Trélou-sur-Marne is a commune in the Aisne department, in the Hauts-de-France region, 20 km east of Château-Thierry.
Its territory of 20 km² is located on the right bank (or "north") of the course of the Marne
This tributary of the Seine constitutes the limit with the eponymous department of the Marne, to the south, the latter bordering also the locality to the east.
The town whose altitude ranges from 62 to 234 meters is made up of a small town and hamlets at the foot of hills planted with vines. It has retained a very green environment, with forests representing 47% of its area and cultivated areas 43%.
Spelled "Tréloup" until 1966, the locality developed in the Middle Ages around its Romanesque church (12th century) and a leper (13th century). Nowadays, it owes its prosperity to its winegrowers whose production is located within the Champagne appellation.
Its bucolic landscapes, the attractions of the banks of the Marne and wine tourism make Trélou-sur-Marne (which has some 970 inhabitants) a stage of interest during a stay between Champagne and Picardy.
Protected as historical monuments, the parish church of Saint-Médard is the jewel of the village's heritage. Its construction dates from the 12th century, continued in the 13th century and alterations took place in the 15th century. The building has a nave with two side aisles, a transept and a choir with a flat apse. Romanesque in base, the church is also linked to the first generation of the Gothic style. Its portal, which has retained its original leaves, is richly sculpted, and there is notably an evocation of the conversion of Saint Hubert. Sculpted capitals are also visibly inside, where are also housed a stone baptismal font with a wooden lid from the 15th century, a magnificent Christ on the cross and rich statuary (including a reliquary).
In a more vernacular register, there are well-preserved old washhouses in the small town, such as the hamlets of Courcelles and Chassins.
On the cultural level, visits by appointment of the workshop of the association "la Beauté du Geste" are possible. Visual animations are produced using innovative processes, with "image bubbles" on which words and light effects are projected. Contact on +33 6 33 32 97 75.
For fishing enthusiasts, the natural lakes bordering the course of the Marne and the river itself prove to be suitable sites. Information from the local association, which is particularly active on the Courcelles lake, on +33 6 76 13 83 84.
Still on the edge of the Marne, note that the municipal campsite has a swimming pool and tennis court. Inquire on +33 3 26 58 21 79.
A walk is obviously pleasant on the banks, from which you can observe the lock and where a picnic area has been set up.
In fact, Trélou-sur-Marne is a small paradise for hiking enthusiasts. Two hiking trails have been traced and marked out in the town itself: that of the "Pétillante demoiselle", 8.7 km long, climbs through the vineyards and has viewpoints on the meanders of the Marne. It also allows you to observe plots "in espaliers" dedicated to vine plants, arranged to gain some surface as the relief is "sloping". As for the Goutte d'Or circuit, 4.6 km long, it is closer around the village and the hamlets. Both can obviously be punctuated by tasting breaks with producers attached to their vineyard and their know-how. Larger loops are possible, following the course of the Marne or reaching Dormans and other famous crus of champagne wines... Maps and information on +33 3 23 70 25 34 or +33 3 23 83 51 14 (tourist office).
Finally, it should be noted that local winegrowers also devote themselves to wine tourism: one of them offers discovery outings aboard venerable Citroën Dyane (contact +33 3 23 70 26 20) and another hikes in edge of 4X4 to apprehend the soil via the cross roads (contact the +33 3 23 70 34 09).
