Photo : Léonard Patakreppe / Wikimedia Commons (domaine public, CC0)
Reims
Reims is a city of the Marne, about 130 kilometres north-east of Paris, with nearly 178,000 inhabitants. It is called the city of coronations: Clovis was baptised there by Saint Remigius, and many Carolingian and Capetian kings were crowned there between 816 and 1825.
Three of its monuments are inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage: Notre-Dame cathedral, the former abbey of Saint-Remi and the Palais du Tau. The town was largely rebuilt after the First World War, which gives it a rich Art Deco heritage. Place Drouet-d'Erlon, a very long pedestrian square, is centred on the Subé fountain, topped by a gilded Victory. You can also see the Gallo-Roman cryptoporticus. The champagne industry, favoured by the region's chalky subsoil, remains important for the local economy.
