Castles

Louis XIV built it, Louis XV enjoyed it, Louis XVI paid for it… with his life because, like his wife Marie-Antoinette, he was guillotined during the French Revolution. In the 17th the Sun King (the XIVth) built the gigantic and magnificent palace and the equally impressive garden in a time span of more than 50 years. Visiting this palace means being overwhelmed by marble, gold and mirrors …and that was exactly what is was meant to do. Some people wonder why they should choose to have a guide when a guidebook could do the job. These guides tend to be so …

Whipped cream is called Crème de Chantilly in French because, according to a legend, it was invented by a famous 17th century chef who worked here. The castle and the beautiful gardens are well worth a visit, if only for the art collection of the Duke of Orléans, once  the owner of the castle. It is nothing less than the largest collection of ancient art in France after the Louvre… The duke was also a horse lover. Here you will find the largest and most magnificent stables of Europe, a horse museum and you can even attend  dressage demonstrations.

This is the true residence of the kings, declared a proud Napoleon who lived here for several years. He was right. Versailles served as a royal palace for just over a century, whereas Fontainebleau already had a lifespan of almost a 1,000 years. First as a castle, then as a Renaissance palace, and finally as an imperial residence. The richly decorated halls and galleries are stunningly beautiful. But don’t forget to visit the wonderful garden.