Reims Crayères Chalk Cellars: History, Depths and Visits

The Reims crayères chalk cellars are former chalk quarries under the city, dug for building stone and later turned into champagne cellars. Under the Saint-Nicaise hill they were first dug in the 3rd century and worked until the French Revolution. From the 18th century, champagne merchants converted them into cellars for producing and aging their wines.

Some crayères are over 30 meters high, and they are known as "underground cathedrals." The galleries under the hill hold tens of millions of bottles, and the merchants built production halls at ground level connected to them.

The crayères of the Saint-Nicaise hill are part of the Champagne Hillsides, Houses and Cellars, a UNESCO World Heritage site since July 4, 2015. This guide covers the cellars themselves: how they were made, how deep and cold they are, and what you see underground at each house. For the city above them, see the Reims town page.

What the crayères are

A crayère is an old underground chalk quarry that the champagne trade reused for storage, with galleries carved between the quarries. Champagne.fr counts 370 crayères across Champagne. The chalky subsoil is easy to hollow out, and the same chalk appears in the region's buildings.

At Taittinger, tunnels connect former extraction wells, some about 40 meters high. At Ruinart, the chalk pits were first dug in the 5th century.

Six champagne houses stand on the Saint-Nicaise hill: Ruinart, Martel, Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin, Taittinger, Charles Heidsieck and Vranken-Pommery. Mumm's cellars, at 34 rue du Champ de Mars, were dug into the Reims chalk subsoil over 70 years of work.

From quarry to cellar

Chalk was quarried on the Saint-Nicaise hill from the 3rd century AD, and some of the stone went into the buildings of Reims. Taittinger's cellars occupy former Gallo-Roman and medieval chalk quarries. Underground, you can see the marks left by quarrymen and laborers from ancient, medieval and modern times.

The earliest traces of a church on the hill date to the 4th century. The Saint-Nicaise abbey church, begun in 1231 and built in stages until the 17th century, stood on the foundations of the church of Saint-Agricole, a burial place for bishops in Gallo-Roman times.

The abbey declined between the 16th century and the French Revolution, then became a stone quarry itself. Nothing of it remains above ground. Its last visible remains are in the tunnels of the Taittinger cellars.

The Ruinart family were the first champagne house in Reims to set up cellars in the chalk pits, in the 18th century. Charles Heidsieck bought its crayères in 1867.

In July 1868, Madame Pommery, who had run Pommery & Greno since her husband's death in 1858, began turning the chalk quarries into wine cellars. French and Belgian miners dug the galleries, with barrel vaults and rib vaults, linking 60 chalk pits.

The crayères also served as shelters. Taittinger's cellars were a refuge for early Christians and a shelter during the Great War. During the First World War, Ruinart moved its production and offices into its crayères to escape the bombardments.

Depths and temperatures

The crayères give champagne darkness, no vibration, a constant temperature of 11°C and humidity close to 100%. Champagne.fr gives 10–12°C and 90–100% humidity for the chalk cellars of Reims. Each house gives its own figures:

Taittinger's Comtes de Champagne cuvée rests in the cellars for nearly ten years.

At Charles Heidsieck, several million bottles age in the crayères, for at least four years and sometimes more than forty. At Ruinart, key stages of production, the prise de mousse and remuage, still take place underground.

Getting there

The fastest direct TGV from Paris Gare de l'Est reaches Reims-Centre station in 46 minutes. By car, Paris to Reims takes about 1 hour 30 minutes, and Roissy Charles de Gaulle airport is about 30 minutes from Pommery. Times and fares are in Paris to Reims by Train.

Reims has a second station, Champagne-Ardenne TGV in Bezannes, linked to the city by tram. Pommery is about 15 minutes from both stations, and bus line C stops at Pommery, about 20 minutes from the central station.

Taittinger is at 9 place Saint-Nicaise, Ruinart at 4 rue des Crayères, Veuve Clicquot at 1 rue Albert Thomas and Pommery at 5 place du Général Gouraud. Pommery has free parking in its courtyard.

When to go

The cellars hold the same temperature in every season. Opening days vary by house.

• Pommery opens seven days a week: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Thursday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. It closes on December 25 and January 1–2.
• Taittinger runs visits all year round.
• G.H. Martel & Co opens every day of 2026, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.
• Veuve Clicquot opens every day from June 29 to August 30, 2026, Tuesday to Sunday from September 1 to November 1, and Wednesday to Sunday from November 4, 2026, to January 3, 2027, from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
• Ruinart opens from March 25 to December 29, 2026, and closes on May 1.
• Mumm opens every day from May 1 to October 31, Thursday to Monday from March 1 to April 30 and November 1 to December 21, and Thursday to Saturday from January 15 to February 28.

On the European Heritage Days weekend in 2026, Mumm opened parts of its cellars usually closed to the public, with a cellar tour and one tasting for €19 ($21).

Visiting the estates

Every house below takes bookings for its cellar visits.

Pommery

A monumental staircase of 116 steps is the only link between Pommery's galleries and the surface. Gustave Navlet carved large bas-reliefs into the chalk in the plazas formed by the old wells. Pommery names its galleries after the world's major cities, a tradition Madame Pommery began. The Experience Pommery contemporary art exhibitions take place in the chalk pits.

The 45-minute Brut Royal Visit covers the cellars with one tasting, with the audio app or a guide. The 2-hour Henry Vasnier Visit adds the Villa Demoiselle.

Taittinger

Taittinger's guided tour goes down to its cellars 18 meters underground, followed by a guided tasting. The visit lasts 35 to 55 minutes. Visits suit people with reduced mobility, and seats are available on request.

Ruinart

Ruinart's 2-hour visit of the crayères takes 12 people at most, with a guided tour of just over an hour in the chalk pits and a tasting of two cuvées. The galleries hold a permanent contemporary art collection. The crayères are both UNESCO-listed and classified as a historic site. The Chardonnay Signature Tour, also 2 hours, ends with three 100% chardonnay cuvées.

Veuve Clicquot

All Veuve Clicquot tours go down into its UNESCO-listed crayères, from the 1-hour Brut Yellow Label visit to the 4-hour La Grande Dame. There is no storage for strollers or wheelchairs, but reception can arrange for you to take them down to the cellars.

G.H. Martel & Co

Martel's visit tours its chalk cellars and an eco-museum, then ends with a guided tasting of two champagnes. Visits are by reservation only, and the house has an elevator.

G.H. Mumm and Lanson

Mumm's tours last 1 hour 30 minutes on foot through almost 25 kilometers of tunnels. Only the first level is accessible to people with reduced mobility, so tell the house when you book. Lanson's Original Creation tour (1 hour 30 minutes) takes in the winery and the labyrinth of its cellars.

Charles Heidsieck

Charles Heidsieck's crayères date from the 3rd century and run for more than eight kilometers about 30 meters underground. For visits, call the house on +33 (0)3 26 84 43 00.

What it costs

A cellar visit with a tasting costs €28–90 ($30–97) at the entry level. Veuve Clicquot's 4-hour La Grande Dame costs €260 ($281).

• G.H. Martel & Co: €28–30 ($30–32) or €38–40 ($41–43), children €10 ($11).
• Mumm: €30 ($32), €42 ($45) or €60 ($65).
• Pommery: Brut Royal Visit €30 ($32) with the audio app or €36 ($39) guided. Henry Vasnier Visit €55 ($59) or €65 ($70). Gastronomic visit €150 ($162).
• Lanson: Original Creation €32 ($35).
• Veuve Clicquot: Brut Yellow Label €36 ($39), The art of blended rosé champagne €60 ($65), One Quality, The Finest €80 ($86), The art of aging €160 ($173).
• Taittinger: Instant Rosé €40 ($43), Instant Gourmet and Instant Comtes €80 ($86), Instant Duo Comtes €100 ($108).
• Ruinart: visit of the crayères €90 ($97), children aged 7 to 17 €50 ($54). Chardonnay Signature Tour €110 ($119), children €60 ($65). Under-7s go free.

Before you go

• In high season the houses are in heavy demand, and the Reims tourist office says it is essential to book your guided visit in advance.
• The crayères are cold all year. Pommery's cellars stay at 10°C, Taittinger's at 8 to 12°C, and Mumm and Lanson ask visitors to dress warmly.
• Veuve Clicquot tickets carry no right of cancellation and cannot be exchanged or modified.
• Pommery does not allow flash photography, animals or unaccompanied minors in its cellars.
• Spit as you taste, and choose a designated driver if you are driving.

For fees, opening days and access at each house, see Booking Champagne House Visits. The Avenue de Champagne in Épernay is part of the same UNESCO listing.