The Château of Chantilly is an architectural gemstone nestled in a lush green paradise. Louis XIII actually confiscated the edifice from the Montmorency family only to give it back a decade later. It was Louis II de Bourbon-Condé (1621-1686) who turned the place into a site of lavish festivities. These were the kind of events where you could meet Mme de La Fayette, Mme de Sévigné, Bossuet, La Bruyère and even the famed writer of fables, La Fontaine. Molière's eponymous play Tartuffe was staged there, and the many dances and firework displays that took place there made it a place of refined entertainment. Today the castle is home to the Condé museum, with an exceptional collection of old master paintings (the second largest French collection after the Louvre) and a priceless library collection. Outside, the enchanting French-style garden, designed by Le Nôtre, is complemented by an English-style garden and another with a Chinese influence, criss-crossed by waterways.
Book and prepare your itinerary