The Cadoles de Champagne are traditional dry stone huts on the Côte des Bar (Bar-sur-Seine and Bar-sur-Aube), built by winegrowers from the stones that lay around them and used to shelter from the weather in winter and summer alike.
Cadoles are a particular feature of the vineyards in Courteron and Les Riceys, relics of former times when the winegrower’s lot was not an easy one. These rustic, medieval-looking shelters were where labourers would stop for a bite to eat, their only refuge from harsh weather in winter and the only available shade in summer.
Today the cadoles stand as picturesque landmarks along the hiking trails that make this region so attractive to walkers. They also exist elsewhere in France, known variously as loges, bories, capitelles, masures or cahutes.
UMC 11/2009