Reims, a beautiful city in France. The city boasts diverse architectural styles, including stunning art deco architecture. Not only popular due to its beauty but also due to its history and champagne production. With this complete guide we take you to the city also known as la cité des sacres, the coronation city. Reims is located in the heart of the Champagne region, renowned for its prestigious champagne houses and vineyards.
Things to Do in Reims
Reims is the perfect place for a (romantic) getaway in France. The city centre is just 80 km from Paris, making it easily accessible for a quick trip. Reims is great to explore in 2 to 3 days, so plan that fun weekend! Begin your journey exploring historic champagne houses or driving through the gardens.
Reims became a huge city during the Roman Empire, but even now the city is still important while being the 12th largest city of France. Reims is easy to recognize due to it varying art styles found throughout the city, ranging from art-deco to Romanesque.
What Reims makes even more fun is it’s distant to the capital city Paris (around 80 km). Making Reims a perfect addition to your already existing France trip.
1. Champagne Tours
Reims is famous for its champagne houses, some of them even dating back to the 17th century. But why is Reims specifically famous for its champagne? It all goes back to the history of France. Reims, also known as the coronation city, was the place where coronations of loyalties took place. These coronations were celebrated, of course, with Champagne from Reims.
When driving through Reims, you will see many different champagne houses. Luckily, you can even tour most of them. Explore some world-famous Champagne brands like Pommery, Veuve Clicquot, and Mumm, which are among the prestigious champagne houses. During the tours, you will get to visit the famous cellars and learn more about the process and the important part these houses played in the champagne industry.
You could even say that if the Champagne is not produced in Reims, it isn’t real Champagne. So you wouldn’t want to miss out on that!
2. The Cathedral of Reims
The city of Reims is rich with historic buildings. One that will definitely stand out is the famous Notre-Dame de Reims. This spectacular building is found in the middle of the city center. The cathedral was the place for more than 25 coronations. It played a central role in the coronation of French kings, highlighting its historical significance.
The Cathedral with a length of 149,2 meters cannot be missed during your visit. To experience all the beauty and impressive architecture, definitely check out the Cathedral from the inside.
3. Palais du Tau
This magnificent UNESCO heritage site is a must visit while visiting Reims. Palais du Tau is the former palace of the Archbishop of Reims, where the Kings of France stayed during their coronation. Since 1972 the palace is open for visitors. Nowadays you will find a museum located inside of the palace. The museum holds the treasures of Notre-Dame Cathedral. The perfect activity to learn more about Reims and France history but also to experience the beautiful architecture from the inside.
4. Fort de la Pompelle
Reims is a great place to visit for history lovers. If you are someone that is specifically interested in war history, consider checking out Fort de la Pompelle. A fort built around the year 1870 in Reims. Later on the fort was important during the First World War as it was being used for the protection of Reims. The fort also played a significant role during World War II, witnessing extensive damage and historical events, including the signing of Germany’s capitulation in Reims in May 1945.
The museums tells it story starting from the year 1883 till present day. The museum has some collections that aren’t found at any other place in the world. With items like helmets and uniform, you will learn more about the stories of those who have given their life to fight for the Champagne area.
How to Get to Reims
As said earlier in this blog, Reims is just a short drive away from Paris. To make your stay as convenient as possible, we would suggest getting there by car. That way you will be able to explore the area easily and also visit other places like Fort de la Pompelle.
A car could be easily rented at the capital city from Paris, as Paris also has its own international airport and train station. That way you can also choose to add Paris to your travel itinerary.
Where to Stay
Reims has multiple and more than enough options to choose for your stay. In the city centre, you will find big hotels, easily booked via booking.com. During our own stay, we choose to sleep in an Airbnb. What was also super easy and convenient. If you are traveling with a group, we would definitely recommend to check out Airbnb for renting a nice country house.
Best Time to Visit Reims
Reims is a city that is perfect to visit at any chosen time. The city actually follows the season pretty well due to it’s gardens and productions.
Spring
Visit Reims during Spring time for less tourists, the vineyards and gardens will be in full bloom. What makes it the perfect time to admire the beautiful landscapes and go on a relaxing walk.
Summer
If you are looking for busy but nice restaurants, festivities and champagne tastings, than summer time is the way to go! Summer is the peak season for Reims, what makes it a lot busier but not less interesting.
Autumn
Autumn will leave the vineyards and gardens of Reims in some beautiful colors. New grapes will be harvest and multiple wine festivals will be held in the city. The crowds will be less due to the ending of the high season period.
Winter
Reims will be an enchanting place to visit due to its big Christmas spirits. Prices will lower than normal and the city will be less busy. Spend your Christmas while walking through the enchanting city full with Christmas lights.
1 thought on “Reims, France: A Guide to the City all about Champagne.”
Its like you read my mind You appear to know so much about this like you wrote the book in it or something I think that you can do with a few pics to drive the message home a little bit but other than that this is fantastic blog A great read Ill certainly be back.