Reims Cathedral: Where Kings Were Crowned

What to do there

5 things to do

1. 1

   Enter Through the West Facade and Stand Where Kings Entered

   history Free

   13th-century Gothic masterpiece. Construction: 1211-1275 (main) + 300 years for towers. Height: 81 meters. Every French king from 816 to 1825 was crowned here - 31 in total. UNESCO World Heritage since 1991. Enter through the central portal (free) at Place du Cardinal Luçon, Reims, where the main entrance faces the pedestrian square. Look UP at the facade - 2,303 statues originally, many destroyed in WWI. The rebuilt ones are slightly different color. Stand where kings entered for coronation.

   BACKUP: If main entrance crowded, side doors also open during visiting hours.

   Log Memory
2. 2

   Find the 'Smiling Angel' That Survived WWI

   history Free

   The "Ange au Sourire" (Smiling Angel) is Champagne's symbol. Created ~1240. In WWI, German shelling decapitated it - the head fell and shattered. Craftsmen recovered pieces, rebuilt it 1926. The smile survived. Champagne's spirit in stone. Look at the left (north) portal of the west facade, left portal (north side), among the carved figures. The angel is at eye level, smiling despite everything. Photo tip: morning light illuminates the smile. Touch the base if you can reach - pilgrims have done so for 800 years.

   BACKUP: Postcards and guidebooks pinpoint exact location if hard to find.

   Log Memory
3. 3

   See Chagall's Blue Stained Glass (Modern Art in Medieval Stone)

   history Free

   Marc Chagall designed these windows in 1974. Vivid blues depicting Abraham, the crucifixion, kings of France. Modern art in medieval stone. Controversial when installed - now beloved. Walk the full length of the cathedral to the east end (axial chapel, behind the main altar). Best viewed when sun is high (11am-2pm). The blue dominates - Chagall's signature. Contrast with medieval windows elsewhere in the cathedral.

   BACKUP: Morning light works if afternoon unavailable.

   Log Memory
4. 4

   Stand Where Joan of Arc Watched a King Crowned

   history Free

   The coronation spot is marked on the floor. 31 kings knelt here - Charlemagne's son (816) to Charles X (1825). Joan of Arc stood exactly here when Charles VII was crowned (1429) - she'd led him through enemy territory to claim his throne. Look for the labyrinth pattern on the floor (rebuilt) in the nave, near the labyrinth floor pattern. The central point is approximately where coronations occurred. Stand there. 1,200 years of French history beneath your feet. Imagine armor, ermine, holy oil.

   BACKUP: Cathedral guides can indicate exact historical positions.

   Log Memory
5. 5

   Walk to Champagne House Row (See Why Kings Chose Reims)

   wine Free

   From cathedral steps, you can see the grand mansions of the Champagne houses - Veuve Clicquot, Tattinger, Ruinart, Pommery. Their chalk cellars run beneath Reims (3+ miles of chalk mines). Kings didn't just get crowned here - they got crowned WITH Champagne. The houses put their prestige next to sacred ground on purpose. Exit cathedral, walk southeast toward Place Royale and Rue de Tambour (5-minute walk from cathedral). You'll see the ornate Renaissance mansions with wrought-iron gates. No need to enter (cellars cost €20-30) - just walk the exterior. The architecture itself tells the story: medieval spirituality + 17th-century capitalist wealth, side by side.

   BACKUP: Google Maps "Champagne Houses Reims" - they're all within 10-minute walk of cathedral.

   Log Memory