Visit of the castle of Fontainebleau

A visit to the castle of Fontainebleau, one of the largest French castles, it was inhabited by many sovereigns until the 19th century.

The castle of Fontainebleau is located 1 hour from Paris by car, it is also easily accessible by train. The castle is a museum that can be visited, it is not free (the first Sunday of the month), the gardens are free. The castle with its garden is huge, you should plan a good afternoon to visit it without loitering. The castle was a holiday resort and many kings have visited it. However, it was not the scene of any major event in French history, which is probably why it is less well known than some other castles. Most of the rooms are beautifully restored, and the different periods and styles are displayed during the visit. The official website

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Duration: 4 h.
Departure point (Google Maps)

The Court of Honour

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The Court of Honour
This is the main entrance to the castle.

The horseshoe-shaped staircase

The horseshoe-shaped staircase
The court is famous for having been the scene of Napoleon's first abdication. Excerpt from his speech to the old guard: "Soldiers, you, my old comrades in arms, whom I have always found on the path of honor, it is finally time to leave us.

The carp pond

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The carp pond
The carp pond, as the name suggests, has many carp. You can relax by renting boats and canoeing. In the middle of the pond is the pond pavilion.

A pond in the gardens

A pond in the gardens
The park is huge, you have to take your time to visit it.

The canal

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The canal
You can also walk around the canal which is a place of relaxation and where many people walk in summer.

The guard room

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The guard room
Above the fireplace is a monumental bust of Henry IV. The room was used as a passage for people admitted to royal audiences.

Diane's gallery

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Diane's gallery
This room has had several uses over the centuries, it was transformed into a library by Napoleon III. The large globe belonged to Napoleon I.

The Chapel of the Holy Trinity

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The Chapel of the Holy Trinity
Above the altar is the painting of "The Trinity" by Jean Dubois.

The Saint-Saturnin chapel

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The Saint-Saturnin chapel
The chapel is on two levels, with the organ loft on the second level. Raphael's painting "The Holy Family", now in the Louvre, used to decorate the chapel.

Le jardin de Diane

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Le jardin de Diane
The Diana Garden (English landscape garden) includes the statue of Diana. On this side the garden is more intimate and less monumental.

The throne room

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The throne room
This room was the king's bedroom until the revolution. It was the centre of royalty and commanded the greatest respect. Napoleon I transformed it into a throne room. It is the only existing throne room in France with its furniture.

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