Sip Champagne in France at a Floating Vintage Bar: La Reine Pedauque’s Time Capsule Cruising
Champagne has entered an inviting new chapter along its storied canals.
Long celebrated for its great Champagne houses, proximity to Paris, and timeless prestige, the region is now revealing a fresh, more intimate side — one that speaks directly to luxury seekers, small groups of gourmands, and those with a dream of tasting the stars.
Indeed, along its historic and restored inland waterways, Champagne’s vineyard-clad riverbanks and postcard-perfect moorings feel closer and more contemporary than ever before.
At the heart of this refined revival is the 8-guest, Deluxe-class barge La Reine Pédauque, originally built in 1922 and thoughtfully reimagined as a floating sanctuary of style and indulgence.
Carrying up to eight pampered passengers as she glides through Champagne’s tranquil canals and petite rivers, La Reine Pédauque offers an immersive journey into a world of effervescence — from escorted excursions to prestigious Champagne houses for private tastings to the exquisite cuisine and craft cocktails served onboard, all aligned with indelible moments of accessible indulgence.
A 20TH CENTURY TIME CAPSULE OF CRAFTSMANSHIP
Central to La Reine Pédauque’s unique appeal is the barge’s vintage bar, a warm, low-lit salon where polished wood, brass accents, and a perfectly chilled flute set the tone. Serving as the barge’s social center and cocktail lounge, it is here that guests gather for aperitifs and appetizers in an atmosphere both welcoming and exclusive.
Thoughtfully preserved to honor the vessel’s 1922 origins, the bar beautifully captures a character and craftsmanship of a bygone era.
Original-style wood paneling has been carefully refinished to reveal La Reine’s natural depth and warmth; the bar’s black tiling was brought back to its initial lustre; and the elaborate brass fittings — lovingly polished to a soft, shiny glow — echo the barge’s 100+-years of proud maritime heritage.
FIFTY YEARS OF CRUISING AND COCKTAILS
Owner Marco Dueggelin spent many years restoring La Reine Pedauque, with deliberate attention paid to the bar’s footprint and flair. “When I purchased La Reine Pedauque about ten years ago, the barge’s bar looked almost exactly like it does today,” he reminisces with a smile. “Over the years, there have been careful refurbishments, but only the kind that respect the vessel’s history.
“We restored the inner side of the bar in plain oak,” Dueggelin explains. “But from the outside, you can hardly see the work at all. The goal was to preserve the bar’s original design and style.”
In fact, the bar itself is something of a time capsule. From what the team has been able to trace, the bar was originally built more than 50 years ago, and, most remarkably, it has never been redesigned. The only truly new additions are a playful finishing touch: hand-carved wooden bar chairs, each whimsically shaped like a dolphin’s tail. “They’re the only decorative pieces we’ve added,” Dueggelin says. “Everything else is exactly as it has always been.”
A MOST UNIQUE CONVERSATION PIECE FROM ANOTHER TIME
At the center of the bar, a warm glint of polished brass draws the eye. It belongs to a captivating curiosity: an authentic 19th-century diving helmet, ingeniously transformed into a clock. With its riveted seams and glass portholes, the piece feels less like decoration than a relic from the great age of maritime discovery.
Like so many details aboard La Reine Pédauque, it is both artifact and ornament — a beautifully preserved and cherished object from another era, now gently gliding along the inland waterways of France.
One can almost imagine it belonging to a gentleman explorer of the late nineteenth century, when water, wine, and wonder shaped the spirit of travel.
Today, the helmet’s polished brass softly catches the glow of the bar lights, its glass portholes reflecting the warm wood and convivial conversation around it. As a final whimsical detail, the clock no longer keeps time; perhaps that is fitting aboard La Reine Pédauque where the delicious days drift by in Champagne at their own timeless and leisurely pace.
A toast to the vintage bar on La Reine Pédauque and its amazing history, its current status as the barge’s signature amenity, and the many wonderful times to be had there in the future!
For a day-to-day itinerary of the excursions and experiences on La Reine Pédauque, click here. For a photographic tour of the barge’s exceptionally spacious cabins, click here. To book your own week of sipping Champagne, sparkling wine, and craft cocktails at the barge’s vintage bar, click here.