Chateau de Chantilly

ChâTeau Of The Princes Of Condé Housing The MuséE Condé, One Of France'S Largest Collections Of Old Master Paintings After The Louvre (As Usually Stated), With The Great Stables And Gardens By Le NôTre, 25 Minutes From Paris By Train · Chantilly, Hauts-de-France

The Château de Chantilly stands in a lake-ringed setting on the edge of a large forest north of Paris, once the seat of the Princes of Condé, cousins of the kings of France. Much of the château was destroyed after the Revolution and rebuilt in the nineteenth century by the Duke of Aumale, a son of King Louis-Philippe, who filled it with a remarkable collection of paintings, drawings, manuscripts and rare books. He left it to the Institut de France on condition that nothing be moved or lent, so the pictures still hang as he arranged them, frame to frame on the walls. The Musée Condé is usually described as the second collection of old master paintings in France after the Louvre, with works by Raphael, Poussin, Ingres and Delacroix. Nearby, the eighteenth-century Great Stables are a palace for horses and now house a horse museum and equestrian shows. The grounds combine a formal garden by André Le Nôtre with later landscape gardens and a rustic hamlet. Chantilly is also a major racing town, and trains from Paris Gare du Nord take about 25 minutes.

Château de Chantilly, 60500 Chantilly, Oise, Chantilly, Hauts-de-France, France

The château, the Musée Condé, the Great Stables and the park open most of the year, with longer hours from spring to autumn and shorter ones in winter; the park usually stays open a little later than the château, and last entry is some time before closing. The domain is traditionally closed on Tuesdays, with some exceptions in the summer holidays, and there may be a short winter closure or closure on certain holidays; confirm the current calendar before you travel. The single domain ticket normally covers the château, the museum, the Great Stables and the park, with a cheaper park-only ticket. Equestrian demonstrations and the larger shows at the Great Stables run on set days and times, and the special shows need booking. The private apartments of the Duke and Duchess of Aumale and some library rooms are shown on guided visits only, with limited places. On race days in June the town and roads are busy, and the hamlet restaurant and the park's small trains or boats may run only in the warmer months.

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