The Château de Chantilly is one of the many grand castles in France and easily accessible from Paris. Made up of the Petite Castle and the New Castle, you can enjoy gardens and museums in trip.

The gardens were designed be Andre Le Nôtre (the same designer of the gardens at Versailles) and are a pleasure to stroll through. Within the castle, enjoy the works of Delacroix and Corot in the Musée Conde. If art isn't your thing, visit the Grand Stables, which is home to the Living Museum of the Horse and still puts on horse shows and spectacles.

Refresh at one of the two restaurants on site, including Le Capitainerie, which is in the castle's old famous kitchens, or Le Hameau in the hamlet kitchens which offers lunch and afternoon tea.

How to get there:

Take the train (SNCF) from Gare du Nord to Chantilly-Gouvieux station (approx. 25 minutes). Alternatively and more affordably, take the RER Line D to the Chantilly-Gouvieux station (45 minutes). From the train station, you can walk, cab, or take the DUC bus to the castle. Walking takes approximately 20-minutes and a cab takes about 5-minutes.

The DUC bus (Desserte Urbaine Cantilienne) is a bus provided - free of charge - by the municipality of Chantilly. Departure from the bus station, get off at "Chantilly, église Notre-Dame".

Important Information:

Open daily from 10am-6pm. Admission is €16, or €30 with tickets to the equestrian show. For an extra €3, you can have the guided tour, which I highly recommend for anyone anxious to learn about the history of the castle. Admission and hours are subject to change - please check here for the most up to date information.