Champagne Cellars, Reims

Beneath the Saint-Nicaise hill, the crayères — Gallo-Roman chalk quarries — house the cellars of the great champagne houses of Reims, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Getting there

By train: Reims station (TGV from Paris in about 45 minutes). The houses can be reached by car, taxi or sometimes on foot from the centre.

History

Dug from Antiquity onwards to extract chalk, they were converted into cellars from the 18th century. Their constant temperature (about 11 °C) and darkness are ideal for ageing champagne.

Culture & stories

Houses such as Pommery, Taittinger, Ruinart and Veuve Clicquot open their galleries for tours and tastings.

Location