Camping Municipal La Vallée

The Vallée de l’Aube campsite is run by the commune of Rouvres-sur-Aube, a village in Haute-Marne between Champagne and Burgundy, in the heart of the Parc national de forêts. From the site, Langres is 35 minutes by car, Colombey-les-Deux-Églises 50 minutes, Dijon 1 hour and Troyes 1 hour 15; Paris is 2 hours 50 away and Basel 3 hours.

The atmosphere is that of a rural campsite, quiet and unpretentious. It has about twenty pitches, shaded or sunny, with or without electricity, as well as three chalets sleeping 6 to 8 and three mobile homes. The washrooms are grouped in a building at the entrance. The campsite manager can be reached by phone at any time, and the town hall office on Tuesday mornings.

The official website states that the campsite is open all year round, and its price list points the same way: electricity is charged at a winter rate from 1 November to 31 March. Exact opening dates and any closure periods should therefore be confirmed with the manager before a winter stay. Pitches, chalets and mobile homes are all offered by the night or for the weekend, which suits walkers, anglers and people passing through between Langres and Dijon.

The village has a small supermarket, a café and a restaurant, as well as a village hall that serves as a tourist information point.

Hiking, Nordic walking and mountain biking in the Parc national de forêts; visit to Auberive abbey and to Langres, 35 minutes away.

The campsite does not try to compete with the big holiday villages: the facilities are modest but sufficient. The washrooms occupy a building at the entrance to the site and cover the essentials. Pitches are available with or without an electrical hook-up, and the electricity rate is higher between November and March.

Three chalets sleep 6 to 8 people on mattress beds, with desk, table and wardrobe. Three mobile homes are also rented, equipped with a wardrobe unit, a table and chairs. In both cases, you need to bring your own bedding and what you need to prepare meals. The website says nothing about heating in these units, a question to ask when booking for a winter stay.

The municipal campsite’s pool, located on site, is free for campers: it is only of interest in fine weather and the website does not give its opening dates. A tennis court and a table tennis table complete the facilities, along with a children’s play area.

For meals and emergency supplies, the village’s small supermarket, café and restaurant let you stock up without getting back in the car. The Louis Faitot village hall, in the centre of Rouvres-sur-Aube, offers regional products and information on local tourism. The campsite’s website mentions neither wifi nor a launderette. Pitches take tents, caravans and motorhomes.

The campsite is in the Parc national de forêts, so the main activity is walking: hiking, Nordic walking and mountain-bike trails in rolling countryside, discovering unspoilt wildlife and plants. The quiet of the place also lends itself to unwinding, and the yurt of the Ateliers du milieu, on the edge of the village, hosts artistic and wellness activities.

As for sights, in Auberive a former Cistercian abbey founded in 1135 by Saint Bernard has housed an internationally renowned contemporary art centre since 2004, with the Volot collection. The Vauclair brewery, near Chaumont, produces the craft beer La Choue and can be visited by arrangement. Golfers can play the 9-hole course at Arc-en-Barrois, designed by Jean Garaïalde, with two ponds.

35 minutes away by car, Langres, one of the most beautiful fortified towns in France, has 7 gates and 12 towers around its Tour des hallebardiers; you can visit by little train, by rosalie or on your own, and discover the Saint-Mammès cathedral, the Maison Renaissance and the Maison des Lumières.

Children have a play area, a table tennis table and the campsite’s tennis court. The website does not detail any organised entertainment on site: the stay is based more on nature and visits in the area.