Château de Fontainebleau - Musée national

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The Château de Fontainebleau can boast of having had eight centuries of royal occupants. Capetians, Valois, Bourbons, Bonaparte and Orléans, each member of the dynasties which ruled France spent time within its walls. Kings and queens, emperors and empresses strove to enhance the château built around the original keep.

Château de Fontainebleau : a huge royal and imperial palace

The château quickly became an enormous palace where a number of important historical events took place. 55km from Paris, this sprawling, royal residence illustrates the development of styles from the Middle Ages to the Second Empire, from the 12th century to the 19th century : the medieval keep, unique wood panelling, stucco and paintings of the Renaissance, carved wooden ceiling and painted decors of the 17th and 18th centuries and Premier Empire furniture.

The famous horseshoe steps, the symbol of the Château de Fontainebleau, were built during the reign of Louis XIII in Renaissance style by Jean Androuet du Cerceau. It was at the bottom of these steps that Napoleon 1 bid his guard farewell in 1814. The rich decoration, refined elegance and completeness of the furnishings of the château apartments contribute to its family home aspect, « a true home of kings, house of ages » as Napoleon called it.

Galleries of Château de Fontainebleau

The galleries of the Château de Fontainebleau were important covered walkways where members of the Court socialised and strolled. Three of them still exist today and, along with the Hall of Columns of Louis-Philippe and the theatre of Napoléon III, are extremely richly decorated. Fontainebleau today is a luxuriously-appointed residence, a royal château and an imperial palace. Since the end of the 19th century, four museums have been successively housed within its walls much to the delight of art enthusiasts : the Chinese Museum of Empress Eugénie, Musée Napoléon 1er, Galerie de peintures (paintings) and Galerie de meubles (furniture).

Visite Château de Fontainebleau

As the home of rulers since the 16th century, the Château de Fontainebleau has preserved an exceptional collection of art works whose stylistic and aesthetic characteristics illustrate the tastes of those who lived there and chose its decors for four centuries. These decorative items and pieces of furniture are a wonderful art lesson in themselves and it is easy to discover something new every time you visit the château. The buildings are arranged around four main courtyards (Cour Ovale, Cour d'Honneur, Cour des Offices and Cour de la Fontaine) and three gardens (English garden, Diane’s garden, the Grand Parterre). The succession of architectural styles present in the façades unfolds throughout the gardens, which were completely redesigned during the 19th century. A broad variety of themed visits are available and a selection of interpretation tools for children and adults (visioguide, histopad, activity booklets). Exhibitions and special tours take place during the year. The château is at the heart of the imperial town and surrounded by the Forêt de Fontainebleau, a source of inspiration and leisure pursuits.

Fontainebleau - a tradition of horse riding and gastronomy

Fontainebleau, a major centre for art and history, also has a long-standing reputation for horse riding and local gourmet food. Important equestrian competitions are held at Grand Parquet. The excellent pâtissier and master chocolatier, Frédéric Cassel, opened one of his shops at Fontainebleau. He was President of the French team who won the World Pâtisserie Championships in 2013.

The villages in the area around Fontainebleau, particularly the character villages, have a large choice of gites and B&Bs. Some owners, artists and crafts people are delighted to share their expertise and enthusiasm with visitors.

The Château is open every day except Tuesday. Closed 1 May, 25 December and 1 January.

October – March : 09.30-17.00 (last admission 16.15).

April - September : 09.30-18.00 (last admission 17.15). Allow 2 hours for a complete unguided tour of the château.

How to get to Fontainebleau ?

By road : from Paris, take A6 (Porte d’Orléans or Porte d’Italie), exit Fontainebleau. Head towards Fontainebleau, then follow signs for « Château ».

By rail : from Paris Gare de Lyon to Montargis, Montereau or Laroche-Migennes, get off at Fontainebleau-Avon, then take bus N° 1 towards Les Lilas and get off at the « Château ».

Explore Seine-et-Marne with Gites de France Seine-et-Marne : medieval town of Provins, Château de Blandy-Les-Tours, Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte, Disneyland Paris, Forêt de Fontainebleau"