Half-timbered houses and barns give Montaulin a Champagne-style character; churches, a château and the proximity of Lac d’Orient add historical and seasonal dimensions. When planning your trip, you can therefore consider architectural history and local architecture alongside summer leisure activities in the surrounding area. The details below can help you decide whether to choose Montaulin mainly for its churches, its architecture or its setting.
Saint-Martin Church and its furnishings
Saint-Martin Church stands in the centre of Montaulin on Grande Rue. It was built in the 16th century; side aisles were added to the nave between 1879 and 1880. The building thus shows both its original construction phase and a later, dated extension.
Some of the furnishings are listed as historic monuments. These include a green silk stole from the 18th century. The painting “Les mystères de Rosaire” is also part of the church’s furnishings: it depicts the lives of Mary and Jesus in 15 episodes. The architecture, furnishings and paintings each offer a different perspective—from the building’s development to individual examples of religious art.
Château de Montabert: history and guest house
Château de Montabert was built in 1862. It was constructed on the site of a château built in the 18th century and later destroyed by fire. An earlier château belonging to the Paillot De Montabert family may have existed around 1730.
The château is surrounded by a 14-hectare park with flowering plants and mature trees.
Another chapter in the church’s history
Eglise Saint Jean-Baptiste, commonly called “église de Daudes,” is dedicated to John the Baptist and originally dates from the 12th century. It was altered in the 18th and 19th centuries. Its original date therefore predates the construction of Saint-Martin, while the later alterations mark distinct historical phases in both cases.
Half-timbered houses, greenery and summer leisure
Montaulin preserves a Champagne-style character through its attractive half-timbered houses and barns. The fact that this character can be seen in both houses and barns offers more than one perspective on the architecture and complements the churches with another local feature. Montaulin is also green, with an abundance of coppice woodland.
The town is close to Lac d’Orient, a location considered ideal for summer leisure activities. A summer stay therefore adds a focus on the landscape to the cultural and historical attractions. How much you prioritise each depends on whether you want to focus more on architectural history and art or on seasonal leisure activities when planning your trip.
Getting to Montaulin
Montaulin is accessible via the D123 or D21. For orientation, Junction 23 at Thennelières on the A26 between Calais and Troyes is seven minutes away, and Junction 21 at Saint-Thibault on the A5 from Paris is nine minutes away. The two junctions refer to different route directions, so check which one is relevant to your journey.
Discover more destinations: Mesnil-Sellières, Saint-Mards-En-Othe, Brienne-Le-Château, Joncreuil, Dierrey-Saint-Julien, Aix-En-Othe, La Chapelle-Saint-Luc, Arsonval.
For the main travel overview: Aube.
