Welcome to our little piece of paradise. If you are looking for experiencing France in its truest form this is the place for you.

Our house retains all of the charm of its 100 year history –with its stone walls, large fireplaces, wine cellar, furnished local antiques and immense attic—while also having the modern amenities of updated bathrooms, laundry, kitchen, telephone, TV, and internet.

With 5 bedrooms and 4 baths the house can easily accommodate 10 people and serve as an excellent base of operations for many day trips exploring the rich local culture and cuisine.

There are many nearby activities including wine tasting, golf, horseback riding, fishing, hunting, walking/hiking, visiting hundred year old cities, churches and shopping.

Prefer second home exchanges only.

Nestled in the heart of the French countryside, our house is located in the small town of Coupray. Coupray is the quintessential French town with a13th century stone church at its center and surrounded by forests and fields. Coupray straddles the Champagne and Burgundy regions of France and is therefore rich in culture, cuisine, and of course wine. There are many excellent nearby destinations and activities for any type of traveler. This is also a perfect area to explore and wander through the nearby towns and villages – all with their own character and many containing beautiful hidden castles and churches.

Wine Tasting

We are located within thirty minutes of many of France’s most important wine regions including Burgundy, Champagne, and Chablis. There are innumerable opportunities to taste wine throughout this area. Most of the best wine and champagne never leave France, and one experience you should not miss out on is to drive around and discover some of these gems (for Champagne visit Robert Bernard et Fils in Voigny, France – 30 min drive).

Arc-En-Barrois: 7 minutes

Arc-En-Barrois is a charming town of around 1,500 inhabitants that dates back to the Roman times. Local legend is that Jean d’Arc’s parents grew up in Arc en Barrois. If you go to the 13th century church in downtown you can still see a statute of a woman with a sword that many believe is a depiction of Jean d’Arc.

The Chateau d’Arc, a beautiful 19th century castle, is located in the center of town. The castle built by the Princess d’Orlean has been converted into a hotel with a golf course and other amenities.

The forest surrounding Arc once was the French royal hunting grounds and is one of the largest in France and the most important for large wild game including boar and red deer. The forest also contains a large variety of wild mushrooms and the famous burgundy escargot and truffles. The local restaurants serve delicious cuisine including these wild ingredients and will most likely be one of the highlights of your trip to France.

Langres: 35 minutes

One of the few remaining walled cities of France, Langres has had a long and illustrious history. The city was first founded during the Gallic period and later was an important Roman city. The central museum contains many Roman and Gallic artifacts including an intricate Roman mural. One of the best ways to tour the birthplace of Diderot (founder of the Encyclopedia) is a walking self-guided tour with audio headsets.

Troyes: 1 hr 10 minutes.

Troyes is one of the best preserved medieval cities in France with a large city center of half-timbered medieval houses. The city has a long history beginning with the Romans and later becoming one of the most important trading hubs in Europe during the Middle Ages and the former capital of the Champagne District. Be sure to visit the Maison de L’Outil (House of Tools) – one of the best collections of hand tools in Europe and the Hôtel-Dieu-Lecomte Apothecary, a perfectly preserved 18th century pharmacy.

Dijon: 1 hr 15 minutes.

The fabled capital of the Duke’s of Burgundy and the heart of Burgundy wine region is a culinary, cultural, and wine paradise that every traveler should visit. Plan on multiple day trips to visit this city. During the Middle Ages, Dijon was one of the most important cultural centers in Europe and the Duke’s of Burgundy were more powerful that most European royalty including the Kings of France. Dijon holds its International and Gastronomic Fair every year in the autumn and is considered one of the ten most important fairs in France. The city escaped most of the European wars over the past 200 years and therefore contains some of the best preserved architecture in France. It is also the gateway to the most important vineyards in Burgundy.

Additional Points of Interest

There are many nearby attractions worth visiting if you have additional time.

Famous Abbeys: Burgundy contains some of the most important monastic abbey’s in France including Cluny (2 hours: the remains of the largest Christian building in the world www.sacred-destinations.com/france/cluny-abbey), Vézelay Abbey (2 hours: containing the largest Romanesque church in France www.sacred-destinations.com/france/vezelay-church), Fontenay Abbey (1 hour: www.sacred-destinations.com/france/fontenay-abbey), and Citeaux (2 hours: www.sacred-destinations.com/france/abbey-citeaux.htm).

New 12th Century Castle: Two hours away at Guedelon they are building a 12th century castle using authentic tools from the time period (www.sacred-destinations.com/france/cluny-abbey). This famous project featured by National Geographic has an excellent interactive presentation for the whole family (www.guedelon.fr).

No smoking, prefer no pets.

Our home is available year round, and we are very flexible about dates.

Open to any dates

Anything Considered!

We are Americans who have traveled extensively and live in Virginia. Owner Kristin; daughter Laura, 32, who owns a company with products in USA as well as the EU (www.ClaireV.com) and married to Tom; and my two sons, Peer, 30, an attorney, married to Jen with 2 young daughters and David, 35 who is married to MaryEtta, 40. Not everyone travels at the same time.

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