Paris & Around - Discover France: Experience the Best of France - page 200

If You Like... Châteaux

If you've fallen for the splendour of Versailles, you might want to seek out some other
châteaux around Paris.

1 CHÂTEAU DE FONTAINEBLEAU
( 01 60 71 50 70; www.musee-chateau-fontainebleau.fr , in French; adult/child &
EU resident under 26yr €8/free, admission free 1st Sun of month; 9.30am-6pm
Wed-Mon summer, to 5pm Wed-Mon winter) Fontainebleau is one of the most
stunning châteaux in France, with over 1900 rooms and lavish landscaped gar-
dens to explore. Trains link Paris' Gare de Lyon hourly with Fontainebleau-Avon
(€7.90, 35 to 60 minutes).

2 CHÂTEAU DE VAUX-LE-VICOMTE
( 01 64 14 41 90; www.vaux-le-vicomte.com ; adult/child €14/11; 10am-6pm
Thu-Tue, daily Jul & Aug, closed early Nov-mid-Mar) 61km southeast of Paris, t his
privately owned château and its magnificent gardens were designed as a pre-
cursor to Versailles. To get there, take RER line D2 from Paris (€7.25, 45
minutes) to Melun and catch the Châteaubus shuttle (€3.50, four to six times
daily weekends early April to early November) or a taxi ( 01 64 52 51 50;

€15-20) .

3 CHÂTEAU DE CHANTILLY
( 03 44 27 31 80; www.chateaudechantilly.com ; adult/child €12/free;
10am-6pm Wed-Mon summer, 10.30am-5pm Wed-Mon winter) This heavily re-
stored château consists of two buildings: the Petit Château (built around 1560)
and the Grand Château , whose 19th-century rooms are adorned with paintings
and sculptures. Paris' Gare du Nord has regular trains to Chantilly-Gouvieux
station (€7.40, 25 to 40 minutes), from where its a further 2km to the château.

Versailles
POP 88,930
The prosperous and leafy suburb of Versailles, 28km southwest of Paris, is the site
of the grandest and most famous château in France.