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Experience a fairy-tale moment from your childhood dreaming
For travellers like myself, seeing any Châteaux in France is like stepping through the looking glass into an unreal world
Château de Chantilly is no exception. If you’re looking for a day trip from Paris that combines history, art, and a touch of grandeur, you simply shouldn’t miss the Château de Chantilly. This stunning château has been around in one form or another since the Middle Ages.
In pristine condition and nestled serenely into it's flawless landscape, this beautiful castle must be seen to be believed. The building and gardens themselves are stunning, to say nothing of the priceless collection of paintings and books contained within its walls.
The glorious Château de Chantilly is flawlessly laid out
The Château appears suspended across its lovely lake, with parks and gardens beyond into the distance
The castle itself is just beautiful, and is set in a vast forest in the largest domain in France. With all of the classical appeal of its style, this elegant masterpiece and her intriguing story are just delightful.
Walking up the long gravelled forecourt brings the scale and grandeur of the lovely architecture into perspective. Château de Chantilly is not the largest castle I have visited in France but it is certainly one of the prettiest in its design and luxuriant setting.
The story behind Henri d’Orléans, duc d’Aumale is tragic, and yet wonderful
During his youth, in exile from his home, he began the curation of an incredible collection of paintings
In his lifetime, it grew to become the second largest in France, after the Louvre. The Chantilly collection is impressive. Henri had the passion, and the funds, to fulfil his dream. Art lovers are continually in awe of the value and range of priceless artworks housed in the Château. The Musée Condé, housed within the château, is packed with masterpieces by artists like Raphael and Delacroix. The duke famously declared the collection could never leave the estate,
One of the highlights of the chateau has to be the library – it’s an absolute dream for book lovers, with over 19,000 works, including manuscripts dating back centuries.
The Domaine de Chantilly's expansive gardens were designed by Le Nôtre. As well, there are incredible stables (the largest in Europe) with a stunning equestrian exhibition, displays and regular events. Horses were a great love, so the Chateau has its own private racecourse and grandstand, and celebrates the Journées des Plantes festival every Spring.
Henri had 6 children, but sadly his wife and all of his children predeceased him, which must have been very painful
However, he bequeathed his beloved Chantilly and its incredible collection to the people of France.
Do yourself a favour…visit this lovely piece of paradise. Pack a picnic lunch and sit in the gardens. Or, visit The Capitainerie restaurant onsite.
Trains leave from Gare du Nord Station in Paris to Chantilly-Gouvieux every 30 minutes or so, and will take about 25 minutes to get there. When you arrive, walk the local’s track through a light forest which take you past the huge Chateau Equestrian Centre, the largest private stables in Europe. This path is more intimate than the drive and offers a sweeping view of the impressive Château grandstand and racecourse along the way. It would be a different experience should you come by car or bus along the main driveway. Delightful, either way.
The Château de Chantilly is open every day except Tuesday, from 10:30 a.m. to 5 pm/6pm for the park.
Train station: Chantilly-Gouvieux (25 minutes from Paris).
Tel: +33 3 4427 3180. Tickets €18 (2024): Includes the Château, Parks and Equestrian Museum. For all other events, visit their website, where you will find all of the information to plan for your trip - updated regularly.
Have you visited the Domaine de Chantilly? Would you recommend it to fellow travellers?
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Comments 4
Chantilly is one of my favorite spots! I have a very dear friend who lives nearby and I have been visiting the town for about 30 years! I love the château. It is like something from a fairy tale. The James Bond film “A View to a Kill” was filmed there.
Merci! Your blog is beautiful!
Author
Oh, Teresa, what lovely, kind words! I didn’t know that ‘A View to Kill’ was filmed there…I’ll have to go and look now, bien sûr! You are so lucky to get to visit there and have friends to stay with. I’d love to have friends dotted all over France, and to visit them to my heart’s content! Thanks for reading my blog, and for taking the time to comment. XX
Lovely website with a perfect color scheme and a great menu on everything a francophile wants to know. I look forward to everything you deem worthy to include. Merci mon ami.
Author
Thanks so much, Camilla, for taking the time to send a comment. I really appreciate your kind words – it means a great deal to me 🙂 XX