Reims

Reims is the capital of French champagne and the coronation site of French kings just 130 km away from Paris. A visit to Reims Cathedral and champagne tastings are included into our Trips to the Champagne region. The eye-catching Dom in the centre of Reims is Notre-Dame de Reims, this wonderful cathedral erected in 1211 is where the Kings of France were crowned and which is included into UNESCO World Heritage List.

In Reims, there is an 18 kilometers long street full of wine cellars selling champagne. These "cellars" are  actually the white limestone tunnels, or crayères. In Reims You can find most famous Champagne houses such as G.H. Mumm, Krug, Piper-Heidsieck & Verve Clicquot to name but a few.

The Champagne-Ardenne region gained world fame because of the cuesta of Champagne (Côte de Champagne), the orientation of the slopes of which made it a "wine paradise". The method of champagne was invented here, although local "sparkling" wines were not popular until the 17th-18th centuries. The British brought fame to champagne wines, who highly appreciated their quality.

Reims is rich in monuments of history and art. It offers its visitors not only the famous sparkling wine, but also luxurious architecture from the Gallo-Roman period to the present day.

Reims. Four monuments of the city are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

• Notre Dame Cathedral, built from 1211 to 1285, is famous all over the world. The towers were completed in the 15th century. The cathedral was restored in the 19th century. Almost all the kings of France were crowned here, including Charles VII in the presence of the Maid of Orleans (Joan of Arc). And today, with bated breath, not only fans of "mature French gothic" wander inaudibly, but also everyone else who is not alien to the feeling of beauty. Of course, the stained-glass windows by our famous countryman Marc Chagall are striking, there are many of them in the cathedral. Some of the cathedral's stained glass windows are hundreds of years old. And, most surprisingly, they are never washed, but they remain transparent. The three-nave basilica with a transept, a developed eastern part and two western towers stands out for its harmonious composition and rich sculptural decoration.
• The Palais de Tau, built in 1690, was the traditional venue for the coronation of French kings. It contains the so-called "Charlemagne's talisman" - the tabernacle used during his coronation, and the remains of the original cross on which Christ was crucified.
• The Basilica of Saint Remy, built in the 11th century near the tomb of Saint Remy, and then restored in the 19th century, houses the tomb of the first French kings.
• In the premises of the former Benedictine abbey there is a museum, the Museum of Saint Remy, one of the 50 richest in Europe (XVII - XVIII centuries).
• Interesting art collections are exhibited at the Museum Saint - Denis, in the Museum Hotel Le Vengeur and prints by Dürer.
• Not far from Reims is the Pompelle fort, which now houses the Museum of the 1914-1918 War.​

For more information about Reims you can see on the Official website of Reims.