Reims: where the kings of France were crowned

For over a thousand years, nearly all French kings were crowned in Reims Cathedral, the heart of the Champagne region and its underground cellars.

The centre, around the cathedral where French kings were crowned, is easily explored on foot.

The Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Reims, a Gothic masterpiece and UNESCO heritage site, hosted the coronation of twenty-five kings of France, including Charles VII in the presence of Joan of Arc in 1429.

A short walk away, the Palace of Tau, a former archbishop's residence used for royal banquets after coronations, today displays the original treasures of the cathedral.

Continuing on, one visits the underground cellars of the great champagne houses, carved in the local chalk and used for aging bottles at constant temperature.

In the evening, a tasting of champagne in one of the historic maisons closes the day in the region that gave its name to the world's most celebrated wine.

Joan of Arc personally escorted the Dauphin Charles to Reims to have him crowned king in 1429, a political and symbolic gesture crucial to the Hundred Years' War against England.

The underground quarries carved into chalk beneath Reims extend for tens of kilometers, naturally maintaining the constant temperature ideal for aging champagne.