Things to do in Reims

Is there anything to do in Reims besides champagne?

Plenty. The cathedral, the basilica of Saint-Remi, the Museum of the Surrender, the Art Deco centre, the Boulingrin market and the biscuits roses fill a day without a single cellar.

The UNESCO listing for Reims covers three buildings: the cathedral of Notre-Dame, the former abbey of Saint-Remi and the Palace of Tau. Together they tell the story of the coronations: the king slept in the palace, was crowned in the cathedral, and the holy oil came from the abbey. Twenty-five kings were crowned here, the last Charles X in 1825.

Then there is the 20th century. Shelling set the cathedral on fire in September 1914, and much of the centre was rebuilt in the 1920s, which is why so many façades are Art Deco. In May 1945 Germany signed its surrender at Eisenhower's headquarters in Reims. Champagne fits around all of it: the houses are on the Saint-Nicaise hill, and the grower tours leave from the station.

How many days should you spend in Reims?

Two. One day covers the cathedral and one champagne visit; two let you add a grower tour, Saint-Remi and the museums. A third day can go to Épernay.

Reims is 46 minutes from Paris by TGV, so a day trip works, but it forces a choice between the city and the vineyards. With a night, you can do both properly: the city on foot one day, the growers in a minivan the next. A third day is best spent in Épernay, 34 minutes away by train, for the Avenue de Champagne.

The Reims tourist office goes further, saying three days are not enough to see everything. For most visitors two is the sweet spot.

Is Reims a walkable city?

Yes, the centre is. The station, place Drouet d'Erlon, the cathedral and the Boulingrin market are all within easy walking distance; Saint-Remi is about 25 minutes on foot.

Place Drouet d'Erlon runs from near the station towards the cathedral, and most central sights and museums are a few minutes apart. The basilica of Saint-Remi is the far point, about 25 minutes south-east of the centre on foot. The Saint-Nicaise hill with Pommery, Veuve Clicquot, Taittinger and Ruinart is close to Saint-Remi: Veuve Clicquot puts itself about 30 minutes on foot from the centre, and Pommery recommends bus C from the station.

Mumm is the easiest house to reach, about 20 minutes from the station. What you cannot walk to are the vineyards and the Montagne de Reims: for those, a tour such as the Land Rover ride from behind the cathedral, or a grower tour from the station.

What should you see in Reims Cathedral?

The west front with its smiling angel, the Chagall windows in the apse, and the towers, about 250 steps up. The cathedral is open daily from 7:30 to 19:30.

Twenty-five French kings were crowned here, says UNESCO. Start outside: the Ange au Sourire, the smiling angel, is on the left portal of the west front. Inside, look for the stained glass by Marc Chagall in the apse; morning light shows it best. Self-guided visits run every day from 7:30 to 19:30, per SNCF Connect's guide.

The towers can be climbed on a separate visit: about 250 steps up into the roof timbers rebuilt after the fire of September 1914. For the history on the ground, the guided cathedral tour takes 90 minutes from $12.

Is the Palace of Tau open, and what about Saint-Remi and the museums?

The Palace of Tau is closed for works until 2027. Saint-Remi, the Museum of the Surrender and Fort de la Pompelle are open.

The Palace of Tau, the archbishops' palace where kings stayed for their coronation, is closed and says “See you in 2027”; only its temporary shop is open. The city's Musée des Beaux-Arts is also shut for renovation until 2027, local guides report. Plan around both.

The basilica of Saint-Remi, once the largest Romanesque building in northern France, held the tomb of Saint Remi and the Holy Ampulla used to anoint kings. The city museum next door covers the abbey and local history. The Museum of the Surrender at 12 rue Franklin Roosevelt is the room where Germany signed its surrender on 7 May 1945 at 2:41 am, at Eisenhower's headquarters. It opens 10:00 to 18:00, closed Tuesdays and on 1 January, 1 May, 1 November and 25 December. Fort de la Pompelle, east of the city, covers the First World War.

What are the Art Deco sights and biscuits roses of Reims?

The Carnegie Library, the Halles du Boulingrin and the façades around place Drouet d'Erlon for Art Deco; Maison Fossier, founded in 1756, for the pink biscuits.

Reims rebuilt much of its centre in the 1920s, and it shows. The Carnegie Library, a few minutes from the cathedral, is the one the tourist office calls an Art Deco gem. The Halles du Boulingrin covered market, opened around 1927, has a thin concrete vault by the engineer Eugène Freyssinet, per this guide. Rue de Vesle and rue Carnot add more façades.

The biscuit rose dates from the 1690s, when bakers used the heat left in the oven after the bread, says France.fr. It is baked twice and coloured pink with carmine. Maison Fossier, founded in 1756, still makes it the traditional way, and its shop at 25 cours Jean-Baptiste Langlet is a short walk from the cathedral. Dip it in champagne: the double baking keeps it from crumbling.

Where do the locals eat in Reims?

At the Halles du Boulingrin on Friday and Saturday mornings, around place du Forum, and in the Boulingrin district. Place Drouet d'Erlon is busier with visitors.

Start at the market. The Reims tourist office gives the Halles du Boulingrin's hours as Friday 7:00 to 13:00 and Saturday 6:00 to 14:00, and sends you to the Brasserie du Boulingrin, next to the market, for seafood. Its own list adds the Café du Palais, an Art Deco café-brasserie near the cathedral.

Place du Forum, around the Roman cryptoportico, is the square for wine bars and bistros. Le Crypto at 14 place du Forum is in the 2026 Michelin Guide for its seasonal bistro cooking and champagne list; it opens for lunch Tuesday to Saturday and for dinner Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The terraces of place Drouet d'Erlon are fine for a drink in the sun, less so for dinner.

What is a good 1-day and 2-day plan for Reims?

Day one: cathedral, a house visit, a grower tour at 2pm. Day two: the market, Saint-Remi, the Museum of the Surrender and the Art Deco streets.

Book the houses and the tour before you go. The timings below assume a Friday or Saturday, when the market is on and the houses named are open most of the year.

Prefer your tour in the morning? Swap in the morning tour (9:20am to 1:10pm) and move the house to the afternoon. Visiting in late November or December, add the Christmas market: see Reims Christmas market 2026.

Two family growers and Hautvillers from 2pm, after a morning at the cathedral and a house on your own.

★ 4.8 · 4.5 hours · from $146

Explore the afternoon family wineries tour → Tour details

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