Get out and have fun: ideas galore, all year round.
Bored in the Aube? Impossible! The risk would be rather… the embarrassment of choice. Outings, cultural and leisure activities: there’s so much to do and discover. Here’s a small (non-exhaustive!) glimpse of the program awaiting you in Aube. In any season, in town or country.
Musique(s): a festival of festivals.
Festival des Nuits de Champagne – Late October/early November – Troyes
Since 1988, Les Nuits have been enchanting the still balmy autumn evenings. Each year, big names offer “a journey in song” in an artistic universe “inspired by cross-generational repertoires”. Voice and choral singing remain at the heart of the project, with everyone invited to take part in the Grand Choral workshops and performances (the Choeur de l’Aube is reserved for local secondary school students). At the same time, an off-off-off festival, held in bars, gives emerging music its rightful place.
Orchestre symphonique de l’Aube – October to May – Troyes and Aube (Bar-sur-Aube, Nogent-sur-Seine, Romilly-sur-Seine)
“The Orchestre Symphonique de l’Aube, created in 2001 by the Conseil Départemental, is dedicated to making classical music accessible to as many people as possible.
The high quality of its performances and the boldness of its programming are the hallmarks of the Orchestre Symphonique de l’Aube. Tickets here.
Other festivals throughout the department
Festival Guitares du monde – March – Saint-andré-les vergers.
Nuit Trad’actuelle-Folkafon – March – Every 2 years – Troyes.
Troyes en Scènes (contemporary and classical music, urban dance, circus, theater, choir) – All summer – Troyes.
Othe-Armance festival – July (followed by a touring festival in September-October) – Pays d’Othe et d’Armance.
Festival des lacs d’Orient – July – Orient Forest Regional Nature Park.
Chalkyrock Festival – August – Plancy-l’abbaye.
Just classik festival – September – Aube.
Jazzabar Festival – September – Bar-sur-Aube.
International Organ Festival – September – Chaource.
Grand concerts – September – Abbaye de Clairvaux.
Shows at the Convervatoire de Troyes
The Marcel-Landowski Conservatory has a departmental reach. Find out all about the program: theater, music and dance.
Shows: playwright’s theater, boulevard theater, circus, dance, comedy… and tutti quanti!
Théâtre de la Madeleine. Aube’s only conventional stage.
A charming Italian-style theater for theater, dance and circus creations. Workshops and artist residencies in a sumptuous Troyes location.
In Troyes and throughout the Aube region, a rich program of public and private venues.
In Troyes and surrounding area:
Théâtre de la Madeleine, Théâtre de Champagne, Espace Argence, Centre de Congrès de l’Aube, Le Cube, Le quai, Le café-théâtre “Le Troyes Fois Plus”, “L’Art déco” in Sainte-Savine, Espace Gérard-Philippe in Saint-André-les-vergers, Espace Didier-Bienaimé in la Chapelle-saint-Luc…
Outside Troyes:
L’Agora Michel-Baroin (Nogent-sur-Seine), L’aiguillage in the former Polisot station, Espace culturel François Mitterrand in Romilly, and many more…
Museums, exhibitions: ideas for outings and activities all year round.
In addition to their rich collections, the museums of Aube have long been developing a range of cultural and hands-on activities: children’s and adults’ workshops, lectures, special tours for Friends of the Museum, temporary exhibitions, and more.
In Troyes: Musée d’Art Moderne, Cité du Vitrail (the fascinating world of stained glass from the 12th to the 21st century); Maison de l’Outil et de la pensée ouvrière (Compagnons), Maison Rachi (commentator on the sacred texts of Judaism), Apothicairerie de l’Hôtel-Dieu-le-Comte; World Institute of Art for Young People-Unesco Center and its annual international children’s drawing competition…
Elsewhere in Aube: Musée Camille-Claudel (Nogent-sur-Seine), Commanderie Templière d’Avalleur (Aube, cradle of the Order of the Temple); Espace et Maison des Renoir (in Essoyes, where the Renoir family lived, and chose to be buried); Musée Napoléon (former military school at Brienne-le-Château, where the Emperor was trained); Musée de la Résistance (Mussy-sur-Seine)…
There are also a plethora of “small” museums offering unexpected riches – and just as many ideas for outings: Musée du mètre en bois (Ville-sous-la-Ferté), Espace vivant de la bonneterie (Romilly-sur-Seine), Passé simple (Crésantignes), Ecomusée de la mine et de la céramique (Villenauxe-la-grande), Musée Loukine (Arsonval), Musée du cidre du Pays d’Othe (Eaux-Puiseaux), Musée de l’imprimerie (Charmont-sous-Barbuise), Ecomusée de Brienne-la-Vieille, and so on.
Around books and reading: youth fair and libraries, places to live.
Regional children’s book fair.
2nd in France. A major book festival bringing together authors, illustrators, the general public, professionals, schoolchildren and others.
October, Troyes and Aube.
Troyes-Champagne-Métropole media library.
An exceptional collection and a rich program throughout the year.
See the agenda.
A network of 60 libraries and 85 reading points.
Organized by the Médiathèque départementale de l’Aube, with a wide range of events, exhibitions and workshops throughout Aube.
Archives départementales de l’Aube.
A mine of resources, too, on Aube’s heritage. On-site and online.
Cinema: feature films and shorts, the choice is yours!
Some cinemas:
CGR Troyes (Troyes), Utopia (Pont-sainte-Marie), L’Eden (Romilly-sur-Seine), Lumière (Nogent-sur-Seine), Le Vagabond (Bar-sur-Aube).
2 short film festivals:
“1ère marche” from the Ligue de l’enseignement, revealing young talent. May – Troyes and Aube
“Court-en-scène”, international festival. March – Troyes and Aube
Conferences and meetings: exchange and share “live”.
Not a day without conferences and meetings!
Society, culture, art, history, heritage, philosophy, nature, the environment and more. Initiatives abound throughout the region – testimony to Aube’s rich and dense community life.
Among them:
Entretiens culturels de Champagne – April – Abbaye de Clairvaux.
Local festivals and fairs: gourmet, medieval, craft and commercial.
A Sunday in the country. April. Aube, on about fifty sites.w
Ascension Fair. May – Plancy-l’abbaye.
Plant day, potters’ market. Over 10,000 visitors. May – Bergères.
Champagne fairs. June – Troyes.
Gourmet summer. Meet the producers of the Remarkable Taste Sites. July – Les Riceys (itself a Remarkable Site of Taste, in the heart of the Champagne vineyards).
Route du champagne en fête. Since 1995, cellars and bottles have been open to the public (up to 40,000 visitors). Late July – Côte des Bar, in a different area each year.
Hunting and Countryside Festival. August – Château de Vaux, Fouchères.
Pig festival. August – Estissac.
Fête de l’agriculture. August – Aube, different location each year.
Festival Les Médiévales. August – Ervy-le-Châtel.
August 15 festival (giant Cluedo) followed by medieval festival in September. Commanderie Templière d’Avalleur / Bar-sur-Seine.
48 hours auto. European gathering of vintage vehicles. September, every 2 years – Troyes and Aube.
Sauerkraut festival. Aube, 2nd national producer. September – Brienne-le-château.
Medieval festival. September – Lhuître.
The scramble for the other. Street arts, etc. September – Sainte-Savine.
Bubbles and Gastronomy Fair. September – Bar-sur-Aube.
Onion Fair. October – Chavanges.
Saint-Simon Fair. October – Nogent-sur-Seine.
Champagne Day. October (4th Friday) – Troyes and Aube.
International wildlife and nature photography festival. An undeniable success since 1996. Over 45,000 visitors. November – Montier-en-Der (Haute-Marne, near Aube).
Find out more here.
Exhibitions throughout the year (arts and crafts in February, gastronomy in November, etc.). Le Cube – Troyes.
Dancing and dancing: for young and old alike.
Guinguettes M Beach. Summer. Dienville and Mesnil-saint-Père beaches.
L’Usine in Bernon.
Variety cabaret in Longchamp-sur-Aujon.
Guinguette du Passage, Romilly-sur-Seine (May-September)
The winning Mistral (Pont-sainte-Marie),
Nightclubs, bars, restaurants, bachelor parties and more: lots of great places to discover with friends.
Nigloland amusement park: thrills and adventures for all the family.
5th largest amusement park in France in terms of visitor numbers (over 760,000 by 2022 – according to parcs-france.com)
In Dolancourt, in an exceptional natural setting. Every year, Nigloland offers new, ever more spectacular attractions (including Europe’s tallest rotating free-fall tower) and shows for the whole family to experience “emotions and marvellous adventures”. Special events, such as Nigloween on All Saints’ Day, immerse the park in a special atmosphere.
Parc Naturel régional de la Forêt d’Orient and other nature outings.
Culture and leisure also mean… nature and the environment, specific to each of Aube’s natural regions: Forêt d’Orient, Pays d’Othe et d’Armance, Côte des Bar, Nogentais, Champagne plain, Seine and Aube valleys…
The Parc naturel régional de la Forêt d’Orient , for example, offers guided nature tours (birds, insects, bats, forest immersion, twilight walks, Espace Faune, etc.).
Take part in other guided nature outings: with Yohann Brouillard, ornithologist and naturalist guide, Maximilien Maire, nature guide, Emmanuel Favin, fishing and nature guide, etc.
Shopping: first or second hand.
Brand centers.
The Aube region is steeped in textile-clothing tradition: for over a century, the city of Troyes has reigned over hosiery (the manufacture of knitwear), earning it the title of “European knitwear capital”.
Discover our two centers: Marque Avenue in Saint Julien-les-Villas and McArthurGlen in Pont-Sainte-Marie.
Troyes city center and its stores.
With its independent boutiques, market and local stores, the town center invites you to “lose yourself” in the narrow streets and shops.
Discover the association Les Vitrines de Troyes.
Garage sales and markets.
Garage sales, flea markets, dressing room sales…
L’Aube has plenty of places to find rare pearls and vintage items. Among the best-known: Coursan-en-Othe, Courteranges, Bouilly…
See the calendar of markets and garage sales on our website.
Find out more, and plan your outings.
Un été dans l’Aube: the bible for your outings and discoveries! Covers the May-October period… but useful all year round.
Local media: daily newspapers L’Est éclair and Libération Champagne; Canal 32 (100% local TV); 8 local radio stations; France 3 Grand Est.
La Maison du Boulanger, Cultural Center. Shows. Troyes
Troyes la Champagne Tourisme agenda
The agenda of the Aube departmental tourism agency
Editorial: Agence départementale du tourisme de l’Aube.