One of the masterpieces of French Gothic architecture and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Notre-Dame de Reims was the traditional coronation church of the kings of France. Begun in 1211, it is celebrated for its harmonious west front crowded with statuary, the 'Smiling Angel', and its luminous stained glass, including modern windows by Marc Chagall. The cathedral was a major waypoint on the Via Francigena as pilgrims crossed the plains of Champagne.
Highlights
- Coronation church of 25 French kings, Charles VII crowned with Joan of Arc
- The Smiling Angel among tiers of statuary on the west front
- Glowing blue Chagall windows in the axial chapel
- Legend of Clovis baptised by St Remigius with the heaven-sent Holy Ampulla
- Credential stamp at the cathedral or the tourist office
At a glance
| Period | Gothic (13th century) |
|---|---|
| Stage | 4 — Guînes to Licques |
Take care
- Long, narrow spiral stairs on the tower visit
- Ordinary city care in busy urban surroundings
History
The present church replaced a cathedral consumed by fire in 1210, Archbishop Aubry de Humbert laying the first stone in 1211. Some 25 kings of France were crowned here, most famously Charles VII in 1429 with Joan of Arc at his side. In September 1914 German shellfire set the roof ablaze and shattered much of the fabric; restoration led by Henri Deneux, aided by Rockefeller funding, allowed the cathedral to reopen fully in 1938, and UNESCO inscribed it in 1991.
Myth & legend
Reims is bound to the legend of Clovis, the first king of the Franks, who was baptised here around 496 AD by St Remigius. The miraculous Holy Ampulla of chrism, said to have been brought from heaven by a dove, was used to anoint French kings at their coronations for centuries.
Geology
Reims stands on the chalk of the Champagne plain, a thick Late Cretaceous marine limestone laid down as a soft ooze of microscopic algal plates. It is soft enough to mine by hand yet stable enough to stand in caverns, so the crayères beneath the city, begun as chalk quarries in antiquity, now age wine, while the porous, water-storing rock sustains the vineyards of the Montagne de Reims.
Wildlife & nature
Peregrine falcons have bred on the cathedral towers since 2020 and are watched by local LPO volunteers, while swifts, black redstarts and jackdaws nest in the high stonework. South of the city the Montagne de Reims park holds the extraordinary twisted beeches of Verzy, with wild orchids and asters on the chalk slopes among the vines.
The view
The west front rises in tier upon tier of carved figures, the Smiling Angel among them, while inside the soaring Gothic nave leads to the glowing blue Chagall windows in the axial chapel.
Photography
The west facade takes warm light late in the day; stand well back across the parvis for the full front, zoom in on the Smiling Angel at the north portal, then move inside for the Chagall glass.
When to visit
April to June and September are comfortable with lighter crowds; July and August bring coach parties; December fills the parvis with the Christmas market, and low winter sun suits the stained glass.
Getting there
Reims is an easy rail hub with fast trains from Paris and regional connections across Champagne; the cathedral stands in the city centre a short walk from the station, directly on the pilgrim route.
Where to stay
Pilgrims with the credential have long used the Maison Saint-Sixte, a short walk from the cathedral; the city otherwise offers hotels, chambres d'hotes and budget chains at every level.
Food & water
Cafes surround the parvis and the city squares; public drinking fountains are not something to rely on here, so carry water for the open arable plains of Champagne beyond the city.
Safety
Urban surroundings — ordinary city care; the tower visit involves long, narrow spiral stairs. In an emergency dial 112.
Accessibility
The parvis is flat and the interior broadly level; the tower visit is a guided ascent of about 250 steps to the terrace, so it is unsuitable for those with limited mobility.
Visitor tips
Ask for a credential stamp at the cathedral or the tourist office; time your visit for light through the Chagall windows, and pair the cathedral with the Basilica of Saint-Remi across town.
The guide, in full
The written guide to this site.
Champagne is a country of long horizons, and for most of a day the cathedral of Reims is a smudge on the skyline that refuses to come closer. Then the arable plain gives way to streets, the streets open into the parvis, and the west front of Notre-Dame de Reims stands over you: tier upon tier of carved figures, more than two thousand of them, saints and kings and angels crowded onto a single wall of pale limestone. It is one of the supreme achievements of French Gothic, and for pilgrims crossing these chalk plains it has been a landmark for eight hundred years. Fire began the building you are looking at. The older cathedral burnt in twelve ten, and in twelve eleven Archbishop Aubry de Humbert laid the first stone of its replacement, conceived from the outset as a coronation church. Some twenty-five kings of France were crowned in the choir behind that facade, and the most famous of those days fell in fourteen twenty-nine, when Charles the Seventh was anointed with Joan of Arc at his side, her banner in her hand and her improbable promise kept. The anointing itself reached back much further. Tradition says that around the year four hundred and ninety-six Clovis, first king of the Franks, was baptised here by Saint Remigius, and that the chrism used that day was brought down from heaven by a dove in a small glass flask, the Holy Ampulla, from which French kings were anointed for centuries afterwards. Now find the north portal and look for the Smiling Angel. She is the most beloved carving in France: head tilted, eyes half closed, wearing an expression of such easy human warmth that she seems to have wandered in from another age altogether. Then step inside and walk the length of the nave to the axial chapel at the far end, where Marc Chagall's windows hold a deep, drowning blue that shifts hour by hour with the light outside. That any of this survives is a small miracle. In September nineteen fourteen shellfire set the timber roof ablaze, molten lead ran from the mouths of the gargoyles, and the fabric was terribly scarred. The long restoration led by Henri Deneux, helped by Rockefeller money from across the Atlantic, allowed the cathedral to reopen fully in nineteen thirty-eight, and UNESCO inscribed it in nineteen ninety-one. Look up as you cross the parvis and you may see peregrine falcons, which have nested on the towers since twenty twenty and are watched over by local volunteers, while swifts, black redstarts and jackdaws work the high stonework around them. The guided ascent of some two hundred and fifty steps to the terrace repays the effort with the roofscape and the plain you crossed to get here. All of Reims rests on chalk, the soft Late Cretaceous limestone of the Champagne plain, laid down as an ooze of microscopic algal plates. It is soft enough to cut by hand yet strong enough to stand unsupported, so the crayeres beneath the city, begun as quarries in Roman times, now hold cellars of maturing wine, while the same porous rock stores water for the vines on the Montagne de Reims to the south. Ask for a stamp at the cathedral or the tourist office, and walk across town to the Basilica of Saint-Remi if you have an hour to spare. When you leave, take the southern road towards the vineyards and the wooded hills beyond. Kings came here to begin their reigns. You are simply passing through, on your way to Rome.
Common questions
How old is Reims Cathedral (Notre-Dame de Reims)?
Reims Cathedral (Notre-Dame de Reims) dates from the Gothic (13th century) period.
How do I get to Reims Cathedral (Notre-Dame de Reims)?
Reims is an easy rail hub with fast trains from Paris and regional connections across Champagne; the cathedral stands in the city centre a short walk from the station, directly on the pilgrim route.
Is Reims Cathedral (Notre-Dame de Reims) accessible?
The parvis is flat and the interior broadly level; the tower visit is a guided ascent of about 250 steps to the terrace, so it is unsuitable for those with limited mobility.
When is the best time to visit Reims Cathedral (Notre-Dame de Reims)?
April to June and September are comfortable with lighter crowds; July and August bring coach parties; December fills the parvis with the Christmas market, and low winter sun suits the stained glass.
Is there food and water at Reims Cathedral (Notre-Dame de Reims)?
Cafes surround the parvis and the city squares; public drinking fountains are not something to rely on here, so carry water for the open arable plains of Champagne beyond the city.
Where can I stay near Reims Cathedral (Notre-Dame de Reims)?
Pilgrims with the credential have long used the Maison Saint-Sixte, a short walk from the cathedral; the city otherwise offers hotels, chambres d'hotes and budget chains at every level.
What should I know before visiting Reims Cathedral (Notre-Dame de Reims)?
Ask for a credential stamp at the cathedral or the tourist office; time your visit for light through the Chagall windows, and pair the cathedral with the Basilica of Saint-Remi across town.
Is Reims Cathedral (Notre-Dame de Reims) safe to visit?
Urban surroundings — ordinary city care; the tower visit involves long, narrow spiral stairs. In an emergency dial 112.
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