Reims Cathedral: The Coronation Church

Reims is 45 minutes from Paris by TGV (Gare de l’Est, roughly every hour, around €25-45 depending on when you book) and is consistently overlooked by tourists who go to Versailles, Giverny, or Mont Saint-Michel for their day trip from the capital. This is a mistake. Reims has a Gothic cathedral arguably more important to French history than Notre-Dame de Paris, one of the great Champagne cellars directly under the city, and a medieval town that functions without the tourist saturation of better-known destinations.

Notre-Dame de Reims was where French kings were crowned for nearly a thousand years – 25 consecutive monarchs, from Louis VIII in 1223 to Charles X in 1825. The cathedral was built specifically for that function, which explains the extraordinary emphasis on the west facade: three deep portals covered in over 2,300 stone figures, a massive rose window, and the famous “smiling angel” (La Souriante de Reims) at the left doorway that became the symbol of the city after the original was damaged in World War I bombardment.

German artillery in 1914 set the roof on fire, burning scaffolding packed with straw that soldiers had stored there, which melted most of the medieval stained glass and caused significant structural damage. The restoration that followed in the 1920s, partly funded by John D. Rockefeller Jr., replaced some windows with new glass by Marc Chagall – a decision that was initially controversial and now seems obviously correct. The Chagall windows in the axial chapel behind the high altar (brilliant blues, loose expressionist figures, completely out of keeping with Gothic convention) are among the most striking things in any French cathedral. The juxtaposition shouldn’t work and completely does.

What to See

The west facade is worth standing in front of for ten minutes before going inside. The three portals are packed with over 2,300 carved figures at various scales – saints, biblical scenes, monarchs, angels – in arrangements that are both systematic (iconographic programmes) and ornate (every surface carved). The smiling angel at the left portal is a reproduction; the damaged original is in the Palace of Tau next door.

The interior is 139 metres long. The nave, completed in the 13th century, is high and uncluttered in the French Gothic way. The Chagall windows are in the Lady Chapel behind the high altar. Entry is free; a tower climb (available at certain hours) gives access to the roof and closer views of the architectural detail.

The Palace of Tau adjacent to the cathedral (UNESCO site, entry around €8) was the archbishop’s palace where kings stayed before their coronation ceremonies. It now holds original stone sculpture from the cathedral’s exterior (replaced by copies in situ) and treasures from the coronation ceremonies, including Charlemagne’s talisman and the coronation mantle of Charles X.

Champagne Cellars

Reims is the capital of the Champagne wine region, and several major houses have their cellars directly beneath the city in chalk tunnels (crayeres) that maintain a constant 12 degrees Celsius year-round. Veuve Clicquot, Pommery, Mumm, and Taittinger all offer cellar tours covering the methode champenoise with tasting at the end. Tours run €20-35 depending on the house and tasting tier. Book ahead for summer.

Pommery has the most impressive cellars – enormous galleries that now include contemporary art installations throughout the chalk tunnels. The combination of art and wine production in a 19th-century cellar network is genuinely strange and worth doing.

Eating and Staying

Le Foch on Boulevard Foch serves traditional Champenois cooking (pike perch with Champagne sauce, potee champenoise) at prices that justify the reservation. For something simpler, the brasseries around Place du Forum near the cathedral serve adequate food at normal French prices. Staying overnight lets you spend an evening at the cathedral when it’s quieter and differently lit – the facade illumination at night is a specific experience worth the extra night.