12:04pm Friday 22nd April 2005
FOR many Brits a short break in France means one thing only: the infamous booze cruise. We all know the drill: hire a dirty white van, drive down to Dover at the crack of dawn, load up with cigarettes and alcohol and bid the natives au revoir.
However, if you secretly hanker after something more cultured than the inside of a Calais hypermarket, Reims could be for you.
This little-known town 130km north-east of Paris is home to some of the finest architecture in France, but it's also situated in the heart of champagne country.
So you can drink deeply from the well of culture, safe in the knowledge that a glass of bubbly is never far away.
With a population of 185,000, Reims is the largest town in the Champagne-Ardenne region. Beneath it lies 150 miles of caves containing millions of bottles of the stuff.
Whether an occasional drinker or a fully-fledged dipso, your first port of call should be one of the town's numerous champagne bars.
There are so many, all within walking distance of the compact centre, that a champagne crawl is not out of the realms of possibility.
Start with a flute or three at the atmospheric Caf du Palais (14 place Myron-Herrich). The arty interior and friendly service goes down as smoothly as the champers.
There's a menu dedicated to champagne and at 17 euros per half bottle (about a tenner) it's pretty reasonable.
A brisk walk along the place d'Erlon, and you can suck Pommery Pop through a straw at Le Bar Discount before visiting L'Apostrophe, another high-class establishment.
If you get beer withdrawal symptoms, try Caf Leffe. Don't expect the tepid fare typically found in British pubs. Most lagers here are seriously strong, weighing in at around eight or nine per cent volume.
After a couple of grande bieres, you'll be ready to hit the sack.
However, make sure your hangover doesn't prevent you taking in some of Reims' architectural beauties the next day.
The Notre-Dame Cathedral is simply stunning. Rebuilt after a fire in 1210, its vast structure is a gothic gem.
The western facade boasts 2,300 statues and is one of the masterpieces of the Middle Ages, while inside you will marvel at the prodigious height of its arches and vaults.
It's no surprise that since 987, all but six French kings were crowned there.
There's no getting away from champagne though one of the gorgeous circular stained-glass windows depicts the stages involved in making it and outside, in the square, there's a champagne bar where you'd normally find a tearoom.
There's much more to see including a Roman arch dating to the year 200 at the Porte Mars.
Along the rue de Mars, there's an interesting champagne-themed mosaic on a building opposite the 17th Century town hall.
A bit further on, in the place du Forum, is the cryptoportico, a long, semi-under-ground Roman gallery.
In the south of the town, the impressive St Remi's basilica, named after the saint who crowned Clovis in 496, is also worth a look.
But no trip to Reims would be complete without a champagne tour. I headed underground to the Lanson cellars on the outskirts of the town.
For five euros, you'll be led into cavernous darkness to learn about the history of champagne and its production.
After you've been taught the difference between a sec and a brut, you can venture upstairs for a quick look at the production area where state-of-the-art machinery bottles, corks and packages the precious cargo. But learning about champagne is thirsty work, and the tour finishes with a richly earned tasting session.
I nailed five glasses in the allotted 30 minutes and, somewhat embarrassed by my lack of sophistication, overcompensated by buying three bottles of vintage 1996 at 25 euros apiece.
You can take the man out of Watford...
Places to stay
Grand Hotel de Templiers, 22 rue de Templiers **** double rooms from £140 per night (0033 326 885508)
Hotel Continental, 93 place d'Erlon *** double rooms from £117 per night (0033 326 403935)
Hotel Bristol, 76 place Drouet d'Erlon ** double rooms from £53 per night.
Getting there
Ryanair (0871 246 0000, www.ryanair.com) has daily flights from Stanstead to Reims. The shuttlebus into town costs £1.50, a taxi £11-£14.
Getting around
Reims centre is small enough to cover on foot but if you want to explore the surrounding countryside, try hiring a car. Hertz (0033 326 479876). Alternatively, call a taxi. Les Taxis de Reims 24h/24h
(0033 326 470505).
Must do
A champagne tour. For more information, call the Reims Tourist Board (0033 326 774500, www.tourisme.fr/reims) or the Comite Regional du Tourisme (0033 326 218580,
www.tourisme-champagne-ardenne.com).
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