Fontainebleau

The Château de Fontainebleau offers an exceptional journey through eight centuries of French royal history. Less crowded than Versailles, it provides an intimate and immersive experience into the lives of monarchs from Francis I to Napoleon III. Visitors can admire the splendid Galerie François Ier, the Emperor’s Throne Room, and the private theatre of Napoleon III—each a testimony to evolving styles from Renaissance to Empire.

The surrounding gardens are equally breathtaking. The Grand Parterre, designed by André Le Nôtre, is among Europe’s largest formal gardens. The English Garden offers a peaceful contrast with winding paths, exotic trees, and romantic views, including the Carp Pond and the charming Pavillon de l’Étang.

What truly sets Fontainebleau apart is its ongoing cultural vibrancy. The château hosts concerts, exhibitions, and academic conferences year-round, breathing life into its historic walls. The annual Festival of History and Music of Fontainebleau, as well as artist residencies, continue the site's legacy as a hub of artistic creation since the 16th century.

Easily reached from Paris, Fontainebleau is a must-visit for lovers of history, architecture, gardens, and the arts. It is not just a monument—it is a living heritage site, deeply connected to the cultural fabric of France.

Having already been to Versailles and the apartments of Napoleon III in the Louvre earlier that week, palace fatigue for my week in Paris was starting to set in as I departed from Gare du Lyon on the train to Fontainebleau-Avon station. There were regular buses but I opted for the slow route, walking ~3 km through some unremarkable French suburbs alongside the railway viaduct to the entrance to the park to the east of the palace. This is part of the core zone already but there is a tentative extension to cover more parkland and the surround forests, appropriate given Fontainebleau started life as a royal hunting lodge, although the large game animals are long gone. I did not venture further out into the woods so cannot comment on the validity of that extension. Between two seemingly endless perfectly straight rows of trees, I eventually emerged onto the road and crossed over to enter the formal gardens, which were nice enough but nothing out of the ordinary for this sort of site.

After resting at the café in the Courtyard of Fountains, in which the fountain is remarkably not very prominent despite the name, I passed through into the main front courtyard, which I have seen variously called the Courtyard of Honour, Courtyard of the White Horse, and Courtyard of Goodbyes. Inside there is a bag search then free lockers to stash said bags before some automated scanners to check tickets. All of this infrastructure makes Fontainebleau seem …

August 2018 - on our way back from the Normandy along Ile de France we finally came to Fontainebleau. 

It is a small nice town where we visited the local market. With some food we bought, we made our way to the gardens of the castle and tried to find a nice spot. There are numerous nice spots with views at the castle and we changed the viewing spots.

It was tremendously hot that day, and we actually preffered to had stayed at the sea shore. But we ticked this nice park and castle. One of many in Europe but certainly of bigger importance in cultural history.

The Fontainebleau Castle is somewhat in the shadow of the more popular Palace of Versailles, but wrongly in my opinion. We visited Fontainebleau in September 2015 and it was far less crowded than the day before in Versailles.

When you stand on the Cour d'Honneur facing the main façade, the palace looks smaller and less magnificent compared to Versailles, but the appearance is deceiving. You get the best impression of the real size and extent from the gardens along the southern front. The present appearance of the palace is the result of numerous reconstructions and extensions from the 12th to the 19th century: a sprawling complex with several wings around five courtyards, and a mosaic of architectural styles. Another difference to Versailles. The oldest and central part of the palace, a donjon of the original castle, is located in the oval courtyard. Unfortunately, this courtyard was not accessible on our visit, we could just take a look through the closed gate. The most striking element of the exterior is the horseshoe-shaped stairway at the main façade (photo), formerly the main entrance of the palace.

The interiors were a real surprise: luxurious furnishings, finely decorated wooden panelling, stucco and plenty of paintings and frescoes. The tour with audioguide took about two hours. The most impressive rooms are the splendid Ballroom, the adjacent double chapel of Saint-Saturnin, and the Gallery of Francis I. Furthermore, the Gallery of Diana and the Plate Gallery full with porcelain plates fitted into the wooden panelling.

All …

I visited this WHS in May 2013. The park is not that impressive. The palace exterior was quite underwhelming but the interior made up for it. The Grand Galleries and the throne room are truly of universal value for their historical importance. When compared to the never-ending crowds of visitors in Versailles, Fontainebleau was almost empty and most probably this helped me to appreciate and enjoy the palace to the full.

I did enjoy my trip out to the palace and it was a rewarding visit. It didn't feel quite as cripplingly oppressive as Versailles and was a more manageable place to get a grasp on. The level of decoration was also impressive throughout, especially the two grand corridors that we visited on the tour. Also the associations with Napoleon are pretty strong here which helped ties in some of the parts of French history that I had a decent grasp of. I also enjoyed strolling around the grounds to get a bit of fresh air.

On the whole it was a worthwhile side trip from Paris, and it was good to spend some time exploring with my friends. It was also pretty easy to get to, but I must admit Palaces very rarely capture me.

[Site 5: Experience 4]

For some reason I had anticipated finding something completely different: my navigation brought me right into the center of the town of Fontainebleau, while I had expected to visit a hunting castle somewhere in a forest. At first sight, the castle looks quite small and disappointing too.

I wandered the grounds and part of the gardens. There are some nice black sculptures, but nothing too exciting, especially in winter. There were only a couple of other visitors around. So few of them that I wondered if the interior would be closed - I visited on a Saturday, around lunchtime and had expected crowds.

All changed when I paid my 10 EUR entrance fee to visit the interior of the castle. Maybe all visitors were hiding there, escaping the winter weather? No! I really was about the only person around. Most of the rooms I had to myself. This rare occasion turned it into a memorable visit. I don't think I have ever enjoyed a European castle as much as this one.

I used a pretty good audio guide to explain the castle. Each room has signs too in French and English. One of the best is the Gallery of Francis I, a covered passageway that he had built for himself. Its walls are adorned with beautiful frescoes. Another great room is the Ball Room (see large photo above). There's a room completely in Rococo style, rooms full of gobelins, ornate bedrooms. Almost at the end of the …

Less well known and thus (slightly) less crowded than Versailles, Fontainebleau started life as a hunting lodge and became the favorite residence for many French rulers, and many of them left their distinctive imprint. Francois I., Henri IV., and Napoleon all had an individual entrance built to the palace, and the "School of Fontainebleau" was a model for French and European Renaissance architecture. Many people will imitate the kings and prefer this magnificent complex to Versailles. I wouldn't go this far, but it is certainly very well worth visiting and one of the better daytrips from Paris.

A very nice little town, just outside of Paris, that hosts a really spectacular chateau. Once a summer residence for the kings of France, the house and park became a favorite of Napoleon during this reign as emperor. There is a good deal to explore both within the apartments and around the beautiful gardens. The town of Fontainebleau itself is also worth some time, with many little cafes, restaurants, and shops to enjoy. The people are also very welcoming; we had a nice time chatting with the old man who feeds the peacocks that wander the chateau grounds. Definitely recommended as a day trip from Paris.