Reims Cathedral
Reims Cathedral, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, is the great Gothic church where for centuries the kings of France were crowned, a tradition reaching back to the baptism of Clovis and culminating in the coronation of Charles VII in 1429 with Joan of Arc at his side. The present building was begun in 1211 after a fire and rose over the following century into one of the most harmonious cathedrals of the age, its west front crowded with statuary including the celebrated Smiling Angel.
The interior soars with luminous height, and its stained glass ranges from medieval glory to twentieth-century windows designed by Marc Chagall. The cathedral suffered devastating bombardment during the First World War, when shellfire set its scaffolding ablaze, and its careful restoration became a symbol of Franco-German reconciliation in the decades that followed.
Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991 alongside the nearby Palace of Tau and the Abbey of Saint-Remi, Reims remains an active cathedral and a monument to the sacred history of the French monarchy. Visitors come to trace the coronation route and to admire some of the richest Gothic sculpture in Europe.
- Annual visitors
- ≈ 1,500,000
- Location
- 49.2539, 4.0342
- Local time
- 00:34 (Europe/Paris)
🕘 Visiting hours
| Mon–Sat | 07:30–19:30 |
| Sun | 07:30–19:15 |
Nave open free daily; Sunday morning reserved for Mass. Admission ends ~15 min before closing. Tower visits separately ticketed.
✨ Saints & blessed venerated here
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Saint Remigius (Remi) Saint
Archbishop of Reims who baptized Clovis here and instituted the Holy Anointing of French kings; depicted throughout the cathedral.
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Saint Nicasius (Nicaise) Saint
5th-century bishop and martyr who founded the first cathedral on this site; statue at the west facade beside the Smiling Angel.
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Saint Joan of Arc Saint
Championed the 1429 coronation of Charles VII here; statue of her holding a sword in a dedicated chapel.
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Virgin Mary Saint
Patroness (Notre-Dame de Reims); Virgin and Child depicted in Chagall's central stained-glass window.
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Saint Abraham Saint
Old Testament patriarch portrayed in Marc Chagall's stained glass windows (1974) in the axial chapel.
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Blessed Jean-Baptiste de La Salle Blessed
Reims-born founder of the Christian Brothers, ordained and tied to the city's church history; venerated locally.
The candle wall
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00:34
Tap an empty holder to light your own candle · €2.00 · hover a flame to see its intention