Parcours audioguidé pour visiter Reims

The ideal time to discover Reims runs from May to June, then from September to early October. You'll then enjoy mild, pleasant temperatures, perfect light for admiring the city's architecture and more moderate tourist crowds. Spring reveals the green vineyards, while autumn offers the spectacle of the grape harvest. Summer remains a good option for a lively atmosphere, even if showers are more frequent. Winters, rather cold with temperatures ranging between zero and eight degrees, suit lovers of a cosy atmosphere and peaceful visits.

Reims is easily accessible from Paris thanks to excellent connections. The train is the most practical option, with direct TGV trains from Gare de l'Est that bring you to the heart of the city in just about forty-five minutes. TER trains also provide the link in an hour and a half for a more economical budget. By car, allow about an hour and a half via the A4 motorway. Long-distance buses are an economical alternative with journeys of about two hours. Once there, Reims Centre station places you ideally to explore the city on foot.

Two full days is the ideal length of time to properly discover Reims. This time lets you calmly visit Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Palais du Tau and the Saint-Rémi basilica, while devoting half a day to the prestigious Champagne houses. One day is enough to see the essentials if your time is limited, focusing on the historic centre and one cellar. With three days, you'll be able to deepen your discovery by exploring the Art Deco districts, multiplying the tastings and treating yourself to some gourmet breaks in the city's excellent restaurants.

Notre-Dame Cathedral, a Gothic masterpiece where the kings of France were crowned, is the absolute jewel of Reims. The adjacent Palais du Tau also deserves your attention for its royal treasures. The Saint-Rémi basilica impresses with its Romanesque dimensions and houses the tomb of the patron saint. The great Champagne houses such as Taittinger or Pommery reveal their centuries-old cellars carved into the chalk. The Art Deco district bears witness to the reconstruction after the First World War. The Ryo audioguide accompanies you in the discovery of these wonders with narrated tours that enrich your visit with numerous historical anecdotes.

The great Champagne houses offer guided tours by reservation, generally available in several languages. Historic cellars such as Taittinger, Veuve Clicquot or Ruinart offer tours of about an hour including the discovery of the underground galleries and a tasting. It is strongly advisable to book in advance, especially in high season. Rates vary depending on the houses and the packages chosen. Some cellars are accessible on foot from the city centre, others require a short bus or taxi ride. For a more intimate experience, turn to independent producers who often offer more personalised visits.

Reims is full of excellent spots for discovering Champagne gastronomy. The traditional brasseries of the city centre serve the famous jambon de Reims and boudin blanc, naturally accompanied by local champagne. Gourmet restaurants showcase regional products such as Champagne truffle or Chaource cheese. The Boulingrin covered market, a historic hall, offers fresh, local products on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday mornings. For a sweet break, try the pink biscuits of Reims, perfect dipped in a glass of champagne. The neighbourhood bistros offer generous, authentic cuisine in a convivial, typically Rémois atmosphere.

Reims lends itself wonderfully to exploration on foot. The compact historic centre makes it easy to link the cathedral, the museums and the main monuments in just a few minutes' walk. The wide avenues inherited from the reconstruction offer pleasant strolls, notably the Cours Langlet lined with Art Deco façades. The pedestrian streets of the centre invite you to wander between shops and terraces. The Ryo app offers audio-guided itineraries that take you through the various districts, revealing the fascinating history of the coronation city. Even some Champagne houses remain accessible on foot from the centre, making a car unnecessary for most of your stay.

The region around Reims offers magnificent getaways. Epernay, the capital of champagne located half an hour away, is worth the detour for its Avenue de Champagne lined with prestigious houses. The wine villages of the Montagne de Reims such as Verzenay or Bouzy reveal splendid panoramas over the vineyards. The Montagne de Reims regional nature park offers lovely hikes through forests and hillsides. Hautvillers, the birthplace of champagne where Dom Pérignon lived, charms with its flower-filled alleys. Further afield, Châlons-en-Champagne charms with its preserved medieval centre and its canals. These excursions combine ideally with tastings at independent winegrowers for a complete immersion in the Champagne terroir.

It was in Reims that Clovis is said to have been baptised, a founding episode that tied the city to the French monarchy for centuries. From the Middle Ages onwards, almost every king was crowned here, in a ceremony combining anointing, the handing over of the royal regalia and considerable pomp; the coronation of Charles VII, with Joan of Arc in attendance, remains the most famous of all. The Gothic cathedral still bears the marks of that role: abundant statuary, the smiling angel that became the city's emblem, and stained glass to which Marc Chagall added a contemporary touch. Next door, the Palais du Tau, where kings stayed for the ceremony, displays the treasures and garments connected with it.

Badly damaged during the First World War, Reims was rebuilt in the 1920s and 1930s, which left it with one of the richest Art Deco ensembles in France. The Carnegie library, with its mosaic, its glass roof and its ironwork, is the most spectacular showcase, but the style can also be read on the façades of rue de Vesle, around place Drouet-d'Erlon and in the Boulingrin market hall with its daring concrete vault. Garden cities and the stained glass of apartment buildings complete this often discreet heritage, which reveals itself when you look up. The Ryo audio guide offers a route dedicated to Reims that helps you spot these details as you walk.