and the see of a bishop, lies on the right bank of the Marne. Its most important building is the Early Gothic church of Notre-Dame-en-Vaux (12th-13th century), with four towers, one of the most beautiful churches in Champagne, notable particularly for the splendid 16th century stained glass (the "Troyes Windows") in the choir. The Musée du Cloître contains sculptured columns and capitals. The 13th century Cathedral of St-Etienne, with a Romanesque tower over the choir, has fine stained glass (13th-16th century) and a rich treasury. The Porte Ste-Croix, on the south side of the town, was built in 1770 in honor of Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette.