Just a 25-minute train ride from Paris will get you to the magnificent Château de Chantilly and its sprawling grounds. Lush green lawns and leafy trees invite visitors to slow and down and enjoy aimless walks around the castle grounds. With a garden designed by André le Notre himself, graceful swans dot the canal, while the centuries old castle invites visitors to plunge into an unparalleled promenade into history.
Notwithstanding its an idyllic exterior, you would be even more surprised by what stories and objects of beauty lie within the walls of the Château de Chantilly. Not only is the domain of Chantilly a welcome escape into the French countryside, but it is also an extremely important centre of French history, culture and art. Once home to the kings of France, this castle and the domaine of Chantilly is today a museum, and a living testament to centuries of French history and heritage.
For more day-trip ideas, check our posts on Giverny and Versailles.
Brief history of the Château de Chantilly and Condé Museum
Château de Chantilly’s history spans across the Medieval Age. The castle as it is today, is credited to its last occupant, Henri d’Orléans, the Duke of Aumale. He was the son of the last king of the French, Louis-Philippe, who ruled between 1830 et 1848. At the age of eight, Henri d’Orléans inherited a fortune of millions, plus the lands and wealth of his godfather, Louis Henri de Bourbon, the last Prince of Condé. The bequest included Château de Chantilly, the Château d’Écouen, and the domaines of Saint-Leu, Taverny, Enghien, Montmorency, and Mortefontaine.
Along with this, the Duke received prized paintings, sculptures, rare manuscripts and books. As a lover of art and literature, the Duke of Aumale collected many a rare books and art himself. In 1897, he bequeathed his estate of Chantilly and his art and book collection to the Institut de France in his will. This became the Condé Museum as we know it today.
5 Reasons you should visit Domain de Chantilly
Here are 5 reasons why Château de Chantilly is a near-unmissable place of interest in France. I have also added some highlights from my visit to the domaine de Chantilly, and some additional information which might be helpful for you.
Splendid architecture and design
To visit Château de Chantilly is to get a unique and unforgettable peek into royal life. Visiting the art galleries is a feast for the senses for both artistic and architectural reasons. And on top of that, getting to visit the royal apartments of the princes of Condé just adds to the unique experience that the castle holds.
The castle itself is regally furnished with various touches of exquisite designs to be seen everywhere. From the gorgeous staircase with its impeccably sculpted bannister at the entrance of the castle, to the high ceilings which have been mirrored, gilded or in some cases, decorated with the most magnificent chandeliers, or even the stained glass windows with intricate paintings. Objects of beauty and splendour are aplenty.
I think my favourite part of the royal apartment was the Corner Room, which used to be the office of the Prince of Condé. This white room is covered with gold details that go from floor to ceiling, while golden chandeliers light up the space. A huge gilded mirror atop a beautiful fireplace add the finishing touches, while antique clocks and furnishing transport you to a bygone era.
Condé Museum: The largest collection of antique paintings in France outside of the Louvre
The Condé Museum in Chantilly houses a huge collection of paintings, art objects, furnitures, manuscripts, archives and bindings. Visitors get to view these objects of historic and artistic value in a larger-than-life setting. The museum houses the largest collection of antique paintings in France outside of the Louvre. What impressed me most about the collection at Chantilly, is not just the breadth and size of its collection, but also the curation. In fact, the layout of the paintings still remain what it used to in the 19th century.
As I mentioned above, the art galleries themselves are stunning architectural gems. Apart from the huge gallery of pantings which is at the heart of the Condé Museum’s showcase, there are also spaces such as the Rotunda, Tribune and Clouet, each with their own unique point of view. While the Rotunda holds miniatures by master such as Raphael, the Tribune will transport you to Uffizi Gallery in Florence. Then, the Clouet with its amazing collection of 90 Renaissance portraits is truly like scrolling a Medieval version of Facebook. Its an incredible assortment of paintings!
Magnificent gardens of Chantilly
If you are not familiar with the legacy of Andre Le Nôtre, he was the royal gardener of King Louis XIV. He was instrumental in coming up with aspects of garden design, which today forms the bedrock of French garden style. Le Nôtre’s most celebrated work remains, of course, the gardens of Château de Versailles.
Le Nôtre brought his characteristic love of grand perspectives, water fixtures and artfully-designed topiary to Chantilly. The spell-binding garden of the castle surround it on three sides, with the castle itself being in one corner. We rarely find this layout in French châteaus, where the castles are usually in the centre in relation to the garden.
To add to the surreal aura, beautiful sculptures are artfully laid out across the garden. Quiet tree-covered walkways lead up to statues and leafy walks along the castle grounds are aplenty. A huge canal, which is another characteristic of Le Nôtre’e design, offers the much needed water supply to keep the plants, trees and ponds of the castle grounds happy and thriving. Called, Grand Canal, it is 2.5 kms long. It channels water from the river Oise, through a tributary. You can spend many hours sitting along the canal, just looking at the swans gliding by.
Additionally, apart from the French- style garden, there is also an Anglo- Chinese and English-style garden within the castle grounds.
If you love horses, you should not miss this place
Chantilly has the largest royal stables in all of Europe. Indeed the castle is well-known in equestrian circles. Called, Grandes Écuries, these royal stables were designed by Jean Aubert for Louis-Henri de Bourbon, 7th Prince of Condé between 1719 to 1735. The castle still maintains many show horses, and puts together several equestrian events throughout the year.
Not only that, Chantilly also has a museum on horses and equistry. Called, ‘The Living Museum of the Horse,’ the museum is dedicated to equine art and culture.
Perfect for long walks, cycling or for a picnic
The gardens and grounds in the domaine of Chantilly is a staggering 300 acres. With the amount of ponds, trees, gardens, and quiet corners here, there is no end to the exploring you can do. The forest in the grounds add quietness and a real break from the humdrum of the city.
There are innumerable quaint additions across the grounds, like the Hamlet which has English-style rose bush-covered cottages next to running brooks, and the Temple of Diana, in the middle of a grassy path next to a quiet pond. Having these moments of curiosity and beauty means that exploring the castle grounds of Chantilly is never boring.
Lastly, if you love watching birds, this is an incredible place to while away your time just bird-spotting. I also saw people biking in and around the castle grounds.
Additional highlights from my visit to Domaine de Chantilly
Evidently, there are many a quaint, curious and artistic gem to be uncovered across the grounds and castle of Chantilly. However, here are two things I found exceptionally impressive on my visit to the Château de Chantilly:
The library
The Duke of Aumale’s inheritance included an astonishing collection of books, manuscripts and bindings. Consequently, the Château de Chantilly has one of the richest libraries in France. To be able to walk into the library, surrounded by the magical magnificence only gorgeous literary spaces posses, is an extremely special experience. To no one’s surprise, apparently, this cabinet des livres was one of the Duke’s favourite rooms. It is a rectangular space, with dark wood cabinets holding up books from floor to ceiling.
André Charles Boulle: The exhibition
André Charles Boulle was one of the greatest French cabinetmakers of all time. When I visited the castle, there was an ongoing exhibition on Boulle. Getting to admire the intricately crafted desks designed by him, while learning about this master craftsman and his process, was a treat.
How to reach Chantilly from Paris
Chantilly is a 25 minute train ride away from Paris. From Paris’ Gare du Nord, take the regional TER train that goes to Chantilly Gouvieux. You can buy the tickets on the SNCF website.
From the Chantilly Gouvieux. train station, the chateau is just a 30 minute walk away. The first part of this route is through shaded, leafy dirt-roads away from the main street. The grassy paths lead on to the Chantilly racecourse. You get to walk the second-half of the way while taking in the calm greenery of the Chantilly race grounds.
Château de Chantilly hours
The Château de Chantilly is open everyday, except on Tuesdays.
Timings for the Château and Great Stables: 10 am to 6 pm
Timings for the Grounds: 10 am to 8 pm
Tickets
A 1-day ticket gives access to the Château (excluding the private suites), the Park, the Great Stables and temporary exhibitions. This is priced at € 18 for general admission.
If you just want to enjoy the outdoors, you can get a park- access tickets. The ‘Park Ticket’ gives access to the whole castle grounds but you cannot go inside the castle or stables. This will set you back just €9.
The castle also put together various equestrian shows during the summer and early autumn. These usually costs under € 25. Keep an eye on the château website for details.
