|
 Reims (pronounced Rahns), an ancient
Roman city, was important at the time Caesar conquered Gaul. French
kings came here to be crowned, and it's said that the French nation was
born here in A.D. 498. Joan of Arc escorted Charles VII here in 1429,
kissing the silly man's feet. But don't let this ancient background
mislead you: As you approach Reims, you'll pass through prefabricated
suburbs that look like apartment house blocks in Eastern Europe. There
are gems in Reims, including the cathedral, of course, but you must seek
them out.
Most visitors come to Reims because it's the center of a wine-growing
district whose bubbly is present at celebrations all over the world. The
city today, with a population of 185,000, is filled with swank
restaurants, ritzy champagne houses, large squares, and long, tree-lined
avenues. The champagne bottled here is the lightest and subtlest in
flavor of the world's wines. Make an effort to linger, exploring the
vineyards and wine cellars, the Gothic monuments, and the battlefields.
For its museums with their unique collections, Corot and Cranach at the
Saint Denis Museum, DĂĽrer at the Vergeur Hotel-Museum, the Treasure of
Cathedral at the Palace Tau, …
 Champagne
Cellars:
For its 200 kilometers of galleries that are cut into the chalk,
going down to depth of 30 meters, and wich are safely storing more than
250 millions bottles of must highly estemed Champagne, from the very
newest to others that were bottled way back in the last century, and for
twenty wine cellars that are open to visitors with or without an
appointement. |
