Square des cordeliers, Reims, Guide du visiteur et quoi faire à proximité

Square des Cordeliers is a small public square in Reims, a short walk from Notre-Dame de Reims Cathedral, where the ruins of a former Cordeliers convent still stand among the greenery. It is a quiet place that shows a layer of the city's past most visitors to the cathedral never see.

The story behind it

The Cordeliers were Franciscan friars, and the name of the square comes from their convent, which once stood on this spot. According to the route creators, a fire in 1450 destroyed the convent buildings, and the church that remained was finally demolished in 1813.

The First World War, which left much of Reims in ruins, did further damage to what was left of the site. Today only fragments of the old walls survive, and the square has become a calm green corner with a play area for children.

What to look for

• The surviving stone ruins of the convent, which give a sense of how large the religious complex once was.
• The red brick building facing the square, whose facade is decorated with carved lion and demon faces.
• The contrast between the old stonework and the everyday life of the square, with children playing beside the remains.
• The nearby cathedral towers, which remind you how close this quiet spot is to the city's most famous monument.

Tips for your visit

• Allow 10 to 15 minutes for the square itself. It works best as a short stop between other sights rather than a destination on its own.
• It is an open public square, so you can walk in and look at the ruins from close up. Check current rules and access on site.
• Go in the morning or late afternoon, when the light is soft on the stone and the brick facade.
• The cathedral is close by, so you can easily combine both in the same walk through the centre of Reims.

See it on a quest

Become the King in Reims is a self-guided walk that takes you past this square on foot as one stop of a longer route through the old centre. The app tells you about each place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle based on what is in front of you, which turns a quick look at the ruins into something you remember. It is a paid quest, and one ticket covers the whole group. You can start whenever you like, with no guide and no group to join.