Château Perrier

Épernay, France

The Château Perrier, a historic monument and former home of champagne merchants, provides an exceptional architectural and landscape setting for the 2,000 objects on display and can also be discovered during the visit.

Built between 1852 and 1857 by the Sparnacan architect Pierre-Eugène Cordier, Château Perrier is the first example of the Eclectic architectural style in this region.

The four facades are inspired by French Renaissance architecture and the Louis XIII style, similar to buildings in Paris such as the Palais du Luxembourg, the Palais des Tuileries or the Lescot wing of the Louvre. The sculpted decorations are brought to life by the interplay of the colours of the materials: brick, stone, slate and glass.

The collections present the wealth of cultural heritage in the region over four subjects: the formation of the countryside and the chalky Champagne subsoil, archaeological traces left behind by humans in Champagne, creation and history of wine in Champagne and patrons and explorers of the 19th century and the Belle Époque.

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Details

Founded: 1852
Category: Palaces, manors and town halls in France

More Information

archeochampagne.epernay.fr

Rating

4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Helen Higgins (13 months ago)
If you're a history buff or like to know more about the how of champagne making then this is a great place to visit. The added audio guide is free, easy to use and informative. Was personally interested in the Champagne making the most and history but this is not the only historical heritage kept here. Loved the 'hands on' smelling of the different ingredients that go into the Champagne with the different grapes. Relaxing way to fill in a few hours between Champagne house tours. It was advertised that there was a cafe here, but that didn't eventuate. Shame they haven't changed the signage.
Rachel Shuttleworth (13 months ago)
A lovely afternoon spent in the museum. Its in a beautiful building that we were lucky to have practically to ourselves . We had lunch in the gardens at the back of the museum which are free to use if you don't want to go in the museum itself.
Cameron Fox (14 months ago)
Great museum well worth the €9. The exhibits are interesting and the audioguides are helpful but the real attraction is the building itself. It’s a beautiful Château which has been tastefully modernized, complete with a massive cellar. Allow two hours.
Andrew David (15 months ago)
So much information! I enjoyed the museum so much. It gives history of the chateau and family while also going through everything you could ever know about champagne
Jeevashi Pareemanen (20 months ago)
Today is the first Sunday of the month and we were lucky to access the museum for free. There are multiple floors to visit and the 1st floor covers thoroughly the process of making champagne. The rest is about archeology and paleontology. Pass Education is accepted here.
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The Broch of Gurness is an Iron Age broch village. Settlement here began sometime between 500 and 200 BC. At the centre of the settlement is a stone tower or broch, which once probably reached a height of around 10 metres. Its interior is divided into sections by upright slabs. The tower features two skins of drystone walls, with stone-floored galleries in between. These are accessed by steps. Stone ledges suggest that there was once an upper storey with a timber floor. The roof would have been thatched, surrounded by a wall walk linked by stairs to the ground floor. The broch features two hearths and a subterranean stone cistern with steps leading down into it. It is thought to have some religious significance, relating to an Iron Age cult of the underground.

The remains of the central tower are up to 3.6 metres high, and the stone walls are up to 4.1 metres thick.