Visit of the park and the castle of Compiègne

A visit to the castle of Compiègne located one hour from Paris

The château de Compiègne is located not far from Paris, it is easy to access because it is located next to the A1 freeway.

The construction of the castle began in 1380, it has always been a royal residence, most of the time the sovereigns came to spend a few days in Compiegne to hunt in the surrounding forests.

The castle was damaged during the revolution. Napoleon I decided to restore it. Napoleon III also liked the place very much, he could relax far from the Parisian life. Every autumn he organized receptions that were called "les séries". He received a certain number of guests during one week, these guests were fed and lodged and left at the end of the week to be replaced by others. The invitation cards were very coveted. Entertainment was organized to avoid boredom. Nevertheless, many guests complained about the freezing cold in these large, poorly heated rooms.

Once the visit of the castle is done, one can take advantage of it to visit the castle of Pierrefonds located at a few kilometers.

The visit of the castle is essential for the amateurs of the Empire period.

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Difficulty: difficulty
Duration: 3 h.
Departure point (Google Maps)

Entrance of the castle of Compiègne

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Entrance of the castle of Compiègne
The castle also contains a museum of the car and tourism and a museum of the Second Empire. These museums are not open to the public, you must be accompanied by a guide. Please ask at the reception desk.

Staircase of Apollo

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Staircase of Apollo

Card fair

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Card fair
The guests had to be entertained during the long autumn evenings. Many games were proposed (miniature billiards, cards...)

The Emperor's room

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The Emperor's room
The castle shows a remarkable set of Empire style furniture, especially in this room.

The Ball Gallery

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The Ball Gallery
Very beautiful and large ballroom made under Napoleon I in 1809. The paintings on the ceiling evoke the victories of Napoleon. Between 1914 and 1917 the room was used as a military hospital.

The castle seen from the park

The castle seen from the park

The park of the castle of Compiègne

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The park of the castle of Compiègne
The park is quite ordinary, there are no water features or waterfalls.

Allées du château de Compiègne

Allées du château de Compiègne
The walk in the park is free. The entrance fee for the castle is €8, the entrance is free on the first Sunday of the month.

The plan of the park

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The plan of the park

🛑 Other walks