When you think of traveling to France, most folks either envision the Eiffel Tower or a stunning beach in the south. But so many other cities in this gorgeous country are worth seeing, and Reims is certainly among them. Home to a cathedral even more magnificent than Notre Dame de Paris, a deep connection to the kings of France, and the center of champagne production in France, Reims is not to be missed. And at only about 45 minutes away from Paris by high speed train (TGV), you can easily do a day trip – or, as we’d recommend, at least a weekend away in this beautiful spot. Here are the best things to do in Reims on a weekend escape.
Museums and cathedrals in Reims
- Notre Dame de Reims (Our Lady of Reims cathedral) – The most famous of the Notre Dames is in Paris, and is right up there with the Eiffel Tower in “things you must see in the City of Lights.” BUT, Notre Dame de Reims is so stunning that it almost supersedes its famous sister. Where ND de Paris has ~1000 statues on its exterior, ND de Reims has ~2300, and houses stained glass windows from the 12th century, as well as those designed by modern artists Chagall and Knoebel. Significantly damaged in WWI and rebuilt in part with funds from New York’s Rockefeller family, this cathedral was initially built on the site of the church in which Saint Remi baptized Clovis, the first kind of France. Entrance here is free.
- Palais du Tau – Once home to French kings awaiting coronation, this incredible work of architecture sits directly next to the cathedral, and is now a museum about the monarchy and about the history of the cathedral. The entrance fee is minimal, and the number of Medieval tapestries and artwork, as well as early French monarchical treasure, this place houses makes it well worth the visit. Tours are self-guided, and having at least a passing understanding of French is very helpful.
Boyfriend Perspective: The history and grandness of the Notre Dame de Reims and Palace of Tau are quite remarkable. Everything feels larger than life. Just know that if you get tired of religious themes, gird your loins before heading into the Palace of Tau! And also, the French pronounce “Tau” like “toe”, which makes for some interesting communication errors…
- Saint Remi Basilica (Basilique Saint Remi) – While none of these places is terribly busy in the winter, the cathedral still has a noticeable amount of foot traffic. But when we walked about 20 minutes outside the downtown district and stepped into the basilica’s entrance hall, it was completely silent, empty, and peaceful – and we were literally the only two people there. This basilica was consecrated in 1049, and much of its stained glass dates to the 12th century, having survived numerous wars and the destruction of other parts of the building. It’s truly extraordinary, and well-worth the walk!
- Bibliotheque Carnegie (Carnegie Art Deco Library) – If you have even a passing appreciation for Art Deco style, this is NOT to be missed. We stopped by during literally our last hour in Reims, and are so glad we did. This library was built after World War I with funds provided by Andrew Carnegie, and is still quite functional today. Be sure to be respectful of the silence in the reading room if you enter to admire the stained glass windows, or I suspect you’ll be booted in no time! Entry is free.
Boyfriend Perspective: Meagan and her libraries. I turned around to ask her something and she had absconded to the reading room without me! I’ll just be over here… alone…
Shopping and famous Reims food
- Galeries Lafayette – For shopping or eating, this is your spot. A beautiful promenade with pedestrianized streets (and a hub for the trolley and bus lines), this area plays host to a number of well-known international brands (Sephora, anyone?) as well as local shops that are not to be missed (like Waida and Sons Patisserie). When it dawned on me that I’d left my scarf at home, this was the first place we went to buy one so my neck would stop freezing!
Boyfriend Perspective: This place is a spacious outdoor mall with shopping and restaurants galore. If you can’t find something here, it’s probably not the location’s fault.
- Maison Fossier – this could almost fall under “where we ate”, as Maison Fossier is famous for creating the tiny, tasty pink biscuits Reims is famous for. We stopped here to pick up a bag of them, but found that they’re also in most stores in Reims. But come on, who can pass up walking into that adorable pink storefront?!
Champagne and Reims
- Champagne tasting and tour at Taittenger – This is pretty much exactly what you expect from a large winery, and was one of the few places we ran into other Americans. Pick any one of the huge wine houses in Reims, and you’re guaranteed a great, educational visit. We chose Taittenger because they offer tours in the off season (when we were visiting), and we were anxious to see some of the graffiti and crayeres or chalk mines in which they house their aging champagnes. Entry fees here vary based on how many and which types of wines you choose to sample.
- Driving tour around Reims and Epernay with A l’Allure Champenoise – talk about a magical end to our trip! We were shown the city of Reims and the countryside of the Montagne de Reims in a private tour with a driver and a guide in a vintage Citroen 2CV. The included time walking through vineyards and learning about the vines, and time with a local winemaker as he showed us his family-owned domaine and let us taste their vintages.
Boyfriend Perspective: Before going to Reims, I wasn’t a big fan of champagne. After tasting multiple types of this fine, bubbly wine and learning some of the history behind it, I have found that I like quite like champagne, and it seems my taste buds are of the high-brow and expensive variety. Pinky in the air.
What we wish we could’ve done on our weekend in Reims
- Seen the Rêve de Couleurs show at the cathedral. Shown at Christmas and during the summer months, this multisensory show features brilliant, artistic projections on the front façade of the cathedral. That said, the cathedral is still stunning at night, even without the light show, as it’s beautifully lit with white lights and the statues and lines take on a wonderfully dramatic air after dark.
- Spent more time touring Art Deco architecture throughout the city. One thing about long weekends is you can’t meander too much – you need to know what you’re doing and where you’re going so you don’t squander time if there are things you want to see. Given more time, we would have enjoyed taking a walking tour that showcased all the different types of architecture in the city. After all, over 300 architects rebuilt it after it was leveled in WWI, and it would be fascinating to understand many of their contributions.
- Toured the vineyards when they were leafy. Even though the views are still gorgeous and worth seeing in the winter, leafy vines have their own beauty. Duh!
- Walked along the canal. We got a brief view of the canal as we drove by on our tour, but it’s far enough outside downtown that we didn’t get a chance to explore this pretty, park-like area on foot.
Boyfriend Perspective: Have you ever found something you like and want more of it, only to have your significant other look at you like you have become a fanatic…..well, that was totally not me thinking about all the champagne tastings I should try in the city. Nope, not me at all.
What was your visit to Reims like? Or is it on your bucket list? Let us know in the comments!
Also, if you wouldn’t mind giving this a pin, we’d think you’re super cool 😉
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I’ve never heard of Reims, but it looks lovely! I’d love to see that cathedral at night time!
That cathedral looks beautiful! I’d never thought of visiting Reims but maybe it’ll be on the list!
Yes, totally on the bucket list. I’d be pretty content just walking around the city and taking it all in, but tasting champagne would be up there too!
45 minutes from Paris! Wow, we will be in Paris for a week in October. I hope the Cathedral Light Show will be on even if you say Christmas and summer only!
I’m French and I had never actually though about visiting Reims, but it’s now definitely on my list !
Reims is a typical French city…classy, elegant and beautIful. If I had read your post earlier, I would be recalling my memories of Reims 🙂 Would not give up this chance next time.
A haven’t been to Reims – only know the world famous cathedral by Manet. But I find that France is much more French in smaller places than in Paris – despite the Eiffel Tower. I prefer cities like Bordeaux or Toulouse; Reims seems to be one of these cities, too.
I’d never heard of Reims, and the fact that it’s only 45 minutes away from Paris is fantastic! From what you’ve shown, it has so much to offer in terms of architecture and champagne. Yep, I’d definitely go there just for the champagne!
I’ve always said France makes my soul happy, and with due reason. There’s so much beauty in every corner. Reims seems to be an underrated city but man these are bucket list things! Also Notre Dame de Reims is so beautiful, thanks for the handy info about the cathedrals. I’m quite drawn to them so that was quite an interesting read