Notre-Dame de Reims, France

25 French kings were crowned in this cathedral, including Charles VII in 1429 with Joan of Arc present. The building dates primarily from the 13th century – construction began in 1211 and the main structure was largely complete by 1275 – and the west facade is one of the high points of French Gothic sculpture, with over 2,300 stone figures covering its surface. The most famous single piece is the Smiling Angel on the left portal, a medieval carving whose expression is uncanny enough to have been reproduced as an emblem of the city for centuries.

During World War I, German artillery bombardment in 1914 set fire to the scaffolding and collapsed the roof. Restoration funded partly by John D. Rockefeller Jr. continued through the 1920s and 1930s. The damage is still visible in parts of the interior stonework and in the photography that tells the war story – an unusual layer of 20th-century history inside a 13th-century building.

Interior

The nave is 38 metres high. The original stained glass of the 13th-century windows survived the war imperfectly; the west rose windows are largely original. In 1974, Marc Chagall designed three windows for the axial chapel behind the altar: scenes from the Old Testament and the history of the French monarchy in vivid blues and reds. They are a notable interruption of the medieval aesthetic. They are controversial among purists; they are also undeniably powerful, and the combination of Gothic structure and Chagall glass is something you will not find anywhere else.

Entry to the cathedral is free. The north tower is accessible on guided tours booked at the tourism office on Place du Cardinal Lucon opposite the cathedral.

Champagne Cellars

Reims is at the heart of the Champagne appellation and most of the major houses have their cellars here, dug into the chalk geological layer below the city. Taittinger, Veuve Clicquot, Mumm, and Pommery all offer cellar tours with tastings, running 30 to 55 euros depending on the house and wines poured. The Pommery cellars (Gallo-Roman chalk caverns converted to champagne storage in the 19th century) are the most extensive and include a gallery of contemporary art installed among the bottles. If you visit only one, the Pommery cellars are the more memorable experience.

Eating

Les Crayeres, in a 1930s chateau southeast of the city centre, holds two Michelin stars and has the most serious kitchen in the region; dinner runs around 150 to 200 euros per person before wine.

More affordably, the brasseries around Place Drouet-d’Erlon serve Champagne-region cooking: jambon de Reims (the local ham), potee champenoise (smoked pork and vegetable hotpot), and local cheeses.

Getting There

Reims is 45 minutes from Paris Est by TGV, 25 to 55 euros depending on booking time. The train station is about 20 minutes walk from the cathedral; trams and taxis cover the gap.