From the owner: Un jardin historique Parc historique, le Potager des Princes comprend un véritable potager fleuri…read moredans lequel les légumes sont séparés par les fleurs, un étang, un verger, des bassins... Il offre au promeneur comme au botaniste une véritable "symphonie" de jardins différents : jardin japonais, labyrinthe de bambous, jardin exotique... Les animaux, les courses de lapins, le Guignol offrent aux enfants une joyeuse récréation, mais les nombreux panneaux explicatifs et l'étiquetage méticuleux des espèces végétales constituent un parcours botanique de grande qualité. Les treillages, les jets d'eau, les fleurs et les arbres rares, tout évoque la douceur de vivre du 18e siècle.

Restaurant du Hameau earns kudos on simply its location. Dining al fresco in the peaceful gardens…read moreon the 16th Century grounds of Chateau et Domaine de Chantilly in one of the five rustic-style houses which inspired Marie-Antoinette's Petit Trianon in Versailles is amazing. The restaurant is famous for its Chantilly cream which is also amazing...you must try the coffee with Chantilly cream...a decadent treat. The food is fresh and local. Simply prepared but fitting for the simple, beautiful vibe of the garden and the guests. Very relaxing and serene. The wait staff and kitchen works hard to please. Reservations are highly recommended.

this historic estate was owned by the same family for 500 years until the death in 1897 of it's…read morelast occupant, Duc d'Aumale - son of King Louis Philippe - who bequeathed Chantilly to the state with the caveat that it remain open to the public. in it's long history, the Château has hosted notables of the era (and the wedding of Brazilian football star Ronaldo in 2005). the main attraction is the art collection in the Musée Condé, considered one of the finest in France (after the Louvre). also of interest are the gardens, private apartments, library and state rooms. located within the estate is the Hippodrome de Chantilly which hosts the Prix du Jockey Club in June, first run in 1836. also home to le Polo Club. Chantilly is an easy 45 min. drive from Paris but there are semi-regular trains you can take from Gare Saint-Lazare. upon reaching town, take the free shutlle bus to the estate. an alternative is a 20 min. walk through the woods on marked trails(which i did once). before leaving, stop in at La Capitainerie, the Château restaurant for some fruit, ice cream or patisserie topped with crème Chantilly, first served here by the "Maître d'hôtel" Vatel in 1671 for a banquet in honor of Louise XIV (actually saw this in the movie "Vatel" played by Gérard Depardieu). the perfectionist Vatel committed suicide before the banquet because the fish to be served had not been delivered. it apparently arrived after he impaled himself on his sword. what a (true)story.

I don't think I can top Mike G.'s review!…read more So just a few tidbits: - Easy trip from Paris - Try to get there early so that you can be one of the first to enter before it gets jam-packed with tour groups - We found the audioguide very informative - The restaurant situated in the former kitchen of the chateau - La Capitainerie - will get as crowded as the rest of the chateau. If you're clever (we weren't in this regard) you'll head to lunch early or at least go down and make a reservation or put in your name for a certain time. I think you can do this. All I know is we had to put our name, wait ~30 minutes (we walked around the gardens), come back, wait some more and eventually get seated. Lots of people gave up, but I was determined to eat in the fancy dining room and try some of the chantilly cream. I have to admit, the food was quite good (better than I'd read) once we were able to finally get a seat. My wife ordered the ribeye and got an ENORMOUS steak. (She distinctly ordered the 'petite' steak, but we received (and were charged for) the 'grand' one. The waitstaff reduced the charge without any problem when I pointed out the mistake, but just be prepared to check your bill before paying.) - The chateau has a wonderful art collection (Musée Condé), marvelous library, great architecture/decor and an incredible series of stained glass windows. - There is a separate stables and horse show. The 'stables' are so enormous and impressive that when you first see them (as you walk from the station) you may think you've already reached the chateau!! Apparently, the prince who lived in the chateau (Prince Conde) thought he would come back in his next life as a horse, so he asked his architect to design a palace for horses!! (I believe it was this sort of thing - palaces for horses, no food for the peasants - that led to a little phenomenon known as the French Revolution.) You have to pay separately to see the stables and horse show. Since we'd already seen a similar show in Vienna on another trip, we decided to skip the horses and focus on the chateau. - The gardens? Not my cup of tea. I tend to find enormous stretches of grass and ponds to be more exhausting than inspiring. Had the same problem at Versailles. Some people love it, I guess. Clearly the garden designers of the time thought it was the cat's meow. If you like chateaus, this is a nice one and very easy to visit from Paris. A quick train ride, pleasant 20 minute walk from the station and a full day visiting a palace and having a nice lunch. Not bad at all!