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Technically, it's no more the "capital" of Champagne as Châlons is but it shouldn't prevent the French people from considering that it's unfair. Rheims (Reims in French) is the true France : large plains scattered with big and venerable old towns, a cathedral expressing the genius of the people of this country, wine and an industrious mindset.
Rheims embodies the French spirit and the Latin heritage not far from the border with the Germanic lands. Catholicism, our Kings, bourgeoisie. Placenames don't lie : a mix of Celtic settlements (Rheims, Châlons, ...), Roman villae (Epernay, Vrigny, Mutigny, ...), Germanic villages (Heutrégiville, Warmeriville, ...) and above all those medieval creations (Cormontreuil < Curtis Monasteriolis, Châtillon < Castillonem ).
This is where Clovis was baptised, where Colbert was born, where France had to suffer the most from German criminal commissions with the bombing of the cathedral. The town was mostly destroyed in 1918 : it was rebuilt in Art-Nouveau and Art-Déco style with much ecclectism. IMO, you don't understand the defeat of 1940 if you don't take into account that the heart of France had been demolished just 20 years before.
Time for a little tour beginning with the rail-station in the outskirts of the town :


Reaching the centre-town :





Rue Eugène-Desteuque near the Cathedral in the centre-town :


Around the Cathedral :





Details of the Cathedral :



Visiting the centre-town :



Colbert Street :

Place Royale :



Pommery Castle :


Saint-Remi Basilica where Remi is buried :








Around "Porte de Mars", a Roman ruin :




The Foujita Chapel :


L'Hôtel de Brimont :

Rheims from the towers of the Cathedral :






The Basilica :

Saint-André :

The Town Hall :

Place Royale :

In the distance in the South, the "Montagne de Reims" :

Let's leave the town for the neighbouring countryside ("Montagne de Reims") around Epernay (on the right), known of its Champagne :

Full Scale
Moët et Chandon and other Champagne castles :



Cumières :

Epernay as seen from the heights of Hautvillers :

Dizy :

Chamery :

Sermiers :

Rheims as seen from the "mountains" :

Rilly-la-Montagne :


