Chantilly, France
If you are visiting Paris soon and are looking for an interesting day trip from the city then I would check out Chantilly for the Chateau and gardens.
If, like me, you love historical palaces and castles then Chantilly is a great day out. If you have visited Versailles and are looking for somewhere a little different and perhaps lesser known then read this post.
How far is it from Paris city centre?
Situated just 55 km north of Paris, or if you are travelling into Paris Beauvais airport it is 54 km (around 45 minutes by train).
The best and easiest way to travel to Chantilly is by train, the train takes around 30 minutes and is very affordable. The fast train (TER train) is 24 minutes from Gare du Nord station. The Chantilly stop is three stops away so don’t get too comfortable. The trains run almost every hour until 11pm, if you are travelling at the weekend however I would double check the schedule.
I would say that this day trip can easily be done without hiring a car.
Chantilly Train Station to the Chateau
We walked from the station to the chateau, it was a nice summers day and a pleasant, easy walk of around 25 minutes. On our return journey back to the station we grabbed an Uber, there is also supposed to be a shuttle bus but I never saw it when we visited.
As you walk from the town centre you will begin to see signposts directing you to the Chateau, if you choose the scenic route you’ll walk through the beautiful parkland and woods and begin to see the enormous great stables as you approach.
Things to see and do at the Chateau De Chantilly
The Chateau:
The main attraction is the castle itself, personally I would allow two hours to fully experience the interiors. The chateau itself is made up of two different buildings, the oldest known as Petit Chateau was originally built in 1560. The second section is the Grand Chateau which was largely destroyed during the French Revolution. Under the direction of architect Honore Daumet for Henri d’Orleans it was reconstructed back to its former glory.
Inside it is home to the second largest collection of antique paintings after the Lourve in Paris. Many of the paintings remain unchanged since Henri d’Orleans hung them up. There are over 800 magnificent pieces of art to look at.
On the ground floor you’ll find the Duke and Duchess of Aumale’s private suites. Beautifully decorated with its four-poster bed, Louis XV style padded chairs and its dressing room. The walls are decorated with two large portraits of the Duke and Duchess of Aumale at their wedding in 1844.
Another impressive sight in the library, Chantilly houses one of the most extensive libraries in France with nearly 17,000 works.
The collection was built over many generations and different residents, however it was the Duke of Aumale, who was the greatest bibliophile of his time that really expanded the library.
The Prince had a keen interest in the most ancient books, rare and precious book. He relished the best preserved books, classical literary and artistic heritage, and the history of France.
The Gardens and Grounds
The grounds around the castle are extensive and you have 115 hectares (300 acres) to explore. The grounds have separate areas including the Anglo-Chinese garden, the English garden, André Le Nôtre’s french style garden and the Grand Canal.
Designed during the second half of the 17th century by André Le Nôtre, the future gardener of Versailles, and you can really see that when explore the Grand canal and Hamlet. The English style Hamlet was added during the 18th century under the supervision of the eighth Prince de Condé, Louis-Joseph. The Hamlet at Chantilly would later inspire the Petit Trianon created for Marie Antoinette at Versailles. There is a small outdoor cafe in this area too and when we visited the weather was hot and a cooling sharp lemonade certainly kept us going. If you are lucky you might spot some roaming geese and ducks.
Great Stables
As you approach the grounds you will see the Great Stables, it is one of the largest horse stables in all of Europe and is still very much a working stable. Built in the 18th century (1719-1735) is impressive and can house up to 240 horses.
Inside the middle of the stables is the Living Museum of the Horse which showcases art and the relationship and importance of the horses here.
If you time it right you could see an equestrian demonstration. The informative demonstrations are usually 30 minutes and have live commentary.
Chantilly Cream:
You might have heard of Chantilly cream, the light creamy whipped cream used for desserts. But was it actually invented in Chantilly, France?
Well, technically - no.
Chantilly cream is often attributed to the famous pastry chef and caterer Vatel when he worked between 1663 and 1671 at the Château de Chantilly.
In 1671 he was commissioned to organise a party for the Duc de Condé, owner of Chantilly, and his cousin Louis XIV at the Chateau. As you can imagine, the party was grand, over indulgent and lots of sumptuous meals were made. However, behind the scenes in the kitchens not all went as planned …
The story goes that the dairy delivery did not arrive in time, in order to give volume to the cream supplies he had, Vatel created Chantilly cream.
However, the true invention of this whipped cream is much earlier and its origin is actually Italian. References to the cream is noted in old Italian cookbooks from the 16th century under the term “milk snow”.
However, as with any successful food recipe there is always a debate.
The English also claim the delicacy…
In the restaurant there you can try some on the menu, I did with a decidant . If you fancy learning how to make it, the Confrérie des Chevaliers Fouetteurs de la Crème Chantilly they offers workshops in how to whip some up and earn yourself a certificate.
