8:30AM: Have breakfast at the Café du Palais while reading the newspaper L’Union, either under the Art Deco glass roof made by the Simon workshops or, in fine weather, outside on the terrace to keep an eye on the comings and goings of the locals.

9:30AM: Visit Reims Cathedral at a quiet time and try to imagine what the grandiose coronation ceremonies were like: the crowning of Charles VII by Joan of Arc in 1429; of Louis XV, who was only twelve years old; or of Charles X, the last king of France, crowned with great pomp in 1825.

10AM: Go shopping on Rue de Mars or, on Saturday morning, at the Boulingrin Covered Market, and fill your basket with such regional foods as Chaource and Langres cheese, Reims ham, Troyes andouillette, champagne truffles and white sausage from Rethel, along with bread, cakes, chocolates and seasonal vegetables.

11AM : Buy some Lehmann glasses, essential accessories for any self-respecting champagne lover. The Hommage model from the Signature collection, designed with Gérard Basset – the Best Sommelier of the World in 2010 – is an excellent choice.

12:30PM : Have lunch at La Grande Georgette, just opposite the cathedral, or, if you have a little more time, go to Chigny-les-Roses to discover the creative cuisine of the restaurant Couvert de Vignes. In both cases you will find a pleasant setting and talented young chefs.

2PM : Take a tour of the Musée Le Vergeur and discover, among other things, the wonderful engravings by Albrecht Dürer exhibited in a quiet room with low lighting. Afterwards, relax for a little while in the garden.

3PM : Explore a veritable underground cathedral in the Ruinart cellars, former chalk pits (les crayères) that are now a Unesco World Heritage Site, where the precious wine of the oldest champagne house slowly ages. Buy a few bottles of rosé champagne.

4PM : Visit the Villa Demoiselle, just opposite the Pommery estate. It was built for Henry Vasnier, a partner in Pommery and a passionate lover of art and beautiful things, who died in 1907, just before the house was finished. The interior is a concentration of all the best that Art Nouveau and Art Deco had to offer and has been brilliantly restored.

5PM : Enjoy a glass of the finest champagne at La Rotonde, the bar at Les Crayères, or on the château’s admirable terrace overlooking the park if the weather is nice, making sure to book beforehand. This is one of the most beautiful spots in Reims.

6PM : Discover that impossible-to-find item at Archives, the shop specialized in 18th–20th century antiques, and let this place work its magic. As the poet Alphonse de Lamartine questioned, “Inanimate objects, have you then a soul that attaches itself to us and the strength to love?”