Discover Reims Cathedral, where the kings of France were crowned, and admire its famous Champagne vineyards.
Reims is an ancient city, with over 2,000 years of history dating back to Roman times. Notre-Dame de Reims Cathedral, built in the 13th century, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Along with the cathedrals of Chartres and Amiens, it forms part of the trio of “classical” or “flamboyant Gothic” French cathedrals. The cathedral is adorned with 2,303 statues, 211 of which are 3 to 4 metres high, and 788 animals. The painter Marc Chagall left his mark on the stained glass windows of this prestigious cathedral.
The prestige of the Holy Ampoule, a vial containing sacred oil, is said to have been used for the baptism of Clovis, King of the Franks. The political power of the archbishops of Reims culminated with Henry I, who definitively fixed the location of the coronation in Reims. All the kings and queens of France were crowned in the “City of Kings”, with the exception of seven kings.
A statue of Joan of Arc stands in front of Reims Cathedral. In the Middle Ages, Jeannette claimed to have received a mission from Saints Michael, Margaret of Antioch and Catherine of Alexandria to deliver France from English occupation. Within a week, the heroine managed to lead the French troops to victory. The liberator of the city, La Pucelle d’Orléans led the King to the coronation at Reims in 1429. This helped turn the tide of the Hundred Years’ War.
Reims is recognized as the world capital of champagne!
€urope Discovery Travel offers you a day trip to Reims, to discover the city of the Coronation of the Kings of France and explore more than 2000 years of history of the UNESCO World Heritage City.
On the Champagne tourist route, in the heart of wine regions, kilometers of underground galleries are carved into the chalk.
The Avenue de Champagne, “the Champs-Elysées of Épernay”, surrounded by the most famous champagne houses, is an effervescent place to discover the cellar and learn the secret of the making, followed by à champagne tasting.