The Île-de-France region is justly renowned for its many splendid châteaux. Some of these, especially Versailles, are monumental in scope while others, such as Fontainebleau, leave the visitor endowed with an immensely satisfying sense of history. For sheer beauty, however, the dream-like Château of Chantilly is by far the most outstanding. Many even consider it to be the loveliest in all France. This is surely reason enough to make the easy daytrip, but Chantilly gilds the lily with yet more sumptuous attractions. There are enchanted gardens, a magnificent forest, one of the nation's best art museums, stables that resemble a palace, a world-famous racetrack, a great horse training center and — of course — the delicious whipped cream and black lace for which the town is noted.
While the Louvre and Versailles are household names, many
visitors to Paris are surprised to learn that twenty minutes away from Charles
De Gaulle Airport are two of the most enchanting sites in France: the
magnificent castle and stables of Chantilly and the ancient town of Senlis,
whose Gallo-Roman wall, cobbled streets, handsome stone houses and early Gothic
cathedral, have won over many directors of costume dramas for film and
television.
At Chantilly
(allow at least 45 minutes by car from Paris, an hour if there is traffic) are
the monumental stables which had been commissioned by one of the castle’s
former owners: Henri-Louis, Duc de Bourbon, who wanted to be reincarnated as a
horse. Built by Jean Aubert between 1719 and 1735, the stables are over 600
feet in length and once accommodated 240 horses, as well as 150 hounds for the
hunt. Now known as Le Musee Vivant du Cheval (the Living Horse Museum), this is
the most encyclopedic museum ever devoted to the history of horses, showing how
the animal has been a vital element in the art of war, as well as the hunt and
the military dress parade. However, don’t presume that these awesome stables
are only for the horse buff and trainer—kids adore the live hour-long
spectacles of elegant steeds trained to prance like the famed Lippinzanner
horses from Vienna.
There is so much
to see in Chantilly’s castle and gardens that serious art lovers may find it
hard to tear themselves away. It's an architectural hodge-podge of styles that
work harmoniously together, thanks to the stunning landscape of canals and
formal gardens conceived in the 17th century by Andre Lenotre. The present-day
edifice, built on Medieval foundations, includes a small chateau built in the
Renaissance by Pierre Chambige (who worked on the original Hotel de Ville in
Paris), and a larger chateau that was rebuilt in the second half of the 19th
century by the Duc d’Aumale, the fifth son of the last king of France,
Louis-Philippe d’Orleans.
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