Now, I have been to a lot of fancy cathedrals but I think that Notre Dame in Reims might take the top spot on the podium. It is actually the precursor to the Notre Dame in Paris. This masterpiece of Gothic art dates from the 13th century. (It might be the defining models of Gothic architecture.) As a reminder of the christening of Clovis (and thus the Kingdom of the Franks was born), the cathedral was the site of 25 coronations of French kings. The cathedral hosted thirty-three sovereign coronations in just over 1000 years!
Adorned with over 2,300 statues, this is the only cathedral to display angels with open wings, including the famous Smiling Angel on the western façade of the north portal. The exceptional stained-glass windows mix styles from the Middle Ages until the 20th century.
It was also at Reims in 1962 that the Franco-German reconciliation was made official. A mass at the Cathedral in the presence of General De Gaulle and German Chancellor Adenauer laid the foundations of European reconstruction.
It is located at Pl. du Cardinal Luçon, 51100 Reims, France
Have you visited Reims Cathedral?
If you enjoyed this post, you might also like:
10 Things to do in Reims
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Paris (In the Afternoon)
Paris
Palais Garnier (Paris Opera House)
Paris on a budget
Paris (Montmartre)
Paris at Night
Pere Lachaise Cemetery, Paris
Ruinart Champagne House, Reims
The Somme
The Armistice Museum
Shakespeare & Co, Paris
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