Housed in a former 18th-century abbey, the Museum of Fine Arts in Reims holds a collection that goes well beyond what you'd expect from a provincial French city. There are paintings by Corot, Pissarro, Monet, and Gauguin, a substantial collection of 16th and 17th century Flemish and Dutch masters, and a remarkable series of twenty-seven portraits of German rulers by Lucas Cranach the Elder. The latter arrived in Reims as war reparations after 1918.
The collection also covers medieval metalwork, tapestries, and a notable room of Art Deco furniture and objects — a reminder that Reims had to rebuild almost from scratch after World War I, and did so largely in the Art Deco style. The museum is located on Rue Chanzy, a short walk from the Cathedral, and admission is free on the first Sunday of each month.