Reims Walking Tour
Reims, France
Why Walk Reims
Reims Cathedral, where 33 French kings were crowned over the course of a thousand years starting with Clovis I in 496 AD, is one of the greatest Gothic buildings in Europe. Its west facade holds over 2,300 carved figures, including the famous Smiling Angel — a statue that has become the symbol of the city. Reims was devastated during World War I, enduring over 1,000 days of German bombardment that destroyed 80 percent of its buildings and severely damaged the cathedral. The city was rebuilt in the 1920s and 1930s with one of France's richest collections of Art Deco architecture, designed by leading architects of the era. Beneath the streets, over 120 kilometers of chalk tunnels — originally quarried by the Romans — store an estimated 200 million bottles of Champagne aging at a constant 10 degrees Celsius in the cellars of famous houses like Taittinger, Veuve Clicquot, and Ruinart. It was also in Reims, on May 7, 1945, that General Eisenhower accepted Germany's unconditional surrender, ending World War II in Europe.
Free Reims Walking Tour with Roamee Pro
Roamee Pro, also known as Roamee, offers a free Reims walking tour with audio narration. Use it to explore Reims Cathedral, Basilique Saint-Remi, Palais du Tau, plus hidden gems like Art Deco architecture and Cryptoportique without booking a group tour.
This Reims walking tour is built for travelers searching for a audio guide, a free walking route, or the Roamee app for Reims. Start with Reims Cathedral and Basilique Saint-Remi, then branch into local context, photo spots, and neighborhood stories as you walk.
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Must-See Stops in Reims
- •Reims Cathedral — This UNESCO-listed 13th-century Gothic cathedral took over 80 years to complete starting in 1211 and served as the coronation site for French kings from Louis VIII in 1223 to Charles X in 1825. The west facade contains over 2,300 sculptured figures, more than any other cathedral in Europe, including the iconic Ange au Sourire (Smiling Angel). Marc Chagall designed three luminous stained glass windows for the apse chapel in 1974, adding a modern artistic layer to the medieval interior.
- •Basilique Saint-Remi — This 11th-century Romanesque-Gothic basilica, also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the oldest church in Reims and holds the tomb of Saint Remigius, the bishop who baptized Clovis I and thus began the French tradition of Christian monarchy. The nave stretches 126 meters
- •Palais du Tau — Named after its T-shaped floor plan, this former archbishop's palace adjacent to the cathedral served as the royal banqueting hall during coronation ceremonies. Now a museum, it displays the original cathedral sculptures removed for conservation, the coronation treasures including Charlemagne's talisman, and a massive 15th-century Goliath tapestry. The Salle du Tau, the great hall where coronation feasts were held, retains its original 15th-century timber roof structure.
- •Champagne cellars — The great Champagne houses of Reims age their bottles in over 120 kilometers of crayeres
Hidden Gems in Reims
- •Art Deco architecture — After German bombardment destroyed 80 percent of the city during World War I, Reims was rebuilt in the 1920s and 1930s with one of France's most concentrated collections of Art Deco buildings. The Carnegie Library, funded by Andrew Carnegie in 1928, features geometric facades and stained glass by Art Deco masters. Along the main boulevards, residential and commercial buildings display characteristic geometric ornamentation, ironwork, and colored mosaics.
- •Cryptoportique — Hidden beneath the Place du Forum in the center of Reims, this semi-underground Roman gallery dates to approximately 200 AD and was part of the ancient forum complex. Three parallel barrel-vaulted corridors stretch 30 meters long, once used as grain storage. Discovered in 1920 during postwar reconstruction, the cryptoportique is one of only three such Roman structures surviving in France.
Walking Tip
The city center is flat and compact. Start at the cathedral, walk through the Art Deco quarter, then head south to the Champagne house district.
Best Time to Visit
May through October. Some Champagne houses require advance booking for cellar tours.
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