33 Best Sights in Champagne Country, France

This turreted wedding-cake extravaganza on the city outskirts was designed by Jeanne-Alexandrine Pommery (1819–1890), a formidable Champagne widow. The 18 km (11 miles) of cellars (about a hundred feet underground) are reached by a grandiose 116-step staircase. The visit continues with either a self-guided or one-hour guided tour of the cellars, which date to Gallo-Roman times. Along the path, contemporary artwork and installations sit next to the stacks of bubbly. The tour ends with a sommelier-guided tasting of either one or two cuvées. Reserve ahead of time for guided tours. Be sure to also visit the Art Nouveau Villa Demoiselle across the street (also owned by Pommery).

The twin-spire facade, arcaded cloister, and airy refectory are all that remain of this hilltop abbey church. Constructed between the 14th and 16th century, St-Jean-des-Vignes was largely dismantled just after the Revolution, and its fallen stones were used to restore the Cathédrale St-Gervais Saint-Potrais. Nevertheless, the church is still the most impressive sight in Soissons, the hollow of what was once its rose window peering out over the town like the eye of some giant Cyclops. Major renovations have restored one of the church's towers, the interior of which can be seen during a guided tour offered Saturdays at 4 pm; 3D headsets can also be rented daily.

Lille's finest efforts in architecture can be witnessed at the Old Stock Exchange in the heart of the old city. Built in the mid-17th century as the result of bankers' and traders' petitions for a more comfortable business environment than the previously open-air location, the building rose in grand fashion, adopting a Flemish Renaissance design laden with elaborate reliefs, cherubs, and garlands. Today, the central courtyard, wrapped by 24 houses and connecting arcades, is home to secondhand bookshops, florists, and chess competitions. In summer, tango dancers join the mix.