Bar-sur-Aube (, literally Bar on Aube) is a commune and a sub-prefecture in the Aube department in the Grand Est region of France. Surrounded by hills and Champagne vineyards, the city is traversed by the river Aube, from which it derives its name. The inhabitants of the commune are known as Baralbins or Baralbines and Barsuraubois or Barsurauboises. The commune has been awarded three flowers by the National Council of Towns and Villages in Bloom in the Competition of cities and villages in Bloom. Geography Bar-sur-Aube is located some 30 km west by north-west of Chaumont and 25 km south-east of Brienne-le-Château. Access to the commune is by the D619 road from Ailleville in the north-west which passes through the centre of the commune and the town before continuing east to Lignol-le-Château. The D396 branches off the D619 south-east of the town and goes south to Juvancourt. The D4 goes south-west from the town to Couvignon. The D13 comes from Fontaine in the south and passes through the town before continuing north-east to Colombé-la-Fosse. The D384 goes north to Ville-sur-Terre while the D73 branches off it in the town and goes to Arrentières. in the north. The TER Grand Est Troyes to Chalindrey railway passes through the commune coming from Vendeuvre-sur-Barse to the west to Bricon in the south-east with a station in the town. With a substantial urban area in the west and some forest in the south the commune is mostly farmland. The Aube river flows through the commune and the town from south-east to north-west continuing to eventually join the Seine at Marcilly-sur-Seine. The Bresse also flows through the commune coming from the north-east and forming a small part of the northern border before joining the Aube at the north-western tip of the commune. Toponymy The area was attested in the form castro barro in the 7th century and Barri villa in 932. Bar comes from a Gallic word meaning "summit" and is perhaps even older (pre-Gallic). Bar-sur-Aube appears as Bar sur Aube on the 1750 Cassini Map and the same on the 1790 version. History Ancient times The existence of Bar-sur-Aube goes back to ancient times. There are remains of an oppidum from the Iron Age. A coin with the image of a horse in the name of Togirix (Chief of the Lingones) was discovered on the Sainte Germaine hill. In Roman times the town appeared