We spent a wonderful day touring around the beautiful and historic city of Reims, in the Champagne region of France. It’s surreal to be in a city that has existed since 80 BC! Some highlights for us: a Segway tour around the downtown, and a captivating light and sound show at dusk on the front of the Notre Dame Cathedral.

When in Reims

After dropping Bruce and Pat off at the airport in Paris, we decided to take advantage of having our rental car for an extra day and headed to Reims. It is about a 1.5 hour drive from CDG, slightly north-east and into the heart of the famous Champagne region of France. As we approached the city, we were treated to views of lush green slopes planted with row upon row of grapes. I was already thirsting for a cool glass of bubbly.

Unfortunately, I was not able to book us a tour of one of the popular Champagne Houses (like Moet et Chandon, Veuve Clicquot, or Tattinger) because of our last-minute planning. Alas, we’ll just have to make another trip to the region. I don’t think either of us are too sad about that.

We parked our rented Ford Focus (I know what you’re thinking: what a classic European vehicle), and checked into the ResidHome Reims Centre. Our room was clean and fairly modern, with a comfortable queen bed and small kitchen unit. For €49/night, I thought the value was excellent and would recommend it to any future travellers.

Place Drouet d’Erlon

I love a good pedestrian area, and I think Reims has the best one I’ve seen so far. Place Drouet d’Erlon is a double-wide, fully pedestrian street lined with restaurants and shops. There are trees and greenery dotted throughout the median, and various interesting features including two awesome fountains. I just learned that the long street was closed in the early 90’s to dig it up and create a 6-level underground carpark. Brilliant!

The whole area was almost completely destroyed by bombing during WWI, and then rebuilt with a lot of remarkable art deco style. We loved walking through the busy yet not crowded area, pausing every few steps to admire a building facade or to read a menu.  Of course it’s a touristy area, but we got the impression that many locals spent their time there as well, especially for apéro and later for drinks and nightlife.

At the cross-section of Place Drouet d’Erlon stands the iconic Sube Fountain, topped by a shining bronze Winged Victory. It was first erected in 1906 and survived both WWI and WWII. Unfortunately, the bronze Victory was taken by the Germans under occupation in 1941, and not replaced until 1989.

Ocel and I pause for a picture in front of the Fontaine Sube while on a Segway tour.

A Segway Tour of Reims

Since we were unable to book a Champagne House Tour on short notice, I wanted to find another activity to enjoy in the city. A Segway tour seemed like a fun option, and a great way to cover a lot of ground in a short period of time. I will be honest, I had some doubts. I wondered if it might be super lame, or if we would even be able to figure out how to ride the Segways enough to enjoy a tour without crashing into anything.

Luckily, any doubts I had quickly went away when we met Charlotte, the tour operator, and realized that we were the only two people booked for that time slot. The tour she led after us was full with 8 people, and made us extra appreciative of our great luck to end up with a private tour. Charlotte was super friendly, and very knowledgable about the history and architecture around Reims. It was easy to tell she was very proud of her city, and we really enjoyed seeing it through her eyes.

Before the tour started, we took about ten minutes to learn and practice on the Segways. At first, it was a very strange feeling. If you lean forward, it rolls forward. If you want to go faster, lean more; if you want to slow down, lean back. I figured out the basics, but was skeptical about my ability to navigate the busy city streets with any type of confidence. Balance and leaning being so important, I wondered if I could even pause to glance up at a tall building without falling over backwards! However, within 5 – 10 minutes, I was very comfortable and started to love it. I even felt comfortable enough to have my phone out snapping pics and videos, because pics or it didn’t happen, right? (To see a few videos of Ocel and I zipping around, check out my Instagram stories under “Little Trips.”) By the end of tour, Ocel and I both agreed that we would love to own a Segway. (The €8,000 pricetag made us reconsider.)

 I would highly recommend s Segway tour as an excellent way to see a new place. We were able to cover so much more of the downtown than we could have done just by walking. When it’s a short visit, but you still want to see the highlights, consider a Segway! I know I would certainly do it again. Charlotte made the tour fun and informative, and for the price we paid, the value was excellent. (This totally sounds like an advertisement, but I assure you there is no sponsorship. I just had a really great time!) 

Book your tickets here!

A bustling pedestrian square in front of the magnificent Reims Cathedral.

Notre Dame Cathedral de Reims

Yet another beautiful Notre Dame Cathedral to add to our collection of church visits in France. They never cease to amaze me in grandeur, and I think the Reims Cathedral may have the most intricately carved exterior of any we have seen so far. It’s almost too overwhelming and impossible to notice every detail. We spent a while appreciating the various carved figures that adorn the main entrance, including the famous “Smiling Angel.” Here’s a really great article from the NYTimes about the legend and lore of the Cathedral, including this great pronunciation tip: “Reims (pronounced “Rance,” except you have to kind of swallow the n).”

The cathedral that stands now was constructed during the 13th-15th centuries, built on the site of its predecessor church dating back to the 400s. It has played an important part in the French monarchy as the site of the royal coronations for all but 7 kings of France (31 coronations happened here in total), beginning with King Henry I in 1027. It’s hard to grasp just how much history has passed through the area, history that I’ve studied and read about in school, but seems so surreal.

Some other cool things that happened in the cathedral:

1051: King Henry I married Anne of Kiev

1131: Pope Innocent II anointed and crowned the future Louis VII

1429: Liberated from English rule by Joan of Arc, followed by the coronation of Charles VII

1481: Fire destroyed the roof and spires; repairs were funded by Charles VIII and Louis XII

1914: Used as a hospital for German troops during WWI

1991: Designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Spectacular Light Projection Show on the Reims Cathedral

One of our favorite experiences in Reims, along with the Segway tour, was the amazing light and sound show at the Cathedral. We could tell it was going to be a big deal, because it was recommended to us by our Segway tour guide Charlotte, the lady who checked us in at the hotel, and our server at lunch. Excitement about this brand new show was buzzing around the city, and it turns out we were there for the very first viewing.

We had a long relaxed dinner at Le Cafe de Reims along the Place Drouet d’Erlon. It was a lovely restaurant with great service and the best champagne I’ve ever tasted. We both agreed that the food wasn’t anything special, but the ambiance and service made it a win overall. As dusk approached, we moved outside to people-watch from their terasse.  We couldn’t get over how many food delivery bike messengers there were whizzing back and forth, and it seemed to be a popular gathering place for them in between calls. It was obvious that a few of the restaurants and pubs around us were ramping up for the Saturday nightlife, and the average age of the clientele in our end of the Place dropped significantly. Did you know fanny-packs are a popular accessory for fashionable young guys? I do now. 

It was getting close to 10:30, so we made our way back to the Cathedral square. Hoards of people were doing the same thing, and I think almost all of Reims gathered for the inaugural showing. As we waited in the growing crowd, Ocel noticed movement along the top of the Cathedral, and sure enough, there was a team of 5 or 6 people moving about the super high platform. Not a job for anybody bothered by heights, that’s for sure! At 10:30, the lights flickered onto the Cathedral and the show was introduced over the loudspeakers. We realized it was produced by Moment Factory, a company out of Montreal that is known internationally for creating multimedia spectacles. In January, we saw their AURA production inside the Notre Dame Cathedral in Montreal. Now we were even more excited for REGALIA.

It. Was. Incredible. 

A totally choreographed light projection accompanied by a soundtrack that highlighted not only the architectural features of the facade, but also told a story of its history and important design elements. There were many “wow” moments, including one where it seemed the whole front of the church was inverted upside down. Impossible to properly describe the experience, but if you’re interested to check it out, just search #regalia on Instagram to see some live videos. (I also have a few in my Instagram “Little Trips” stories.)

Reims was a beautiful city filled with amazing history and friendly people. We barely even scratched the surface of things to explore, especially when you include the surrounding Champagne vineyards. We will be back without a doubt. In the meantime, keep your eyes peeled for a new post coming soon about my trip to Dunkirk, and a post about the biggest differences we’ve noticed so far between France and Canada.

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