This story about visiting Chantilly Castle is taking me back in time, almost ten years ago. I was coming back to my native region after spending a year in England. While leaving abroad, I visited as many places of interest as I could. It is when I started to be a tourist every single weekend. I knew the South of England better than most English people.
Back in my home region, I decided to keep this spirit. It wasn’t too hard to find exciting things to visit in Paris, the most touristy city in the world. But I didn’t even need to go that far. The suburbs of Paris also have places of interest.
One of the first ones I visited was Chantilly Castle, a beautiful castle only 30 km from the house where I grew up. But I don’t remember hearing about it before being an adult with a travel bug.
Is the Chateau de Chantilly better than the famous Chateau de Versailles?
If you are visiting Paris for just a few days, Chantilly Castle isn’t a must-see. Go to Versailles. But if you live in the Paris region and want to visit somewhere new, or if you’ve already been to Versailles, I highly recommend it.
Chantilly Castle is remarkable and a great alternative to France’s most famous castles. Not only is it closer to Paris than the Loire Valley castles, but it’s also a lot less touristy, and cheaper.
Not only did we find the castle beautiful, but we also learnt about History and relaxed with the short walks nearby. Andre Le Notre, King Louis XIV’s principal gardener and landscape architect of Versailles garden, also created the gardens for the Chantilly Castle. A very nice break from city life. But make sure you don’t go to Chantilly Castle if it’s a rainy day in Paris. The gardens look more beautiful with the light and blue sky!
The construction of the castle started in the 14th century. It is the work of Henri d’Orléans, son of the last King of France. He was a great collector, and he put together the second most extensive collection of antique paintings in France, after the famous Le Louvres.
Not confident about driving or taking public transport from Paris? You can visit Chantilly Castle on a day tour. Viator* offers a couple of options that you can book online.
Have you visited Chantilly Castle? Share your experience in the comments below!
Where is Chantilly Castle?
Chantilly Castle is about 50 km north of Paris. It takes approximately 45 minutes to drive there from the city. There’s a train (TER) going from Paris Gare du Nord to Chantilly Station in less than 30 minutes, and it is then a 2-kilometre walk to reach the castle.
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