Reims Guide

• Comprehensive tours illustrating the unexpected variety of this city: ancient walk, medieval "Rheims", Champagne, Art Deco, modern and contemporary architecture, terroir...
• More than a hundred fine reproductions highlight the unexpected beauty of this city, with its mix of Gothic and Art Deco styles.
• Comprehensive themed walks that can be split up as you wish, on foot or by bicycle
• Plenty of time for champagne and its history
• Hidden nuggets, often little-known

The six itineraries in this guide, with a foreword by Reims chef Philippe Mille, take the reader from antiquity to the 2020s, from the historic centre to the famous Montagne de Reims, on a wander through territory and terroir.

On the border between the Champagne plain and the Île-de-France plateau, Reims has been a crossroads town since prehistoric times, and has always been home to craftsmen, merchants and traders. Its history began with memorable encounters: with Caesar, when the town allied itself with Rome to establish itself as a major city of the Empire; then with Clovis, King of the Franks, who chose it as the site of his baptism. Hence the origins of the "city of coronations", which was built throughout the turbulent history of France, of which it is a flamboyant witness. Witness, but also victim... After the trauma of 1914-1918, the destroyed city had to reinvent itself in a joyful and ornate style: Art Deco.

A sleeping beauty for decades, Reims has been waking up and revealing itself for some time now, building around its centuries-old cathedral a heritage novel whose pages visitors are invited to leaf through. Proud of its rich and varied heritage, Reims is increasingly attracting lovers of architecture and history. One hundred and fifty kilometres from Paris, close to Belgium, Germany and Luxembourg, it is a crossroads of Europe and, like its wines, it can be preciously tranquil or finely effervescent. A glass of champagne is a must here, a wine of prestige, celebration and victory!

Reims, the history of the metropolisBeforehistoryFrom the Rèmes to DurocortorumRheims in the Middle AgesThe beginnings of the industrial eraThe Great War and reconstruction

The guidePAGE1 - The origins of the city of the coronationPAGE 2 - The city of the coronation at the time of the kingsPAGE 3 - Reims, city of champagnePAGE 4 - In the footsteps of Art DecoPAGE 5 - Towards contemporary architecturePAGE 6 - En route to the mountain of Reims

Useful addresses Cultural sites (excluding itineraries)Cultural eventsGlossaryIndex of streets, sites and monumentsIndex of architects, artists and authors

Author and coordinator :

Élisabeth Chauvin: architect, City of Reims Art and History Project Manager

Authors :

Jocelyn Bouraly: Administrator of the plais du Tau, Centre des monuments nationaux

David Chatillon: President of the Union of Champagne Houses

Catherine Delot: Honorary Chief Curator of Heritage, former Director of the Reims Museum of Fine Arts

Patrick Demouy: Emeritus Professor of Medieval History, URCA

Lorenzo Diez: architect, architecture advisor, DRAC - Grand Est

Bernard Ducouret: Honorary Curator of Heritage, General Inventory of Cultural Heritage, Grand Est Region

Gilles Fronteau: Professor HDR, Director of the GEGENAA research unit, URCA

Coline Gosciniak: Curator, Head of the Carnegie Library, City of Reims

Bertrand Goujon: Senior Lecturer (HDR) in Contemporary History, URCA

Yann Harlaut: historian, cultural consultant, independent researcher

Christophe Henrion: lecturer in sports history, URCA

Bénédicte Hernu: Chief Curator, Director of Historic Museums, City of Reims

Sarah Hinnrasky: architect and town planner, Agence d'urbanisme, de développement et de prospective de la Région rémoise (town planning, development and forecasting agency for the Reims region)

Françoise Le Ny-Vray: Senior Lecturer in Archaeology, URCA - GEGENAA

Fabrice Perron: winegrower, post-doctoral historian, lecturer, URCA