Reims is often referred to as the 'Coronation City'  as it was here, in the magnificent Cathedrale Notre-Dame  that all kings of France since the 11th century came to be crowned. A total of 25 French kings (including Charles VII, with Joan of Arc in attendance) have been proclaimed here, up to the coronation of Charles X in 1825. 

 Reims was badly damaged in World War II, but has been meticulously and tastefully reconstructed, with spacious parks and boulevards.