Sights in Reims
- Sort by:
- Popular
-
A
Cathédrale Notre Dame
Imagine the egos, extravagance and the over-the-top costumes of a French royal coronation… The focal point of all the bejewelled pomposity was Reims’ cathedral, a Gothic edifice begun in 1211 – and mostly completed 100 years later – on a site occupied by churches since the 5th century. The single most famous event to take place here was the coronation of Charles VII, with Joan of Arc at his side, on 17 July 1429. The structure, a Unesco World Heritage Site since 1991, will celebrate its 800th anniversary in 2011. To get the most impressive first view, approach the cathedral from the west, along rue Libergier.
Seriously damaged by artillery and fire during WWI, the…
reviewed
-
B
Basilique St-Rémi
This 121m-long former Benedictine abbey church, a Unesco World Heritage Site, mixes Romanesque elements from the mid-11th century (the worn but stunning nave and transept) with early Gothic features from the latter half of the 12th century (the choir, with a large triforium gallery and, way up top, tiny clerestory windows). It is named in honour of Bishop Remigius, who baptised Clovis and 3000 Frankish warriors in 498. The 12th-century-style chandelier has 96 candles, one for each year of the life of St Rémi, whose tomb (in the choir) is marked by a mausoleum from the mid-1600s. The basilica is situated about 1.5km south-southeast of the tourist office; take the Citadine …
reviewed
-
Place Drouet d’Erlon
Lit up like Las Vegas after dark, Reims’ pedestrianised main square draws locals in the mood for a bite, a beer or a bit of shopping. Southeast of the Subé Fountain (built in 1907) – crowned by a gleaming gold statue of Winged Victory – is Galerie d’Erlon, a glass-roofed arcade where you can bask in the shopping vibe of yesteryear. The 12th- to 14th-century Église St-Jacques(rue Marx Dormoy), the city’s only remaining medieval parish church, has some 1960s stained glass that’s so awful it has to be seen to be believed. The blue and white windows in the nave were added in 2010.
reviewed
-
C
Musée des Beaux-Arts
This institution’s rich collection, housed in an 18th-century abbey, boasts one of only four versions of Jacques-Louis David’s world-famous The Death of Marat (yes, the bloody corpse in the bathtub), 27 works by Camille Corot (only the Louvre has more), 13 portraits by German Renaissance painters Cranach the Elder and the Younger, lots of Barbizon School landscapes, some art-nouveau creations by Émile Gallé, and two works each by Monet, Gauguin and Pissarro.
reviewed
-
Pommery
No visit to Reims would be complete without a tour of a champagne cave (cellar) and eight maisons (houses or producers) offer guided tours of their premises that end, naturellement, with a tasting session. Of the Reims trinity, Mumm is most easily accessible from the centre, while Taittinger and Pommery are under 2km to the southeast.
reviewed
-
Halles du Boulingrin
The vaulted Halles du Boulingrin were a symbol of Reims’ emergence from the destruction of WWI when they began service as the city’s main food market in 1929. Closed in 1988, they will again shelter food stalls – as well as art expositions (on the mezzanine) and cultural events – starting on Valentine’s Day 2012. The peculiar name is derived from the English ‘bowling green’ (as in lawn bowling).
reviewed
-
D
Fine Arts Museum
The rich collections of the Musée des Beaux-Arts include one of only four versions of Jacques-Louis David's world-famous Death of Marat (yes, the bloody one in the bathtub), 27 works by Camille Corot (only the Louvre has more), lots of Barbizon School landscapes, Art Nouveau creations by Émile Gallé and two works each by Monet, Gauguin and Pissarro.
reviewed
-
E
Palais du Tau
Former archbishop’s residence, constructed in 1690, was where French princes stayed before their coronations – and where they hosted sumptuous banquets afterwards. Now a museum, it displays truly exceptional statuary, liturgical objects and tapestries from the cathedral, some in the impressive, Gothic-style Salle de Tau (Great Hall).
reviewed
-
F
Musée de la Reddition
The original Allied battle maps are still affixed to the walls of US General Dwight D Eisenhower’s headquarters, where Nazi Germany, represented by General Alfred Jodl, surrendered unconditionally at 2.41am on 7 May 1945. Displays include military uniforms and photographs. A 12-minute film is screened in French, English and German.
reviewed
-
G
Église St-Jacques
The 12th- to 14th-century Église St-Jacques, the city’s only remaining medieval parish church, has some 1960s stained glass that’s so awful it has to be seen to be believed. The blue and white windows in the nave were added in 2010.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
H
Musée Hôtel le Vergeur
In a 13th- to 16th-century town house, highlights include a series of furnished period rooms (kitchen, smoking room, Napoléon III’s bedroom), engravings by Albrecht Dürer and a stunning Renaissance facade facing the interior garden.
reviewed
-
Bibliothèque
Thanks to a donation from the US-based Carnegie Foundation, the lobby of the Bibliothèque boasts gorgeous 1920s mosaics, stained glass, frescos and an extraordinary chandelier – duck inside for a look!
reviewed
-
I
Musée d'Automobiles
About 1.5km southeast of the cathedral, the Musée d'Automobiles displays about 200 motor vehicles, most of them French and from the 1920s to the '70s.
reviewed
-
Porte de Mars
For a quick trip back to Roman Gaul, check out the massive Porte de Mars, a three-arched triumphal gate built in the 2nd century AD.
reviewed
-
J
Musée St-Rémi
In a 17th- and 18th-century abbey, features local Gallo-Roman archaeology, tapestries and 16th- to 19th-century military history.
reviewed
-
Cryptoportique
The below-street-level Cryptoportique is thought to have been used for grain storage in the 3rd century AD.
reviewed
-
Chapelle Foujita
The last great work by the Japanese-born artist Tsuguharu (Léonard) Foujita (1886–1968). Inaugurated in 1966.
reviewed
