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- Destinations
- Europe
- France
- Champagne Country
- Reims
Reims
A visitor's first impression of Reims (pronounced
Rhance) is of a sprawling industrial town peppered with
concrete apartment blocks, the result of World War I bombs and
later disastrous town planning. However Reims is an ancient Roman
city and the birthplace of the French nation - it contains one of
the most impressive Gothic cathedrals in France, the Cathédrale
Notre-Dame de Reims
,where dynasties of French monarchs were crowned starting
with Clovis, first king of the Franks. The neighbouring Basilique
St-Rémi is even older and, half Gothic, half Romanesque in style,
includes the old royal abbey which is now a museum documenting the
history of the town. Most visitors come to Reims not so much for
history but for the hedonistic pleasure of visiting the cellars of
its great champagne producers. This is the home of the world's best
bubbly. The best of the best is to be sampled at the Maison de
Pommery, which has more than 10 miles (16km) of tunnels extending
100ft (30m) down into the chalk below its Gothic superstructure.
Move on to Mumm, which contains 25 million bottles of slowly
fermenting champagne in their vaults, and then Taittinger and Veuve
Clicquot. All give a guided tour of the cellars and champagne
making process, followed by a tasting.
Information & Facts
Address
Reims is situated 90 miles (145km) east of Paris
Admission
Maison de Pommery EUR11; Mumm EUR10; Taittinger EUR7;
Veuve Clicquot EUR10
Language
French is the official language.
Money
The Euro (EUR) is the official currency in France. Currency can
be exchanged at banks, bureaux de change and some large hotels,
though you will get a better exchange rate at the ATMs. Major
credit cards are widely accepted, as are travellers cheques,
particularly in major tourist destinations. Foreign currency is not
accepted.
Time
Local time is GMT +1 (GMT +2 between last Sunday in March and
last Sunday in October).