Who doesn’t love castles ? I sure do ! It makes me feel like I’m in a fairy-tale whenever I visit a castle !
These are only a couple of the castles in France that are close enough to be day-trips from Paris.
One thing you should know, château is the French word for castle, so if you see château, I mean castle. Since I live in France, my brain says the French word more than the English word.
1. Versailles
Versailles is about 45 minutes from Paris.
Versailles was originally a hunting lodge built by Louis XIII in 1623 and became the beautiful castle we see today by the Sun King, Louis XIV. Louis XIV moved his residence from the Louvre (yes the museum in Paris was once a castle and home to the kings of France) to the Palace of Versailles in 1682. So from 1682 until the French Revolution in 1789, the capital of France was not Paris, but Versailles.
If you’re tired after visiting the palace, and trust me, you will be, bring a picnic and a blanket and enjoy the gardens.
After you relax and lunch in the gardens, head to the Petit Trianon and the Petit Hameau, or the Little Hamlet in English. These were both built for Marie Antoinette. Marie Antoinette was married to the king, Louis XVI, and as a member of the royal family, had absolutely no privacy. So she wanted a place to go away from the court. The Petit Trianon is a small castle located 3km from Versailles. It was her castle, even the king was not allowed unless he was invited. The Petit Hameau is just a short walk from Trianon. It was a simple yet beautiful village. There were sheep kept at this farm. It was an escape for Marie Antoinette.
And in case you forgot your French history, Marie Antoinette was married to Louis XVI and were both beheaded after trying to escape France in 1793, four years after the start of the revolution. Marie Antoinette is the one who apparently said “Let them eat brioche” or as we say in English “Let them eat cake” when in 1789, hundreds of women marched to the palace of Versailles to demand bread.
Take a tour of Versailles here.
2. Castle of Fontainebleau
Fontainebleau is about an hour from Paris.
This is a medieval castle and one of the largest royal castles in France ! Francis I and Napoleon had the most influence on this castle and you will notice there are “F”s everywhere for Francis, along with the bee which is a symbol of Napoleon. Like Versailles, Fontainebleau was first a hunting lodge.
The horseshoe shaped stairwell in front of Fontainebleau in the front of the castle was originally built for Henry II in the 16th century.
Take a tour here.
3. Castle of Chantilly
This castle is around 50 minutes north of Paris.
When I visited, it was a nice day, so I decided to stay outside and explore the gardens instead of entering the castle. I also have the privilege of living 50 minutes away and can go back whenever I please. So, if you are just visiting for a day and don’t live here, go inside the castle.
The gardens are lovely and there is a small restaurant in the garden.
Skip the line here.
There is a French movie called Vatel that tells the true story of the chef, François Vatel, who committed suicide at Château Chantilly because he feared the fish dinner would be served late for the king.
Chantilly is the French word for whipped cream, so don’t forget to get some chantilly desserts while you’re in Chantilly !
4. Castle of Vincennes
Hop on the line 1 metro and go to Château Vincennes. It is located on the eastern part of Paris, the north part of the Bois de Vincennes and is easy to get to ! This medieval castle was built in the 14th/15th century by Charles V of France.
The cathedral is beautiful and you can climb the donjon.
Get your entry ticket here.
5. Château Chambord
This castle is the farthest from Paris, at a little over 2 hours. There is a French movie called Peau d’Âne (English translation – donkey skin) that takes place in part at this castle. It is a bizarre movie where the queen dies and the king wants to remarry the most beautiful woman, which happens to be his daughter. You should watch it sometime. This was the first movie I watched in French.
Back to the castle. This is a beautiful castle that was built in the 16th century under the reign of Francois I. It features an interior double staircase. It is likely that this staircase was done or inspired by sketches by Leonardo DaVinci.
Take a full day tour of the castles in the Loire Valley here. The Loire Valley is full of castles and this is a day trip from Paris !
6. Pierrefonds
This castle is an hour and a half northeast of Paris.
This castle was built between 1393 and 1407 by Louis I. It has characteristics of defensive military architecture typical of the Middle Ages.
Get your entrance ticket here.
7. Château de la Reine Blanche
This castle is very close to Chantilly. You can’t go in this castle, but there is a restaurant on the lake next to the castle. Definitely worth a detour.
There’s no entry ticket for this castle, but you can enjoy a view of the castle from the restaurant next to it !
8. Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte
This castle is about 45 minutes southeast of Paris.
The finance minister of Louis XIV, Foquet, built this castle. This was back when Versailles was still just a hunting lodge and not the beautiful palace that is there today. This meant that Foquet was showing up the king, which was a big no no. Long story short, the king Louis XIV had Foquet arrested.
9. Château de Maintenon
This castle is about an hour south of Paris.
Speaking of Louis XIV, he had this castle built for his secret (or not so secret) mistress.
Read more about day trips from Paris in my blog here.
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