Chantilly has one of the most famous castles in France, it has a rich history that dates back to the 11th century, sure it has gone through a renovation or two but what place hasn’t nowadays. Chantilly is located about 50 kilometers north from Paris which makes it a perfect one day trip destination for the castle fanatics out there!
How to travel
Price
Hotel
Where is Chantilly
Chantilly is a charming town near Senlis in the Picardie region of France. It is often associated with the origins of Chantilly lace and cream. The town is also renowned for its enchanting castle, sharing the same name, which stands as one of the most picturesque fairytale castles in France.
Contrary to its grand appearance, the Château was never a residence for royalty but rather housed cousins of the royal family. Presently, the site features both a 16th-century structure and a 19th-century addition. Chantilly offers a plethora of attractions, from its English gardens to the hamlet that inspired Marie Antoinette’s Hamlet at Versailles. Exploring the castle and its surroundings promises a day immersed in rich historical experiences.
How to travel from Paris to Chantilly?
Chantilly is around 50 kilometers north of Paris and is easily accessible by train. The TER (train express régional) from Gare du Nord, one of Paris’ main rail terminals, is the quickest and most convenient method to get there. The travel takes more or less 30 minutes, and trains go all day everyday.
Things to do in Chantilly
Chantilly Castle
Lets be honest, it is pretty straightforward in fact, the reason Chantilly caught your attention in the first place is obvious. It’s the Castle. The castle itself has seen quite a few renovations over the years, but it still has a moat, meaning its as close to a Disney castle as we are going to get.
The château that you can see today is from the 19th century, and it was the home to Henri d’Orléans, son of the last King of France. Like many other European castles, Château of Chantilly is a succession of beautiful rooms and halls, it’s all incredibly impressive. The most interesting rooms in this castle are the rooms related to Henri’s main passions: arts and literature. we thought the library was absolutely magical.
Chantilly Garden
The gardens, designed by renowned landscape designer André Le Nôtre, are stunning. There is a beautiful lake that runs through a lot of the garden, and if you follow the flow of the water, you’ll come across a small Anglo Chinese garden with 5 small country houses, which apparently inspired Marie Antoinette’s Petit Trianon in Versailles. Cant really blame them though, it looks great.
Tip: If you make your way on the road a little further you can send your most annoying friends into a Corn labyrinth, it’s great. Also great for kids.
Chantilly Stables
Château de Chantilly is not the only main attraction in Chantilly, in fact, there is also the Grandes Écuries. The Grandes Écuries are the largest stables in Europe, and they are devoted to the art of Haute-école horse training and dressage. Meaning this is where you find every passionate professional horse rider in France.
The Chantilly Stables were built in the 18th century for the 7th Prince de Condé, Louis-Henri de Bourbon. he was a very horse passionate individual, in fact, he was even convinced that he would become a horse in his next life; that’s why he needed to have the most magnificent stables.
as of now, the Chantilly Stables has around 30-40 horses, they receive daily care and training by a team of scarily good grooms and riders. The horses are also trained for equestrian shows and daily performances in the Dome. We took the opportunity to watch it, the connection between the horse and the rider is crazy.
Chantilly Cream
It really would feel like a bummer to come to Chantilly without enjoying the crème Chantilly.
There is not much to say here honestly, the creme was created here and is famous all over France. You can get the creme in most of the restaurants, and if that fails at least we can guarantee you will find it in La Capitainerie, the restaurant inside the Chantilly castle.
The Price
The 1 day ticket gives access to the Château (excluding the Duc d’Aumale’s private flats), the Park, the Grandes Ecuries and temporary exhibitions.
Individual entrance is €17 per person. Alternatively, a Family ticket for 48 Euros allows entrance for 2 adults and 2-3 children.
Where to Stay
If you feel the urge to stick around, and you’ve come for the pure luxury experience, then we suggest looking into either Hotel de Chantilly or Auberge du Jeu de Paume.
Just a heads up the Auberge de Jeu de Paume has an indoor pool and gives you the vibe of being part of a royal family, meanwhile the Hotel de Chantilly is more designed for comfort and personal space.
You can book with TripAdvisor here.