Rheims

Situated an hour from Paris, Rheims has always been a key town / central to history ever since Antiquity.

notre-dame cathedral  A masterpiece of Gothic art, the Cathedral of Our Lady was started in 1211. It was the cathedral of coronations for French kings in memory of the baptism of Clovis by Saint Remi, probably on Christmas Day 498. The left portal on the west front carries the famous Smiling Angel statue.

tau palace  The former Archbishop's Palace was built by Mansart and Robert de Cotte in 1690. Today, it houses the cathedral's museum with tapestries, sculptures and artifacts from the kings' coronations. The "Salle du Tau", once used as a banqueting hall after coronations, is most noteworthy.

Saint-remi museum  The famous Benedictine Abbey of Saint-Remi, the shrine of the Holy Ampula used for French kings' coronations, is a magnificent building in the classical style. It now houses the city's Museum of History and Archeology with impressive collections from Prehistory to the Renaissance as well as a large military history section. 12th-13th centuries chapter house.

park de la patte d'oie (goose ' foot)  In the heart of town this historical park, created in the middle of the 18th century, reshaped during the construction of the congress centre in 1994/95. Fountains, artificial river, area for children games.

museum of the air base 112 and local aeronautics  One century of civilian and military flying in Reims and its surroundings.  8 halls, 150 m2 of exhibition room. The planes are exposed outside.

reims-champagne automobile museum  Nearly 200 cars and motorbykes from 1908 to our time, some having only a few exemplars, and many prestigious marks. Noteworthy collection of enameled registration plates and more than 4000 model cars and toys.

rheims by night  You will discover, understand and value Rheims's landscapes under cover of darkness.  An unusual walk which presents the architecture of the 19th century and the "Art deco", as well as the Reconstruction after WW1, when hundreds of architects express their talents.