The Champagne Region of France

Reims is  located about 90 miles South east of Paris right in the centre of the Champagne region. Near by are the famous vineyards that producing the famous sparkling wine a product that first was produced here by the monks of the region.  Reims is world famous for champagne, the sparkling wine of France and is the birthplace of the monk Dom Perignon who invented the beverage.  Almost in every tourist area of Reims, like the area around the square of the Notre Dame Cathedral, you will find shops that sell local Champagne.
The city of Reims has a rich historical past dating back before the Roman occupation and the naming of the city as Durocortorum.  It was the capital of the Belgian Gaul province, and the older city was a settlement of Celts. Its name derives from the name of the region of the Remi tribe who’s capital was Reims.
Reims was the city where the Kings of France were crowned until the beginning of the 19th century.

The main attraction of the city is the  the Cathedral of Notre Dame one of the most famous Cathedrals of France. The Cathedral was built in the place of an older church that was destroyed by fire in 1211. The bell towers of the Cathedral are over 240 ft high and the whole architecture is a magnificent piece of Gothic architecture. The front facade of Note Dame is decorated with many statues, and gargoyles. One of the most famous statue is the smiling angel. Within the Cathedral are fine tapestries and paintings from famous painters like Tintoreto, the famous painter Marc Chagall has painted many  of the stained glass windows with figures from the Old and New Testaments as well as figures from the history of Reims. Since 1991, The Notre Dame Cathedral has been an Unesco word heritage site.  Here in Reims Cathedral Joan of Arc saw the coronation of the French King Charles VII after the recapturing of the city from the English during the 100 years war in 1429. The statue of the King Charles VII can be seen today at the Place Royal and the statue of Joan of Arc at the Place Cardinal Lucon.
Among many historical events that happened in Reims was the surrender of the German army to the allies forces during the World War II on 7th May 1945.
Today Reims is an attractive holiday destination only 2 1/2 hours away from Calais on the route A26. The visitor can enjoy the attractions of the city like, the Museum of Fine Arts, with paintings from the medieval times to modern and contemporary times, the Vergeur Palace Museum and visit the wineries of Reims and Epernay .