Notre-Dame de Reims: The Coronation Cathedral of France

Twenty-five kings of France were crowned at Reims, beginning with Louis the Pious in 816 and ending with Charles X in 1825. The cathedral that stands today – Gothic construction begun in 1211, towers completed in the 15th century – was therefore the site where French royal legitimacy was physically conferred for a millennium. The Smiling Angel on the northern portal, reproduced endlessly as a symbol of the city, is a 13th-century stone figure that managed to survive repeated German artillery bombardments during the First World War. The damage from those bombardments is still visible if you look for it: sections of the facade have the rawer, overworked appearance of 1920s replacement stone rather than the weathered quality of the medieval original. The restoration was partly funded by John D. Rockefeller Jr.

Entry into the main cathedral is free and the building is open 07:30-19:30. The scale of the west facade – over 2,300 carved stone figures in a dozen separate iconographic programmes – requires time. Arrive in the morning when the angle of the light is on the sculpture.

The Interior

The medieval windows were largely destroyed in the First World War. What you see now is a mixture of replacements from different periods, including the most significant addition: three chapel windows designed by Marc Chagall and installed in 1974. They depict the Tree of Jesse, the Crucifixion, and scenes from the history of Champagne in deep blue and red glass. Chagall made no attempt to imitate medieval style; the imagery is entirely 20th-century and distinctly personal. They work precisely because the chapel they occupy is separated from the nave’s main axis, making the contrast clear rather than jarring.

The treasury holds items from the cathedral’s history including the Holy Ampulla used in coronation ceremonies (the original was destroyed in the Revolution; what you see is a partial reconstruction) and 12th-century reliquaries. A small admission fee applies.

Palais du Tau

The archbishop’s palace directly adjacent to the cathedral now holds the cathedral’s stone sculpture collection: original figures removed from the facade during and after World War One, replaced with copies on the building. The original Smiling Angel is here, viewable at close range in a way not possible from the street. The tympanum figures and the war damage are legible in detail. Entry around €8. If the sculpture in the facade interested you, this is worth the separate visit.

Champagne Cellars

Reims is one of the two main Champagne towns (Épernay is 25km south). The major houses have their cellars in chalk tunnels (crayères) originally dug by the Romans and extended over centuries.

Taittinger at 9 Place Saint-Nicaise runs tours through Roman-era chalk tunnels beneath a former abbey – the most visually impressive cellars in Reims. Around €18-35 depending on tasting level; book in advance in summer. Ruinart at 4 Rue des Crayères, the oldest champagne house still operating (founded 1729), has the deepest cellars, descending 38 metres. Reservations required; tightly controlled. Around €50. Veuve Clicquot runs larger house tours with good production history context, around €30-50.

Where to Eat

Brasserie du Boulingrin at 48 Rue de Mars is the honest choice for a proper meal: a 1920s brasserie in an art deco interior, steak-frites, duck confit, tarte flambée. Around €25-45 per person. Le Foch at 37 Boulevard Foch has a Michelin star and lunch menus from €45-65. Champagne pairings available.

The covered market at Les Halles du Boulingrin on Saturdays has local charcuterie, cheese, and small champagne producers selling direct.

Getting There

Reims is 45 minutes from Paris Gare de l’Est by TGV (around €25-45). The cathedral is a 15-minute walk from the train station through the pedestrianised city centre.