The former coronation city of Reims is one of the most idyllic urban areas in France. It is located in northern France, 129 km south-east of Paris, and it has appr. 188, 000 residents. It is the dominant city of the Champagne area, and where the famous drink comes from. Almost all French kings were crowned there for about 1,000 years, and its history began as a capital of the Gaullic Remi tribe in 80 BC.

After Julius Caesar’s conquest of Gaul (58–51 BCE), the Remi allied with the Roman Empire. In 496 the bishop Remigius baptized the Frankish King Clovis here and after that the city became a coronation site for centuries. Hostilities in World War I greatly damaged the city. German bombardment and a subsequent fire in 1914 did severe damage to the cathedral, but it was succesfully restorated.

What to do and see in Reims

The Cathedral Notre-Dame de Reims

This religious building and former coronation site represents later Gothic architecture and its cultural status is equivalent to the Westminster Abbey in England, and Cathedral of Cologne in Germany. The cathedral replaced an older structure, destroyed by a fire in 1211,  that was built on the site of the basilica where Clovis was baptized by Saint Remi, bishop of Reims, in 496. That original structure had itself been constructed on the site of Roman baths. It has been an UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1991. The interior of the building has stunningly beautiful stained glass made in various times, from the 13th century all the way to the 20th. The cathedral’s treasury is today kept in the Palace of Tau and it includes many precious objects, among them the Sainte Ampoule, holy flask in English the successor of the ancient one that contained the oil with which French kings were anointed.

The Palace of Tau

This palace was home to the archbishobs of Reims and the residence of French kings before their coronation in Notre-Dame de Reims. Banquets were held here after the coronation. A large Gallo-Roman villa stood on the site of the palace in the 6th and 7th centuries; later it became a Carolingian palace.  Much of the early building has disappeared: the oldest remaining part is the chapel, from 1207. The building was largely rebuilt in Gothic style between 1498 and 1509; and later modified to its present Baroque appearance between 1671 and 1710. The building became an UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991.

Musée des Beaux-Arts 

This art museum is located at the address: 8 Rue Chanzy, and houses a collection depicting paintings from all the main European artistic movements from the 16th to 20th centuries, arranged in chronological and thematic order. It also houses sculptures, drawings, engravings, and furniture.

Cryptoportique

This below-street-level gallery and crypt at the Place du Forum has allegedly been used as a for grain storage in the 3rd century CE. Today it serves as a venue for municipal expositions.

Buy

• The small shopping centre Espace d’Erlon (53 Place Drouet d’Erlon) is the place for buying champagne and other luxury goods.
• The Christmas Fair that fills the Place d’Erlon has a huge number of special stalls, and the prices are decent.

Recreation

• There is a free listing guide available in most bars and supermarkets called ‘Sortie’ that comes out on Thursdays it lists all the live gigs and cinema shows.
• Most of the champagne wineries have several guided tours throughout the day in many languages. Tours also depict the chalk caves that are used to store and age the champagne. The Champagne Day Tour from Paris is a great chance to get acquainted with the wine industry.

Photos: With the CC licence / Yann Grossel, Johan Bakker, DXR, Ji-Elle, Gérald Garitan