Reims Cathedral Tower Climb
Most visitors admire the cathedral from the square below, but climb the north tower and you step into a secret world of flying buttresses, stone grotesques and an unobstructed 360-degree panorama over the Champagne plain that stretches to the vine-covered slopes of the Montagne de Reims on the horizon.
The climb itself
The ascent covers 249 steps of a tight spiral staircase — manageable for anyone reasonably fit, though not suitable for pushchairs or visitors with severe vertigo. Halfway up, a walkway cuts across the nave roof and you find yourself eye-level with the upper gallery of angels, close enough to see the tool marks left by 13th-century masons.
The tower platform sits at roughly 81 metres. On a clear day you can trace the Vesle river valley east toward Épernay and spot the dark line of the Forêt de la Montagne de Reims to the south — the same forested ridge that shelters the grand cru vineyards.
Timing your visit
The tower opens only in summer (roughly late June to early September) and on select spring weekends — check the Centre des Monuments Nationaux website before you go. Capacity is limited to small groups, so morning slots sell out first.
Golden hour from the tower platform, with the city turning amber and the cathedral's own stone glowing below you, is one of the most photographed moments in Reims. Bring a wide-angle lens or use your phone's ultra-wide mode.
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