Taxi Laon → Reims

The Laon to Reims route crosses one of France's most historically significant landscapes. The road passes near the Chemin des Dames ridge, scene of fierce World War I fighting including the Nivelle Offensive of 1917 and subsequent mutinies. The Dragon's Cavern, an underground museum in former quarries, tells the story of soldiers' subterranean life. Descending towards Reims, the Aisne plateaux give way to the first Champagne hillsides of the Montagne de Reims. Reims Cathedral (UNESCO) saw the coronation of 33 French kings, from Louis VIII to Charles X, and features Chagall stained-glass windows and the famous Smiling Angel. The great Champagne houses age their bottles in Gallo-Roman chalk cellars beneath the city.