Place Royale, Reims
Palace in Reims
Place Royale is one of those Reims places that quietly ties the city together. On the surface it feels unmistakably French: a balanced, classical city square where façades frame the space and the statue at the centre becomes the natural meeting point. But beneath that elegance is a deeper layer, because this spot corresponds to the historic heart of Roman Durocortorum, where the main north-south and east-west axes once crossed. Standing here, you're in a place that has been “central” for a very long time.
Today it's one of the things to see in Reims if you enjoy the city's calmer, architectural moments rather than only the headline monuments. It's also a great place to visit on a walking tour of Reims because it sits neatly between Roman traces, cathedral streets, and café life, making it an easy stop that adds context without slowing your day down.
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History and Significance of the Place Royale
Place Royale’s significance comes from its layered identity. In Roman times, this area aligned with the crossing of the cardo and decumanus, the two principal streets that structured a Roman city. That’s the kind of detail you can’t “see” directly on the ground today, but it matters because it explains why the city keeps returning to this zone as a centre of gravity across different eras.
The square you see now belongs to a later Reims, shaped by classical urban ideals: symmetry, clarity, and civic display. Its role isn't only decorative; it represents the way French cities used public squares to project order and authority, creating a space where power, ceremony, and daily life could overlap.
At the centre stands the bronze statue of Louis XV by Jean-Baptiste Pigalle, unveiled on 26 August 1765. The king is depicted in Roman dress with laurel wreath and an extended hand, a visual language that borrows the authority of antiquity to express monarchy as guardianship. It’s a small but telling example of how 18th-century France used classical symbolism to communicate political legitimacy in public space.
Things to See and Do in the Place Royale
Start with the statue, but don’t treat it as a quick photo and move on. Walk a slow circle around it and notice how the Roman styling-laurels, draped attire, calm stance-turns a French monarch into a classical figure. It’s not subtle once you look for it, and it helps you read the square as a carefully staged civic scene rather than just an open space.
Then step back and take in the square as architecture. The appeal of Place Royale is the way it holds itself together: the sense of proportion, the framing façades, and the measured scale that feels intimate compared with grander squares in larger cities. If you enjoy urban photography, this is a good spot for clean compositions, especially when the light hits the stone evenly.
Finally, use it as a connector rather than an endpoint. Place Royale works best as a pause on a longer central walk-especially if you're moving between Roman remnants, cathedral streets, and the nearby café areas. It's a good place to orient yourself and decide where to head next.
Practical Tips on Visiting the Place Royale
- Suggested tips: Visit as part of a central walking loop and take a minute to read the square’s layers: Roman city planning underfoot, French classicism at eye level.
- Best time to visit: Early morning for quiet photos or late afternoon when the square feels more lived-in and the light is softer.
- Entrance fee: Free.
- Opening hours: Open access at all times.
- How long to spend: 10-25 minutes, longer if you’re photographing or pausing for a coffee nearby.
- Accessibility: Flat, open square with generally easy access, though paving can be uneven in places.
- Facilities: Benches and nearby cafés; toilets are usually easiest to find in nearby restaurants or public venues.
- Photography tip: For a strong shot, frame the statue with the square’s façades for symmetry, or shoot from a corner to show depth and scale.
- Guided tours: Not essential, but a walking tour can add context about Roman Durocortorum and why this spot remained central.
- Nearby food options: This is an ideal “between stops” square; pick a nearby café for a short break before continuing your walk.
Where to Stay close to the Place Royale
If you want to explore Reims mostly on foot, staying near the central squares is the easiest plan, and Place Royale fits naturally into that daily walking rhythm. Best Western Premier Hôtel de la Paix is a comfortable base close to central streets and cafés. Holiday Inn Reims - Centre is a practical option that keeps the main sights within easy reach. For a cathedral-quarter stay that feels especially central and atmospheric, La Caserne Chanzy Hotel & Spa, Autograph Collection puts you right beside Reims' headline monument while keeping Place Royale an easy stroll away.
Add a Is the Place Royale Worth Visiting?
Yes, especially because it's an easy, no-effort stop that adds texture to a Reims day. It won't take long, but it helps you understand the city's civic identity-how Reims presents itself not only through Gothic splendour and Champagne prestige, but through classical urban design and carefully staged public symbolism.
It’s also worth visiting for the sense of continuity. Knowing that you’re standing near the ancient Roman city’s central crossing makes the square feel more than pretty; it becomes a reminder that the most important “places” in a city can remain important even as everything around them changes.
FAQs for Visiting Place Royale
What Other Travellers Say...
Place Royale in Reims is a landmark square edged by charming, mostly administrative buildings with a central monument to Louis XV and clear sightlines to the cathedral; visitors say it's a sizable, unfenced space ideal for sitting and admiring the architecture though it can feel less lively than other city plazas.
For Different Travelers
Families with Kids
This is an easy, low-stress stop for families because it’s open, central, and quick. It works best as a short pause where kids can stretch their legs before you continue to bigger attractions like museums or the cathedral.
To keep it engaging, turn it into a simple “spot the details” moment-Roman-style clothing, laurel crown, and the extended hand gesture-then move on before attention fades.
Couples & Romantic Getaways
For couples, Place Royale is a pleasant, elegant interlude on a central walk. It's not dramatic in the way a cathedral is, but it has a calm, composed charm that suits slow strolling, especially in softer late-afternoon light.
Pair it with a nearby café stop and treat it as part of the rhythm of the day rather than a stand-alone destination.
Budget Travelers
This is an excellent budget-friendly sight because it’s free and centrally located. It adds historical context and visual interest without requiring tickets, and it fits easily into a walking itinerary.
Use it as a scenic connector between paid highlights, keeping your day full without stacking costs.
History Buffs
For history buffs, the appeal is the layering: Roman city planning beneath, 18th-century civic design above, and the political messaging embedded in the statue’s classical imagery. It’s a small place that opens big questions about how cities preserve and reinvent “centres” over time.
Spend a few extra minutes thinking about why this spot remained central across eras, then connect it mentally to other Roman remnants like Porte de Mars and the cryptoporticus.
Nearby Attractions to the Place Royale
- Reims Cathedral: The city's essential Gothic landmark and coronation church, easily reached on foot from the central squares.
- Palais du Tau: The former archbishops' palace beside the cathedral, tied to coronation ceremonies and royal stays.
- Cryptoportique de Reims: A remarkably preserved Roman vaulted corridor that connects modern Reims to ancient Durocortorum.
- Porte de Mars: A monumental Roman triumphal arch and one of Reims' most dramatic ancient landmarks.
- Musée de la Reddition: A modern-history museum in the building where Germany's surrender was signed on 7 May 1945.
The Place Royale appears in our Complete Guide to Visiting Reims!
Moira & Andy
Hey! We're Moira & Andy. From hiking the Camino to trips around Europe in Bert our campervan — we've been traveling together since retirement in 2020!
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Planning Your Visit
Open access at all times.
Free.
Nearby Attractions
- Reims Cryptoporticus (0.1) km
Roman Site - Reims Cathedral (0.2) km
Cathedral - Musée Hôtel Le Vergeur (0.2) km
Museum - Palais du Tau (0.2) km
Palace - Joan of Arc Statue (0.2) km
Statue - Carnegie Library of Reims (0.3) km
Historic Building and Library - Musée des Beaux-Arts (0.4) km
Gallery - Porte de Mars (0.7) km
Historic Site - Musée de la Reddition (1.0) km
Museum - La Maison Mumm (1.0) km
Historic Building
