Winery · Reims

Cryptoporticus of Reims - Underground Roman Galleries

Beneath Reims' Place du Forum lies one of five cryptoporticus remaining in the Roman world: three U-shaped galleries from the 3rd century AD, vaulted in stone, decorated with colored bands. The ancient forum that fed Durocortorum's wine trade. Open May-September.

What to do there

TourCryptoporticus of Reims - Underground Roman GalleriesHidden beneath Reims' city center, these 3rd-century underground galleries were part of the Roman forum. Walk through barrel-vaulted passageways where Roman merchants stored goods - including wine. Above ground, these same cellars now age Champagne.

Wineries nearby

Winery Louis Roederer The 1876 Cristal, created for paranoid Tsar Alexander II, remains the world's most famous prestige Champagne—sourced from 45 exceptional vineyards across Reims' three Grand Cru zones.
Winery The Cristal Story: Assassination Champagne Tsar Alexander II feared assassination, so 1867 Louis Roederer commissioned clear lead-crystal bottles (flat-bottomed, no hiding bomb beneath)—transparent Cristal saved his wine's prestige when assassins killed him by hand-thrown bomb in 1881, the ironic legacy endures.
Winery Krug Joseph Krug founded his house in 1843 with obsession for "pleasure itself."