Reims

Reims's piece de resistance is certainly that indomitable Cathedral of Notre-Dame. A medley of square-cut Romanesque towers and spiked turrets, glimmering golden filigrees and Gothic flying buttresses, it's arguably the most important church in all of France. It was here that countless French kings have been apotheosized and crowned, elevating Reims itself to the position of one of Europe's most prestigious religious-political centers for much of the Middle Ages. In more recent centuries, this town of Grand Est, some 2.5 hours south of Calais, has been drawing in devoted pilgrims, history buffs and lovers of architecture with its jaw-dropping medley of buildings: the UNESCO-tagged Palace of Tau (just check out the holy relics within); the crumbling Roman remains of the Porte de Mars; the handsome faces of the Saint Remi Basilica. Acclaimed institutions like the Museum of the Surrender (dedicated to the strife of WWII) are also worthy stops, while Reims tour guides are available for jaunts out to the famous region of Champagne, where cellar doors froth and bubble with France's most iconic wine.