Chateau De Chantilly also known as Chantilly castle is located in the small town of Chantilly that is 50 odd kilometers away from the city of Paris. This makes it one of the easy day trips from the city. Unfortunately even though the Chantilly castle is so easy to reach, it isn’t quite as popular as the Castle in Versailles.
Generally speaking people head out to Chantilly castle in spring or in summer. This is when the gardens are in bloom and you can really enjoy walking around the castle. We however visited it towards the end of winter and the start of spring. This gave us a peek at how beautiful the castle is when everything is in full bloom and is one of the reasons why we would consider visiting it again.
No matter what season you decide to visit, you will find that the Chateau de Chantilly has a lot to offer.
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Table of Contents
How To Get To Chateau De Chantilly
Most people visit the Chantilly castle from Paris so these tips are centered around how to get there from the capital city of France. We however visited Chateau de Chantilly from Amiens and it was a very easy drive. We did not have to worry about the traffic in Paris.
Anyways, back to the topic at hand. There are three main ways in which you can get to Chateau De Chantilly.
Car
If you have your own mode of transport then this is a no brainer. Alternatively you could also rent a car. The drive to Chantilly castle is easy. There’s a parking spot right outside the castle and you pay just 5 euros for a whole day of parking.
Train
You can also choose to take the train from Paris to Chantilly. It takes about a 15 min walk to the castle from the station. Figuring out all the trains can be a bit tedious but it is definitely the cheapest way to from Paris to Chantilly as far as I know. I haven’t personally taken this route so I can’t give you the actual details of the route.
Take A Tour
⭐️ Rating: 4.5/5 (15 Reviews) Price: $356 per person Duration: 6 hours 📍Meeting Point: Hotel Pickup Details: Read more on Viator!
This is the most comfortable way to visit Chateau de Chantilly from Paris. While this does seem pretty expensive at first, the tours do offer a lot for the price. For one thing, the entire trip takes over 6 hours. You get collected from your hotel and dropped off which means that you don’t have to worry about end to end transport. Plus the VW van is very comfortable so the journey is a breeze.
Did I mention that the tour includes audio guides, the entry tickets and a 3 course lunch? That’s just the a small part of the whole value that it offers.
The best part is that while you travel to the castle, a professional guide will give you an overview of the history of the Chateau de Chantilly and will tell you about the local tales. This introduction to the site will help you understand the castle better and the experience will be more immersive.
“This tour is an absolute must! It is worth every penny. Our personal guide, Benoît, collected us right at our hotel doorstep. The VW van was new, clean and air conditioned. Benoît provided a very informative history of the Château on the way there and took care of tickets, audio guided and lunch vouchers.
The art collection is amazing! A small version if the Louvre. The lunch at the Château restaurant was superb! The options, presentation and portions were excellent. If that is not enough, the horse show was great. Even the stables are a sight! I give this tour the highest possible rating! Loved it!”
Gretchen (read more reviews now!)
Aside from Chantilly castle you will also be able to visit the gardens, you will also get to see the the Prince de Conde’s Great Stables. There are often shows that are performed here and this is included in your ticket. Just know that they don’t have any control on any changes made my the equestrian center.
Should You Stay In Chantilly?
Generally speaking Chateau De Chantilly is just a day trip for most people. When we visited, I found myself wishing that we had planned to stay in the area instead. The reason is that Chantilly is far more than its famous castle.
We felt pretty short changed when we visited. We would have liked to spend more time wandering the streets, enjoying some of the famous cream aka chantilly that the city is famous and exploring a bit. Mind you, we visited when the weather was chilly and there was not that much allure to the outdoors in comparison to summer. That should give you an idea of just how quaint this city is.
Where To Stay In Chantilly?
If you are looking for good places to stay in the Chantilly region and stay a bit longer to enjoy the scenery, I would recommend taking a look at these:
Luxury – Auberge du Jeu de Paume
Mid-Range – Le Grand Pavillon Chantilly
Budget – Best Western Plus Hôtel Escapade Senlis
Things To Do In Chateau De Chantilly
The first thing that you need to understand is that the entrance ticket to the Chantilly castle covers the castle and the grounds. It is important to make note of this because many people underestimate just how much there is to do in the complex. I’m going to cover the important sights both in the Chantilly castle (as per me) and in the garden.
The Gardens
The gardens of the Chantilly garden are vast and gorgeous. They really reminded me of Versailles but they have a different vibe to it. This could be because they were largely deserted when we visited. When you enter you be given a map and a route through the gardens.
There’s a short route and a long one. We tried to take the long one but got into a couple of water logged places we couldn’t take the stroller through. I doubt this would be an issue in summer though. It was probably due to the large amount of rain we had received in the days before.
The first view that you get of the immense gardens is when you stand at the head of the steps and look down at it. Note that this route is not wheelchair accessible. We had to carry the stroller down. If you want to access it, you need to head down to your right and you will be able to take the path with a stroller or wheelchair. It may be a tad bit longer though.
1. The Fountains And Water Features
One of the most photographed parts of the Chateau de Chantilly gardens is the part with the fountains. You will see them featured in the foreground with the castle in the background. This impressive part of the gardens as designed by André Le Nôtre in the 17th century. It is said that among all the gardens that he designed this was his favorite.
I love this place we cause of the expansive pools of water. They provide so many opportunities to click really good photographs as the mirror everything in their vicinity. The kids loved watching the ducks here and there were an assortment of them.
Most people will only wander around this part of the gardens of the Chantilly castle. I however recommend walking further.
2. The Anglo – Chinese Garden
While many people love the fountains my favorite part of the Chantilly castle gardens was the Anglo-Chinese garden. To be fair, I the Marie-Antoinette’s Hamlet in the Petit Trianon in Versailles was my favorite too. This section of the garden served as a model for the hamlet later.
The garden has these cool houses that suddenly appear almost out of nowhere. There’s even a restaurant here where you can sit at and enjoy some snacks at. Something that I would recommend when the weather is good. It was closed up in winter though.
One thing that the kids really enjoyed seeing here was the way the mill was worked by the water. It isn’t operational mind you but you can visually see how it works.
3. The English Gardens
No matter what time of the year you visit, the English gardens are a peaceful and tranquil place to walk around. We loved standing on the bridge and looking out for the fish that were swimming below us. The water is very clear so you can see right through to the bottom.
4. Don’t Forget To Visit The Kangaroos
One of the strangest attractions in Chateau de Chantilly that we found was the Kangaroos. I’m serious. There we kangaroos on the grounds and I honestly have no clue how they came here. If you know the history related to this fact please let me know in the comments below because I am extremely curious!
We had so much fun here. Obviously the kids tried to jump around and try and imitate the roos. There is also a bee hive that you can visit and its right next door.
5. Take The Petite Train
If you are short on time and just want to catch a glimpse of the gardens, then take the Petite Train. It will take you through the gardens quickly. The train isn’t very expensive either and you can book your ride at the entrance easily.
Inside The Chantilly Castle
Everyone is well acquainted with the gorgeous view of the Chateau de Chantilly with the water reflecting it. What not everyone knows however is that the collections of paintings, art and furniture inside are incredibly valuable. In fact, it houses the second largest collection of ancient paintings in France. It is second only to that of the Louvre. Now that’s saying something, right?
History Of Chantilly Castle
At this point, I should delve a bit into the history of the Chateau de Chantilly. This castle is currently considered one of the jewels of France and it as much because of its history as it is because of its art and architecture. You will get a brief introduction to this history in the form of a video when you visit but I’ll still give you a synopsis of what I know.
The person that you will frequently hear being associated with the castle is Henri of Orleans. He was the Duke of Amulae between 1822 -1897. There were many princely dynasties that lived in the halls over the years before him. Henri of Orleans however was the person who left us the Chateau de Castle as a legacy.
The collections that are currently housed in the castle are his collection. He did not have any heirs so he bequeathed the estate to the Institute de France. The one condition was that it remained open to the public.
On 17 April 1898, the Chateau de Chantilly opened its doors to the public and was named the Conde museum.
6. The Chapel
The chapel should be your first stop during your visit and the museum staff will probably direct you in the right direction. It isn’t because it is the coolest part of the castle but because it has an introductory video about the castle. This will explain how the castle was built, the changes that were made over time and how the Chateau de Chantilly is different from Versailles.
Its a short video and it will take only 10 minutes of your time but it is well worth watching.
7. The Art Galleries
The Art Galleries are one of the biggest treasures in the building. The gallery of paintings for example houses 85 paintings which includes the Madonna by Raphael. The best part is that very unlike the Louvre, you can take your time and are not jostled by large crowds. There are two more paintings by Raphael that you should not miss. These are in Santuario. The paintings in question are The Three Graces and The Madonna of the House of Orleans.
8. The Psyche Gallery
Now this place is pretty awesome. You’ve probably traveled through Europe, you will find lots of different types of stained glass windows everywhere. These however are different from any that I have ever seen and we have traveled extensively.
The 44 stained glass windows tell the story of Psyche. Hence the name of the gallery. They are intricate and almost as if they are painted on paper.
9. The Reading Room
The reading room was one of my favorite places in Conde museum. The room houses innumerable priceless treasures. Not only is the library gorgeous it has a surprising hidden fact that not many people know about. The library is actually a 19th century construction. Most people don’t realize this because of how well it has been integrated with original castle structure.
Bonus Things To Do In Chantilly
I highly doubt that I’m going to write a guide about Chantilly anytime soon because I’m so starved of time to get everything written down so I’m just going to pen down some additional things to do in Chantilly here.
Taste Chantilly
Sounds crazy right? How do you taste a city? But that’s not what I’m talking about. Chantilly in French refers to sweet whipped cream. This is what you top your waffles, pancakes, hot chocolate and coffee with. Chantilly is the region where it is famous.
This is because in the 17th century by Francois Vatel, maitre d’hotel at the Chateau de Chantilly created it for a banquet of Louis XIV where he served it to over 2000 people in the Chateau. It has obviously become popular all over the world but there is nothing like trying it in Chantilly.
Visit The Musée du Cheval
Musée du Cheval or the horse museum is one of the biggest attractions in Chantilly after the castle. Here you can see the stables and understand the evolution of horses. The museum is interactive and great for both adults and kids. They also conduct shows which can catch. You just need to plan your day better. This something we didn’t do and we regretted it.
Watching the horse shows is one of the top things to do in Chantilly so try not miss it.
FAQ About Chateau De Chantilly
Should I Visit The Chateau De Chantilly First Or The Garden?
This one is largely dependent on the weather. Since we arrived at the fag end of winter and at the start of spring, the weather was frigid and unpredictable. The sun was out and shinning the moment we reached so we explored the grounds first. I would check the weather. In summer the heat can get to you at mid day and I would advise being inside the cool castle at this time.
Just make a note that you cannot keep entering and exiting the castle. The ticket is valid for only a single entry though you can stay inside for as long as you want.
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