Reims

Reims is where twenty-five French kings were crowned over eight centuries, from Louis VIII in 1223 to Charles X in 1825, and its cathedral is a masterpiece of Gothic architecture that justifies the city's place in French history. The west facade, adorned with over 2,300 statues including the famous Smiling Angel (L'Ange au Sourire), is one of the supreme achievements of medieval art. Inside, the nave soars to 38 meters, and Marc Chagall's luminous blue stained-glass windows in the axial chapel add a modern layer of spiritual beauty. But Reims is equally the capital of champagne, and beneath the city lie hundreds of kilometers of chalk cellars (crayeres) — former Roman quarries that provide ideal conditions for aging. The great houses are headquartered here: Veuve Clicquot, whose cellars stretch for 24 kilometers; Taittinger, housed in the medieval cellars of the Abbey of Saint-Nicaise; Ruinart, the oldest champagne house (founded 1729), whose stunning crayeres are now a contemporary art space; and Pommery, whose whimsical underground galleries were carved on the orders of Madame Pommery in the 1870s and now host rotating art installations. The Basilica of Saint-Remi, a UNESCO World Heritage site older than the cathedral, houses the tomb of Saint Remigius, who baptized Clovis and thereby christianized France. Reims also boasts one of France's finest collections of Art Deco architecture — devastated during World War I, the city was rebuilt in the 1920s with extraordinary Art Deco facades on the Rue de Vesle and around Place Drouet-d'Erlon. The Carnegie Library, with its spectacular Art Deco reading room, is a hidden gem. For dining, Le Parc at Les Crayeres (two Michelin stars) is the region's finest restaurant, set in a breathtaking Belle Epoque chateau with one of the deepest champagne lists in the world. The Biscuit Rose de Reims, a pink champagne biscuit made by Fossier since 1756, is the classic accompaniment to a flute of champagne — dip it in and let it soak for a moment before eating.

Highlights