9.45 or 13.45 World heritage classified gothic Cathedral Notre-Dame de Reims
1/Western Façade and its wonderful sculptures. I provide you binoculars to see the highest ones (satiric and naughty ones that the bishop was not supposed to see).
2/Going up to the towers (optional) If you feel brave enough for climbing 250 steps in some narrow gothic stairs you won’t regret it; no hunchback up there but some hidden gargoyles, a wonderful panorama and great pictures to take.
3/Inside the cathedral. A 38 metres high vault (XL size considering gothic standards) and stained glass windows modern or medieval.
11.00 or 15.00 Andrew Carnegie’s Art-Deco library
WWI left Reims almost completely destroyed, as the front line was less than 2 km from the city. In this context, American steel tycoon Andrew Carnegie promised the city a wonderful public library a few weeks before he died in 1919. Ten years passed, and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching fulfilled this promise, hiring the best artists and providing them with an unlimited budget. A monumental square pendant chandelier, noble woods, mosaics, huge modern-style stained-glass windows, and gilded bronzes create a unique atmosphere (somewhere between Agatha Christie and Scott Fitzgerald).
11.30 or 15.30 Le vergeur renaissance hotel
My hidden gem, forgotten by almost all the city's guides (which is a shame). Imagine a preserved Renaissance estate with gardens and a manor in the very heart of the city, behind fences but accessible to the public. The manor has a lovely structure: its half-timbered exterior façade is definitely medieval, while the inner façade and its bas-reliefs definitely belong to the Renaissance. The interior can be visited (for an additional fee).
12.00 or 16.00 Champagne tasting
Finish your tour in a fancy 1900s-style underground cellar to taste our most distinguished sparkling white wine. No big brands here — we are a couple of streets from the very centre and its mass-marketed bottles. We shall taste three champagnes: one for each of the three major grapes used to produce them! This will serve as our Ariadne's thread to understand this wine, the way it is made, the people who make it, and the place where it is made…
