Fontainebleau is a commune in the metropolitan area of Paris, around 55 km south of the city center. The Château de Fontainebleau is the center of the historic town and it is now a national museum and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Compared with the world-renowned Versailles, the palace itself offers nothing less but also housed an abundance of magnificent works of art and a mindfully crafted back garden. What makes me enjoy the palace more is the quietness of being away from the crowd and truly appreciate the regality of the ancient French kings in the 16th / 17th century. (But of course, Versailles has an amazing Garden, too!)
I wasn’t very much aware of what to expect before I stepped into the museum (and also I did try to keep an element of surprise without studying too much about the interior of the palace.). In the end, I was pleased that the palace was actually richly decorated in royal and imperial symbolism – the exquisite tapestries, artistic sculptures, and bold chandeliers were just overwhelming. In fact, walking through the palace is like walking through a time tunnel as the room shifted in styles, decorated in different eras – From Louis XIII to Napoleon.
Although Versailles has been the center of attention for French palaces – Fontainebleau is certainly not to miss!
Besides, it would be a fantastic site for wedding photo taking 😛
Website: muse-chateau-fontainebleau.fr
Open Hours: Oct-Mar 9:30 am – 5:00 pm; Apr-Sep 9:30 am – 6:00 pm
Ticketing: €11
How did I get there: SNCF Train from Gare du Lyon goes directly from Paris to Fontainebleau-Avon in 2 hours and then take the bus to the train station to the town center 🙂
KNYCX Journeying
Ugly Travel
Forever Wanderers
Any thoughts, tips or questions?