Château de Fontainebleau
A visit to the expansive and spectacular Château de Fontainebleau can easily fill the better part of a day
The Château de Fontainebleau is one of the largest royal palaces. A great many monarchs have made their mark on the Château, each resident making some kind of improvement or renovation to at least a portion of the Château.
The Château has been home to some of the greatest monarchs in French history, including King Louis VII, Philip II and Louis IX. Napoleon also made good use of the Château from time to time. The Château has gone from being the home of a number of monarchs to being the home of the Ecoles d'Art Americaines, an American school of art and architecture.
The Château is not just a palace. There are a number of courtyards and gardens and a park that are interspersed throughout the buildings of the palace. Even the surrounding city is something of a historical monument. It grew up around the Forest of Fontainbleau. What remains of the Forest is now home to a number of endangered species that once called all of Europe home.
Although the Château does attempt to make its tours as family friendly as possible, it is important to note that you are not permitted to bring pushchairs or back mounted baby carriers on the tour routes. It is possible to swap your pushchair or carrier for a front mounted carrier at the cloakrooms though. If schools or home schooled groups of children would like to visit the Château then they may make use of the specially adapted tours that the staff of the Château offer. There is also a lift to allow those who suffer from limited mobility to access the Grands Appartements.
For those who love the outdoors, the park and various courtyards offer many different attractions and activities to help you while away the time. You can take a horse drawn carriage ride or a hot air balloon ride. Then there is the boating and ice cream parlours and the Segway rides.
If you are planning on visiting the Château de Fontainebleau then you really do need to set aside an entire day to do so. It is better to have more time than you need as you do not want to miss a single sight in this amazing palace.
Facts For Your Visit
Fee: Yes - Visit the official website for details.Château de Fontainebleau Hours:
Opening hours may differ on holidays
- Monday: 9:30 AM – 4:15 PM
- Tuesday: Closed
- Wednesday: 9:30 AM – 4:15 PM
- Thursday: 9:30 AM – 4:15 PM
- Friday: 9:30 AM – 4:15 PM
- Saturday: 9:30 AM – 4:15 PM
- Sunday: 9:30 AM – 4:15 PM
Address: 77300 Fontainebleau, France
Phone: 01 60 71 50 70
Official Website: Château de Fontainebleau
Château de Fontainebleau Reviews
Rated out of 5
Stunning Chateau with much less tourists visiting than Versailles. The views were stunning and my favorite part was walking the town after and eating at a local restaurant. You will need to get the audio guide to listen in English because the web app for the audio is only in french
Carlos Quinones (CQ Reviews) - a week ago
An absolute joy from start to finish. Beautiful, packed full of history this is a must if in or anywhere near to Paris. Super-easy to reach from the city and somewhere to easily spend a full day.
Steve Tilley - a week ago
It is a stunning castle, not too far from Paris and rivals the overcrowded Versailles Castle. Here we were able to visit and admire in peace the grand halls, gardens and parks of the castle. It was wonderful.
Ioana Mazilu - 3 weeks ago
Magnificent, beautiful, elegant. Not to mention their external garden is free to visit. Such a wonderful place to chill and enjoy in a good weather day. Highly recommend. Also very easy to access by public transportation.
Jennifer yu - 4 weeks ago
One of the greatest palaces in the world. I was utterly blown away by the beauty of it.
Incredible history too, as the location of Napoleon Bonaparte’s abdication location.
Built originally by Francis I to help recover after his loss and capture in the Battle of Pavia, every French Monarch since lived here and has some legacy.
Michael Offord - 3 weeks ago
Directions
| Metro / SNCF Line | Nearest Station | Walking Time |
|---|---|---|
| M1 or M14 plus SNCF R | Fontainebleau Avon | 2 minutes |
How to get to Château de Fontainebleau by Metro / SNCF
By Metro plus SNCF Train and Bus: Make your way via Metro M1 or M14 to Gare de Lyon. From Gare de Lyon (main line) board an SNCF Transilean R to either Montargis Sens or Montereauline and exit at Fontainebleau Avon Station. Catch the Optile ‘Ligne A’ bus destined for Les Lilas, from bus platform #2 in front of the station and disembark at the ‘Château’ stop. Walk southeast and cross over Rue Grande then go left followed by a quick right onto Rue de la Chancellerie to the entrance. If you have an all zone Paris Visite Pass this journey is fully covered.
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Photo Gallery
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Sumptuous interior of Château de Fontainebleau cc licensed photo by dynamosquito -
Photo Credit: @lain G - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: @lain G - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: uphillblok - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: Phil Grondin - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: Corentin Foucaut - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: Mustang Joe - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: uphillblok - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: uphillblok - cc license via Flickr
