Laid flat by the bombs of World War I, REIMS (pronounced like a nasal "Rance", and traditionally spelled Rheims in English) may give the first impression of being a large industrial centre with little to redeem it. However, the town is not as large as it looks, and there are other reasons for visiting here. Apart from its status as champagne capital of the world, Reims possesses one of the most impressive Gothic cathedrals in France – formerly the coronation church of dynasties of French monarchs going back to Clovis, first king of the Franks – whose 1500th anniversary celebrations in 1996 provoked fierce controversy between Catholics and secularists. If you want to sleep in a Reims hotel, have a look at this site.
Pages in section ‘Reims’: The City, Arrival, Champagne tasting, Restaurants, Nightlife and entertainment, Cathedral and around, Abbaye St-Remi.
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