www.reims-tourisme.com. Capital of one of the most famous wine-growing regions in the world, Reims has Roman origins. Clovis, the first King of the Franks, and subsequent scourge of the Moors, was baptised here in 496, and the significance of this act was not lost on future kings of France, 26 of whom elected to be crowned in the city.

The coronations took place in the Cathédrale de Notre-Dame, founded in 1211, but not completed for almost 300 years. One of the finest Gothic cathedrals in the land, its stunning west front though badly scarred is simply covered in 13thC carvings – look for the Smiling Angel and friends decorating the north (left) portal. There is a further surfeit of statuary decorating the interior wall, and richly carved friezes encircle the pillars in the soaring but otherwise simple nave. The 13thC stained glass is glorious in the sunlight, also the Chagall windows in the ambulatory with their luminous deep blues and purples cut with green and red. The Palais de Tau, an elegant 17thC former bishop’s palace, houses the cathedral treasury’s tapestries, jewellery and more sculpture.

A short walk from the cathedral, the Musée des Beaux-Arts (see www.reims.fr)  presents a comprehensive selection of European art from the Renaissance to the present-day. Of particular interest are the Dutch and Flemish School portraits, some 30 Corots, minor works by Monet, Renoir, Pissarro, and Fauve artists Dufy and Matisse; also Foujita, who marked his conversion to Catholicism by decorating a chapel at 33 rue du Champ de Mars (closed Wed). The city centre was largely destroyed during the First World War, and has been rebuilt around a handful of surviving edifices. The main shopping area is sandwiched between rue Libergier and the inner ring boulevards, bisected by place Drouet d’Erlon (actually a street), the entertainment district with restaurants, cafés, cinemas and shopping malls squeezed in amongst the hotels.

To the east, behind a sunken 3rdC Gallo-Roman cryptoporticus on place Forum, the yellow sandstone turrets and half-timbered gables of the Hôtel le Vergeur (closed Mon) mark a treasure house of local history furnished with antiques, plus remarkable sets of Dürer engravings (guided tours only; patience of Job an advantage). Follow rue Colbert north for a look at the splendid 17thC Hôtel de Ville with an equestrian statue of Louis XIII decorating a pediment; then rue de Mars leads to another Roman relic, the triple-arched Porte de Mars. Across the boulevards, the Salle de la Reddition, 12 rue Franklin-Roosevelt, was General Eisenhower’s headquarters from the early spring of 1945, and the German surrender was signed here that May.

Overshadowed by the famous cathedral, the Basilique de Saint-Remi (a 15-minute walk south on rue Simon), is sadly neglected by visitors. Named for the young bishop who baptised Clovis, it predates Notre-Dame by 200 years, and although much-altered the immense Romanesque nave and early Gothic choir are a remarkable sight. The Musée Saint-Remi, in the old abbey buildings, houses pre-Renaissance items including archaeological relics, tapestries and armour. See www.reims.fr.

Another reason to venture south is champagne. Since Dom Perignon introduced bubbles to Champagne’s flat wines with a second fermentation in the 17thC, Reims has been a major trading centre, and several big-name champagne houses open their doorsto visitors. Both Tattinger, 9 place Saint-Ni√笵caise, and Piper-Heidseick, 51 boulevard Henri-Vasnier, extract a small charge which includes a tasting; Pommery (open Apr-Oct; by appointment Nov-Mar, admission tree), 5 place du Général-Gouraud, (tel. 03 26 61 62 56). A five-minute walk from the Porte de Mars, is Mumm, 34 rue Champ du Mars.

Although it is even more off the beaten track, vintage car buffs should not miss the Musee Automobile, www.musee-automobile-reims-champagne.com. Amassed by designer Philippe Char-bonneaux, 150 lovingly conditioned cars share the billing with 2,000 antique and modern models and toys.