Fantastic place. Like a little oasis of happiness in this world. Unbelievable. Theater and live,…read morenature and human being to become one in this amazing creativity lab. Thank you for this possibility to feel it. Rusya and Rita

I've only read about the troves of people that go to the Palace of Versailles and it had deterred…read moreme from wanting to go there. We found Chateau de Fontainebleau as a great alternative that is less crowded and decided to go. This palace is MASSIVE. Actually, massive is still an understatement. The courtyard itself is the size of a small town and the gardens behind the palace are the size of a small city. Unfortunately, we arrived with only a 2-3 hours before closing so we had to rush through the majority of the palace without reading the descriptions just to be able to see as much as we could. Be aware that the ballroom closes earlier than the Chateau so if you are visiting towards closing, you may be diverted elsewhere and miss out on certain rooms. We were one of the last ones admitted to the ballroom before they closed and then continued our self guided tour after we left.

Great palace to visit in France. This place is a residence of king, meeting the emperor Napoleon,…read moreand source of inspiration and treasures. This palace built during 12th century as medieval palace. It has been through many kings. It was build bit by bit to current palace. The chateau contain building, museum, garden, and park. It is difficult to complete entire park. The building only open certain sectors. It is part of UNESCO world heritage site. The grand apartment hallway is beautiful and same as the library. The king and queen room is beautiful. There is very details museum for Napoleon. It includes the emperor campaign. The tent and room use by Napoleon. The collection includes the Marie Louise personal item and more. The palace is well decorated. Furnitures are look prestige. The garden is huge. But I think the garden is very bare.

From the owner: L'ancienne chocolaterie Menier Depuis 1995 Nestlé a installé son siège à Noisiel et a ainsi offert…read moreà ses salariés, 60000m² de bâtiments ainsi qu'un cadre de travail exceptionnel. Le site comprend en effet le moulin dans lequel le fondateur des chocolats Menier installa jadis son activité. Le lieu, qui a été le premier bâtiment industriel du monde à présenter une structure de façade métallique porteuse, a été classé bâtiment historique en 1992. De nombreux éléments architecturaux participent au prestige de ce site d'exception, notamment La Halle Eiffel, Le Pont Hardi, Les salles de la Cathédrale ainsi que leurs colonnes, La Colonnade (vaste couloir bordé de galeries), L'Atrium et La rivière Sèche (création contemporaine de Dominique Bailly).

Visiting the Château de Versailles was truly a dream come true. The architecture is absolutely…read morestunning--every detail, from the grand halls to the intricate ceilings, is a testament to the opulence of the French monarchy. The grounds are just as impressive: beautifully kept gardens, sparkling fountains, and perfectly restored landscapes that make you feel like you've stepped back in time. As someone who loves history, I was in heaven. The palace is filled with artifacts from the Sun King himself, Louis XIV, and the stories about his many mistresses add an extra layer of intrigue. I could have spent hours just wandering the Hall of Mirrors and imagining the lavish parties that once took place there. Marie Antoinette's area, with its charming hamlet and gorgeous gardens, was a highlight for me--so peaceful and picturesque. We spent an entire day exploring and still barely scratched the surface. There's just so much to see and experience! I also have to mention the restaurants on the grounds. The food was surprisingly good--fresh, flavorful, and honestly better than most of what I get back home in America. If you love history, art, or just want to be wowed by breathtaking beauty, Versailles is an absolute must-see. I loved every minute and can't wait to go back!

I've been to Versailles twice in my life, and honestly, it's a place you only need to visit once…read more It's worth checking off, though, that first time, and I was happy to go back on our family trip this month, as my brothers and kids had never been before. I booked tickets online about a month in advance, and it was easy to do--not always a given, as I found when booking the Eiffel Tower and London Eye this same trip. Tickets were €35 each for eight adults and €15 for my six-year-old, with my younger son and niece getting in for free. We set aside a whole day for our excursion from Paris, and we definitely needed it. We were there for over five hours and covered what felt like very little ground. It was kind of a grueling day for everyone, most of all my older son, who got nauseous in the cab ride over and immediately threw up on the sidewalk leading up to the castle. We were lucky enough to miss the heat wave, but it was still brutally hot, and the grounds were so massive and sprawling that no one had the will to really explore them. We did spend a couple hours at the actual castle, though, the infamous, guillotine-worthy Château de Versailles. (My grumpy sick son had some questions about what happened to the people who lived there, and I entertained him with a little history lesson. My husband later reported that another mom was listening in and judging me for my frank description of the French Revolution.) I remembered it from my first visit almost twenty years ago and had the same general reaction, which is that the opulence was impressive and repetitive. You get the idea pretty quickly, and understand immediately why heads had to roll. The private chapel kind of said it all on its own. We didn't go to every room, but we saw plenty and made sure to hit the Hall of Mirrors with its gaudy profusion of chandeliers and gold sculpture. There were a few spaces that incorporated modern artwork, which was pretty cool. When everyone was tired and hungry, we found our way to an Angelina cart and a back room with tables and fans where we were able to sit and eat. There are a number of restaurants on the grounds where you can make reservations, but this worked better for us (and also nothing was available for our huge party by the time I got around to looking). We spent a couple more hours wandering around the garden, but we didn't get particularly far. The garden was beautiful but enormous and short on shade, and it seemed impossible to cross the distance to get to whatever points of interest might be waiting a quarter mile in the sun-scorched distance. The fountains were cool and we did get to see them turn on briefly, though we missed whatever musical fountain show we were supposed to catch. We could not figure out where or when it was happening. We wasted half an hour waiting in line for golf carts before giving up and buying tickets for the train instead, to take us to the Trianon side. It was so hot, all we did was take the train and then start leaving. The train was surprisingly shitty, just a rickety train-shaped conveyance that went around the grounds, making stops at a few noteworthy places. We hopped off at Petit Trianon and walked out, taking a long, pleasant path lined with trees. It was cooler and less crowded on this side of Versailles, and if I were ever to come back, I would spend my time checking out the areas away from the palace. I remember enjoying the Queen's Hamlet on my first visit, and I noticed a lot of family's on bicycles enjoying all the charmingly landscaped open spaces. Versailles is well worth a visit at some point in your life, though I'd recommend against going in summer with small, irritable children. I don't need to see the palace again, but I wouldn't mind another go at the grounds.

From the owner: L'abbaye ouverte à tous Au fond du parc s'étire cette abbaye fondée en 1228 par Saint-Louis, qui…read moreabrite notamment un cloître, un superbe réfectoire et une bibliothèque. Un magnifique parc ainsi qu'un jardin d'inspiration médiévale viennent compléter ce lieu. Plus qu'un musée, c'est un vrai lieu de vie. Un festival de musique y est organisé de juin à septembre, une Fondation soutient son activité et 4 jours en octobre, des ateliers sont proposés aux enfants (tailleur de pierre, danse médiévale...). Royaumont organise aussi des séminaires et des réceptions d'exception (minimum 10 personnes) avec possibilité de manger et dormir sur place.

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!

I'm not a history buff I rather enjoyed my visit here. As is the case with most French museums, go…read moreEARLY - go too late in the day you'll be elbowing your way just to get a view of anything. For me, the gardens were the real standout. Unfortunately, we were there just before the spring bloom so it had a wintry feel to it but they were still amazingly impressive. At my urging, we toured the gardens via golf cart and I'm so glad we did. (You're likely to be doing a lot of walking on a France trip so save your feet when you can.) We were able to see more in less time this way and it's a bit easier to get away from the crowd.

Wonderful place to visit. The art and scenery was very nice here…read more Would return if back in France. Recommendation

The town of Maisons-Laffitte is only about 35 minutes away from the Champs-Elysées by the RER A…read moretrain, and the Château de Maisons is a small and unusual chateau. Regular entry is 7.5 Euros or about $9 USD and includes a 2 hour guided tour during certain times (in French). The entrance looks perfectly symmetrical because it was built a bit like a Hollywood facade, with the outside built first and the inside built around the outside. This meant that some rooms have half a window, and walls are not where they might seem to be on the inside. The original entrance was built to receive royalty on the chance that they might come visit (which they did on occasion) so the marble sculptures in the portico and on the columns were carved to impress. Even the trompe d'oeil staircase gives the illusion of several stories even though the entire chateau is only two stories. The "third" story was hidden quarters for the servants under the "roof", which gave them a view of the royals entering and leaving the royal chambers on the second floor. The ground floor was where the actual owners lived and although the columns here look like marble, they are actually painted wood because the original ones were sold to pay off debts long ago. The most ornate part of the chateau is of course where the royals ate and slept and even the original parquet floors show the work put into pleasing them. The dining area had a middle entrance reserved for the King, while the side entrances were for everyone else; any pushing or shoving was punishable by fines. The King's bedroom was only used by the king on a handful of occasions but had the rare modern convenience of its own private entry with an adjacent bathroom. The women's quarters on the other side had a distinctly more feminine style. Most of the grounds were parceled off and sold to rich Parisians for weekend homes in the "country", but the bit that remains looks out towards Paris and the Seine as a reminder that a few minutes away is a place where you can leave the noise and intensity of city life behind.

Looking for something to visit not far from Paris and you've already done Versailles? Chateau de…read moreMaisons is your place. On RER A direct from Paris and a short walk through the charming town of Maisons Lafitte, you'll find this gorgeous castle. Gorgeous interiors for this castle nestled amongst suburbia. Entrance was 7,50€ for adults or free for 18-25 EU Recommend a visit!