Reims

1. 1

   Reims Cathedral (Notre-Dame de Reims)

   The coronation cathedral of France’s kings since the 5th century, Notre-Dame de Reims represents High Gothic architecture at its most ambitious and refined. Construction began in 1211 and continued for over a century, resulting in a facade adorned with more than 2,300 stone sculptures – including the famous ‘Smiling Angel’ (L’Ange au Sourire) that has become the city’s symbol. The interior soars to 38 meters, illuminated by Marc Chagall’s stained-glass windows (installed in 1974) in the apse, which cast an ethereal blue glow across the stone vaults. Twenty-five French kings were crowned here, from Louis VIII in 1223 to Charles X in 1825 – each ceremony followed a ritual involving sacred chrism oil kept at the nearby Abbey of Saint-Remi. German shelling during WWI severely damaged the cathedral, and its meticulous restoration took decades, symbolizing both French cultural resilience and early architectural conservation efforts.

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   Champagne House Cellars (Crayères)

   Reims sits atop a network of chalk caves (crayères) carved during Roman times and medieval quarrying, now providing perfect conditions for champagne aging at a constant 10-12°C. Major champagne houses including Taittinger, Veuve Clicquot, Pommery, Ruinart (the oldest champagne house, founded 1729), and Mumm have established their cellars in these tunnels, some stretching for kilometers beneath the city. Guided cellar tours explain the méthode champenoise – the two-fermentation process that creates champagne’s signature bubbles – and descend into atmospheric underground galleries lined with millions of aging bottles. Taittinger’s crayères are designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Most tours conclude with guided tastings. Pre-booking is recommended, especially during summer. The contrast between the chalky subterranean galleries and the elegant tasting rooms above ground encapsulates champagne’s blend of agricultural roots and refined luxury.

3. 3

   Palais du Tau

   Adjoining the Cathedral, this former archbishop’s palace served as the staging ground for royal coronation ceremonies – kings-in-waiting spent the night before their crowning here, and the post-ceremony banquet filled its Gothic halls. The building’s name derives from a medieval German term for palace. Today it operates as a museum displaying coronation vestments and regalia, monumental tapestries commissioned for the ceremonies, and cathedral treasury objects including chalices and reliquaries. The Salle du Tau – the magnificent T-shaped banqueting hall – preserves its vaulted 15th-century timber ceiling. The museum also houses original cathedral sculptures removed during restoration, allowing close examination of Gothic masonry that’s normally visible only as distant silhouettes. Together with the Cathedral and the Abbey of Saint-Remi, the Palais du Tau forms a UNESCO World Heritage ensemble.

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   Basilique Saint-Rémi

   Overshadowed by the more famous Cathedral, this Romanesque-Gothic basilica deserves equal attention. Dating primarily from the 11th century with significant Gothic additions, Saint-Remi was built to house the relics of the city’s patron saint, Remigius – the bishop who baptized Clovis I, the first king of the Franks, in 496 AD. That baptism essentially established Christianity in France and made Reims the coronation city for a thousand years of French monarchy. The basilica’s nave is among France’s longest Romanesque church interiors, its rhythmic columns drawing the eye toward the ambulatory and Romanesque apse. The adjacent Musée Saint-Remi occupies the former abbey buildings, tracing regional history from prehistory through the Renaissance with archaeological finds, sculpture, and military history. Like the Cathedral and Palais du Tau, it holds UNESCO World Heritage status.

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   Porte de Mars

   This 3rd-century Roman triumphal arch is the widest existing Roman arch in the world, spanning 33 meters across three archways decorated with relief panels depicting scenes from Roman military campaigns, agricultural life, and mythology including the founding of Rome by Romulus and Remus. Named for Mars, the Roman god of war, the gate originally marked one of the main entrances to Durocortorum – the Roman name for Reims, which was at the time one of the most important cities in the Roman province of Belgica and among the largest in the Western Roman Empire. Despite nearly 1,800 years of exposure, many of the relief carvings remain remarkably detailed. The arch stands in a park near the railway station, an understated reminder that Reims’ significance as a cultural and political center extends far beyond champagne.

Editor-curated picks carried over from our original guide. Where a full place guide exists, the card links to it.