Reims is one of the major Gothic cathedrals and a memorial site of French history, for centuries the French kings were crowned in Reims. The most striking feature of the exterior is the shape of the stocky towers, the originally planned spires were never completed. The restoration of the western façade is still ongoing (September 2015), currently the central portal and the rose window are under scaffolding, but the other parts are bright and clean again. The cathedral is famous for the sculptural decoration at the façade and in the interior. The facial expression and gestures of the sculptures are striking, most notably the Smiling Angel at the western portal.

But I was most attracted by the stained glass windows by Marc Chagall. Actually, I have no particular fondness for Chagall paintings, but his style is perfect for church windows. It is a wonderful harmony between modern drawing and the ‘medieval shades’ of blue, red and green. I have previously seen his stained glass in Mainz, Zürich and Metz, but the windows in Reims have impressed me most.

The neighboring Palais du Tau is also part of the WHS. The palace is associated with the coronation ceremonies, today the building houses the treasury of the cathedral, tapestries and some original sculptures of the cathedral. Not really exciting, we went rather quickly through the rooms.

The third part of the WHS, the Abbey of Saint-Remi, is worth a visit. It is located in the outskirts of Reims, near the Champagne Houses. The dimensions of the abbey church would be worthy of a cathedral. The church was built on the grave of the Saint Remi and the tomb in the choir dominates the interior until today (photo). I liked the interior even more than the cathedral: the plain and unadorned nave, the arcades with round arches and the slender columns.

Reims is a worthwhile destination for WHS enthusiasts: two WHS in the city, two sites of the Santiago de Compostela WHS and numerous WWI memorials (TWHS) in the vicinity. However, I found the city not very attractive, apart from the WHS there was nothing typical and distinctive, many cities on our trip through northern France were far more interesting and charming.