About this place
The Place Drouet d'Erlon is the open-air living room of Reims, a long pedestrian promenade lined from end to end with cafes, brasseries, bars and shops. Named after a marshal of Napoleon who fought at Waterloo, it has been the city's favourite gathering place for generations. Like almost all of central Reims it was rebuilt after the First World War, which is why its handsome facades share the elegant lines of the nineteen twenties. By day people come to shop and to linger over coffee and by night the terraces fill and the avenue glows. At its heart rises the Suube fountain, crowned by a gilded winged figure, which we will meet at our next stop. Broad, car-free and always busy, Erlon is where you feel the everyday pulse of the modern city.
Key facts
- 1815 year — The promenade is named for Marshal Jean-Baptiste Drouet, Comte d'Erlon, a commander at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.
- 1918 year — Shattered along with the rest of Reims in the First World War, which ended in 1918, the avenue was rebuilt in the elegant style of the following decade.
- 50 terraces — Around fifty cafes, brasseries and bars line the promenade, making it the undisputed social heart of the city.
📍 Place Drouet d'Erlon, 51100, Reims