Day-Trip to Reims from
Paris - 144 km (90miles) northeast of Paris
Although most of its historic
buildings were flattened in World War I and replaced by drab,
modern architecture, those that do remain are of royal magnitude. Top
of the list goes to the city's magnificent cathedral, in which the
kings of France were crowned until 1825, while the musée des
Beaux-Arts has a stellar collection, included the famed Jacques-Louis
david painting of Marat in his bath. Reims sparkles with some of the
biggest names in champagne production, and the thriving industry
has conferred wealth and sometimes an arrogant reserve on the region's
inhabitants. Nevertheless, the maze of champagne cellars constitutes an
other fascinating sight of the city. Several champagne producers
organize visits to their cellars, combining video presentations with
guided tours of their cavernous, hewn-chalk underground warehouses. for
a complete list of champagne cellars, head to the tourist office, 2 ,
rue Guillaume de Machault, next to the cathedral.
- The Tour of the Taittinger cellars is the most spectacular
of the champagne producer visits.
- The 11th-century Basilique St-Remi honors the 5th century
saint who gave his name to the city.
- The Palais de Tau houses an impressive display of tapestries
and coronation robes.
- The Musée des Beaux-Arts has an outstanding
collection of paintings.
- The Cathedral Notre-Dame was the age-old settings for the
coronation of the french kings.