Le Champ des Oiseaux

BUBBLING WITH CHARACTER, boutique B&B Le Champ des Oiseaux is tucked down a cobbled street in the heart of medieval Troyes – deep in the heart of France’s Champagne region.

Named after the storks who have roosted in the area for centuries, history laden Le Champ des Oiseaux occupies a 15^th century half-timbered house, criss-crossed with medieval beams. Close to the cathedral and art museum, it’s next door to its sister hotel La Maison de Rhodes.

Set around a storybook cobbled courtyard, this ivy-clad converted barn has 12 appealing bedrooms – many with arched timbered ceilings and original fireplaces. Rambling vines hug the bricks like spider webs and fragrant flowers spill from huge terracotta pots outside.

Oak beamed ceilings

Inside, you’ll find comfortable rooms with plenty of exposed timber, beds dressed in crisp white cotton and cream coloured sofas. Special occasions deserve one of the ‘belle’ bedrooms with their warm lighting, tiled floors and lofty beams.

Suites include La Chambre Bleue, with its sumptuous fireplace and a beautifully tiled bathroom, and Les Bengalis, with its sloping ceilings, large airy windows and white sofa. Keen to splash out?  Try La Suite Medievale, at the very top of the house, for an atmospheric space beneath soaring oak beams. Mme Oberkampf has a wet room shower, while La Crosse is a cosy option for budget travellers.

Relax by a roaring fire in the vaulted salon, nibble on some light bites in the dining room, or enjoy a glass of chilled champagne on a balmy evening in the sheltered courtyard garden. This is also the perfect place to start the day with freshly baked breads and pain au raisin.

© Room for Romance