✨ Off the beaten track
Mines and underground cellars to visit in the Grand Est
The ground beneath the Grand Est also tells the story of its industrial past. In the Val d’Argent, the Tellure park takes you, helmet on, down into a genuine 16th-century silver mine at Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines. In the Moselle, the Les Mineurs Wendel museum, on a former coal-mine site at Petite-Rosselle, leads you through reconstructed galleries. In Champagne, chalk extraction has left another underground world: in Reims, former Gallo-Roman and medieval quarries, the crayères (chalk pits), have become cellars; in Épernay, cellars were dug beneath the Avenue de Champagne. Forts and military tunnels have a separate page.
To choose, think first about who is coming. Tellure welcomes children with no minimum age, provided they wear a helmet and can walk for an hour, but the classic tour closes in winter. The Wendel mine, open all year from Tuesday to Sunday, is wheelchair accessible. The cellars of Reims and Épernay are aimed mainly at adults, as the visit often ends with a tasting, although some houses welcome families. Book ahead: the classic Tellure tour and most champagne cellars operate by reservation, and slots fill up quickly in summer.
How to choose?
If you are coming with children
No minimum age, helmet provided, an hour’s guided tour underground and an audio-guided exhibition to prepare for the descent.
If someone in your group uses a wheelchair
The route through the Wendel museum and mine is stated to be wheelchair accessible, unlike the Tellure mine.
If you are travelling without a car
The cellars on the Saint-Nicaise hill can be reached by bus from Reims station, the Avenue de Champagne is a five-minute walk from Épernay station, and the Wendel mine is served by bus from Forbach station.
🍷 Champagne Cellars, Reims🍷 Champagne Tasting in Épernay✨ Musée Les Mineurs Wendel – La Mine
If you are looking for a winter outing
The Wendel mine and the Reims cellars stay open in winter, when the classic Tellure tour is closed.
✨ Musée Les Mineurs Wendel – La Mine🍷 Champagne Cellars, Reims
ComparisonData taken from each listing, checked against official sources
| Place or activity | When | Time needed | Who it suits | Getting there |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parc Minier Tellure – Silver Mine📍 Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines · Haut-Rhin (68) | From 3 April to 1 November 2026; classic tour closed in winter | 2 hours (1 hour audio-guided museum + 1 hour underground) | Families, no minimum age; the mine is not accessible to people with reduced mobility | A35 exit 17 (Sélestat), then Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines and the Col des Bagenelles; from Saint-Dié via the tunnel (RN 59) |
| Musée Les Mineurs Wendel – La Mine📍 Petite-Rosselle · Moselle (57) | All year, Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00–18:00; closed 1 January, 1 May and 24, 25, 26 and 31 December | 1 hr for the museum, 1 hr 45 for the mine, up to 3 hrs in total | All ages; route accessible by wheelchair; only guide dogs admitted | A320 exit 42 Forbach/Petite-Rosselle; Forbach railway station then Forbus bus line 1; free car park |
| Champagne Cellars, Reims📍 Marne (51) | All year round, according to each house’s own calendar (online booking) | — | Mainly adults; some houses welcome children (grape juice at Taittinger, free for under-7s) | Reims station (TGV from Paris-Est), then bus 4, 5, 11 or 17 to the “Salines” stop for the Saint-Nicaise hill |
| Champagne Tasting in Épernay📍 Épernay · Marne (51) | All year; Soirée Blanche on 14 July, Habits de Lumière in December | From 30 min (workshop) to half a day; a full day for the avenue and the museum | Adults for tastings; cellar tours suitable for families at some houses | Épernay station 5 min on foot; 402-space underground car park in the town centre (first hour free) |
Map: Mines and underground cellars to visit in the Grand Est
When to go?
- JanPossible
- FebPossible
- MarPossible
- AprPossible
- MayPeak season
- JunPossible
- JulPeak season
- AugPeak season
- SeptPeak season
- OctPossible
- NovPossible
- DecPossible
Peak season Possible Off season
📅 Mines and cellars can be visited in any weather, making them a good choice on a rainy day or in a heatwave; only the classic Tellure tour is seasonal, from 3 April to 1 November in 2026.
Tips & insider advice
- Bring a jacket
The temperature stays low underground all year round: around 10 °C in the Tellure mine, according to the official website.
- Closed, waterproof shoes
Tellure recommends closed, waterproof shoes: the galleries are damp and the guided route is about 800 m long.
- Helmets are compulsory
At Tellure, the helmet is provided with a hygiene cap and worn throughout the visit, children included.
- Front baby carriers only
Toddlers and babies can go down into the Tellure mine if carried in a front-facing baby carrier; bring one.
- Book your time slot
The classic Tellure tour and most champagne cellars are booked online; the Reims houses publish their own calendars.
- Tastings for over-18s only
Champagne cellars serve alcohol: choose a house that welcomes children if you are coming as a family.
Frequently asked questions
Can you visit a real mine in Alsace?
Yes: the Tellure park, at Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines, is built on a genuine 16th-century silver mine, the Saint-Jean Engelsbourg mine. The visit lasts about 2 hours, including one hour underground with a guide. It is open from April to early November; caving trips and the underground via ferrata can also be booked out of season.
Where can I visit a coal mine in Lorraine?
The Les Mineurs Wendel museum, at Petite-Rosselle (Moselle), occupies a former coal-mine site. You walk through reconstructed galleries, guided by a former miner or a museum guide. It is open all year from Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00–18:00, except on a few public holidays.
What are the crayères of Reims?
They are former chalk quarries, dug from Gallo-Roman times and then in the Middle Ages, which the champagne houses on the Saint-Nicaise hill have reused as cellars. They form part of the “Champagne Hillsides, Houses and Cellars” site, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2015. They can be seen on cellar tours, booked with each house.
Are underground visits suitable for young children?
The Tellure mine has no minimum age: the child must wear a helmet and walk for about an hour, or be carried in a front-facing baby carrier. The Wendel mine is open to all. For the champagne cellars, check with each house; some provide grape juice for children.
Information checked in October 2026. Opening hours, prices and conditions may change: check the official website before you travel.