Reims Cathedral Celebrates 800 Years

To help with the celebration, The Reims Cathedral is putting on the Reves de Couleurs ( technicolor Dreams) light show until October of this year. The light show begins at about 11pm. Its a choreographed light and sound show. The thing that France does so well.

Reims, the city of kings and Champagne - An Easy Day Trip From Paris

A quick 45-minute ride from Paris' Gare de l'Est station via the superfast TGV train, Reims offers many attractions in a relatively compact area easily navigated by foot or, if you must, by taxi. There's the Gothic masterpiece that is the Notre-Dame Cathedral and the more subdued Romanesque Basilica of St. Remi (53, rue Simon), where lies the tomb of said saint, who baptized Clovis, king of Franks. You can visit the Musee de la Reddition (The Surrender Museum, 12, rue Franklin Roosevelt), where the Germans surrendered to Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, ending the European phase of World War II, or gaze on the Mars Gate (Place de la Republique), the only remaining gate to what was the Roman city of Durocortorum.
Dine in subtle but unmistakable luxury in the Michelin one-star restaurant Le Millenaire (4-6, rue Bertin — try the langoustines four ways to start) or jovially jostle elbows with locals and visitors (if you hear any English, they're likely British) at fast, affordable neighborhood boites such as Le Lion de Belfort (37, place Drouet d'Erlon — try the Gruyere cheese omelet: deliciously simple). Or Les Crayeres a 3 star Michelin restaurant and chateau in the center of town. I must admit, I always come here and have lunch when I am in Paris. Although very expensive, they now also have a lovely bistro and more affordable prices, either one is highly recommended. And don't forget the Champagne houses —— where you'll be able to tour ancient quarries-turned-wine-cellars and sip some of the bubbly that made Champagne world famous.
Dominating the city skyline is the Cathedrale Notre-Dame de Reims (Our Lady of Reims). Construction began in 1211. Each succeeding century has left a mark for good or ill. The cathedral was nearly destroyed by German bombardment during World War I, and it remains a restoration work in progress.
The cathedral (1, rue Guillaume de Machault) strikes me as being far more imposing than Notre Dame in Paris. The scale seems grander, with the pillars soaring upward to the vaulted ceiling high above. Nor are there the crowds and the lines you have to endure at any of Paris' historic churches.
At the neighboring Palace of Tau (2, place du Cardinal-Lucon), the former home of the archbishops of Reims, you can get a close-up look at some of the statuary removed from cathedral facade because they were too fragile or damaged. The kings of France were crowned in the cathedral, the last being Charles X in 1825. So it's natural the palais would have an exhibition focusing on the kings and their coronations.
The action is centered on the Place Drouet d'Erlon, one of the major downtown streets just minutes from the Reims train station.
Reims is friendly, but remember: English can be sparse, so learn some rudimentary French phrases, practice your pantomime and meet smile with smile; you'll be all set.
Visiting the big names
No visit to Reims at any season would be complete without visiting a Champagne house., a number of big names remain open, such as Pommery, G.H. Mumm and Taittinger. Even if you don't drink Champagne, a visit can be instructive, as the houses themselves and their luxury products reflect the culture and history of France. Just remember to reserve a tour time.
Reims sits on a large deposit of easily carved limestone. Over the millennia, residents have cut tunnels through the rock, building subterranean galleries perfect for aging Champagne. Most tunnel tours offer a quick how-to in making Champagne, complete with display bottles at various stages in the production process.
Domaine Pommery (5, place du General Gouraud) is a short taxi ride from downtown Reims. If the castle-like chateau strikes you as a touch kitschy, you're not far off. Louise Pommery, the brains behind this bubbly operation in the 19th century, had the chateau built to suggest a English manor house to attract traveling Brits.
Tours are offered. Prices start about $16.40. The sprawling complex that is G.H. Mumm & Cie (34, rue du Champs de Mars) looks more like a Hollywood movie studio. The tour comes with movies that tell the Champagne story, and the cellars offer a mini-history of how Champagne making has evolved over the centuries. Cellars are open daily. Admission is about $11.
Taittinger (9, place Saint-Nicaise) has named its cellars for St. Nicaise, a 5th century bishop of Reims who, when he found his head cut off by barbarian invaders, simply went on saying his prayers. The tour leads to a huge Roman quarry. Tours are on weekdays. A tour ticket is about $13.7

Champagne On A Beer Budget in Reims

For the last 20 years or so, my favorite 3 Star Michelin restaurant in France, hands down has always been Les Crayeres (located in Reims – The Champagne Country). It has never been cheap, but great food, the talent of a great chef, and great ingredients does cost! Since lunch took 3 hours (my kind of lunch) it was a destination for me just to eat. I would travel here from Paris, just to have lunch, whenever I visited France.
NOW….I am happy to announce that along with the incredible Le Parc gourmet restaurant, Les Crayeres has added Le Jardin Brasserie. Open 7 days a week, all year long with service until 10:30pm. Les Crayeres has created a unique place entirely designed around the champagne in order to make this divine wine accessible to all and one's budget (the restaurant offers a Euro 28 prix fixe meal - incredible!). That's a bargain, as the Le Parc restaurant meal can run you around 150 Euros per person.

The chef reinvents traditional recipes from Champagne and elsewhere. Of course when it comes to the ‘cave” La Jardin benefits from the unique experience of master sommelier, Philippe JAMESSE and a menu of 400 kinds of Champagne.

Les Crayeres is also a wonderful hotel (in the heart of Reims)  and you might consider staying overnight.

Here is a review by Paris critic and author, Alexander Lobrano

Whether you live in Paris or are just visiting, Reims, the Champagne capital has always been a great day out. And now that this bubbly ville is only 45 minutes from Paris on the new TGV Est, it's more appealing than ever. They're the Champagne caves to visit, bien sur, but the locals museums are superb, too, as is the cathedral that so fascinated Monet. And with the opening of Le Jardin, the new brasserie at the famous Les Crayeres hotel-restaurant, the city also has a truly enchanting place for lunch. Le Jardin is also under the supervision of chef Didier Elena, the Monaco born chef who cooked chez Ducasse for several years, mostly notably in New York City. It's a great way to get at his cooking without spending an arm-and-a-leg, too, since the average bill at Le Jardin is about 45 Euros a head as opposed to 200 Euros a head at Les Crayeres. During a recent dejeuner a la campagne--it was such a pretty day that four of us jumped on the train and went to Reims just for lunch, we loved the superb charcuterie starter, which include some sublime jambon de Reims, red tuna and avocado tartare, and a terrific Caesar salad to start (Romaine with chicken, shrimp, a poached egg and a dressing with a perfect anchovy-Parmesan bite). Main courses were very good, too, including an excellent and very generously served gratin of crabmeat, rotisserie roasted pork belly, a textbook perfect sole meuniere, and boudin blanc with apple-onion compote. A tempting array of side dishes, a very American concept, included Parmesan-rosemary frites, haricots verts with toasted almonds, and a French take on onion rings, and in this arena, only the gnocci fell short of mark--texture all wrong and very bland. We finished up with one of the best lemon tarts any of us had eaten in a long time and also a wonderful nougat glace with caramel au beurre sale. Mark my words, someday scientists will discover that regular consumption of caramel au beurre sale (caramels made with salted butter) had been incontrovertibly proven to significantly improve the human life span. Weather permitting, Le Jardin also has a charming terrace overlooking the park-like setting of Les Crayeres, and if it's cool or rainy, a hip Soho inspired dining room by interior decorator Pierre Yves Rochon--think exposed brick walls, an open kitchen behind plate glass, factory lamps and big picture windows. The menu of 21st century comfort food has taken Reims by storm, too--many Champagne execs eat here every other day, so be sure to make a reservation. 7 Avenue du Général Giraud, Reims,