Environment
article | Reading time6 min
Want to get some fresh air without having to travel too far from the capital? Fill up on nature (and culture) by visiting the parks of our magnificent châteaux.
The "mixed garden" at the Château de Champs-sur-Marne
A little Versailles in Seine-et-Marne
Does the château de Champs-sur-Marne , with its classical architecture, perron, columns and triangular pediment, look familiar? That's because its façade served as a model for that of the Élysee Palace!
This eighteenth-century pleasure house is surrounded by 85 hectares of nature, combining a regular formal garden with a wilder English garden.
The formal garden is in the tradition of Versailles: a grand 900-metre-long perspective descends to the Marne, punctuated by pools and surrounded by parterres of embroidery, flowering bosquets, topiaries and sculptures. Take time to admire, in particular, the Scylla pool and the marble copies of famous antique sculptures: the Apollon of the Belvedere and the Diane of Versailles.
Then continue your stroll to the English garden, with its winding paths winding through meadows and groves, where you'll discover some remarkable tree species, including two imposing redwoods.
Practical info
- Open every day except Tuesday
- Park: free admission
- Château: full price 9 €, concessions 7.50 €, free for under 26 years old
- How long: minimum 2 hours, maximum 1 day
- Accessible by RER A, Noisiel stop (30 minutes from Châtelet-les-Halles)
- Picnics permitted in certain designated areas of the park
© Christophe Bernard / Centre des monuments nationaux
Flight over the château de Champs-sur-Marne
video | Reading time1:09 min
The English garden at the Château de Rambouillet
Two secret monuments to discover
The château de Rambouillet is surrounded by 150 hectares of parkland, which you can explore on foot, by bike, electric buggy or even by boat (from April to November).
Why not take a romantic stroll through its English garden, laid out in the 1770s at the request of the Duc de Penthièvre, grandson of Louis XIV?
Stroll along its winding paths, cross its picturesque little bridges, admire its groves planted with exotic species...
Two wonderful surprises await you in the heart of the English garden: the Chaumière aux coquillages, a small house decorated with thousands of cockles, mussels, abalone, oysters and coral; and the Laiterie de la Reine, an 18th century masterpiece given by Louis XVI to Marie-Antoinette. These two buildings will amaze you with the quality of their architecture and décor!
Practical info
- Park: free of charge
- Château, Laiterie de la Reine and Chaumière aux coquillages: full price 11 €, free for under 26 years old
- Laiterie de la Reine and Chaumière aux coquillages only: full price 7 €
- How long: minimum 3 hours, maximum 2 days
- Accessible by TER ( 35 minutes from Montparnasse), Rambouillet stop
- Picnics allowed in a dedicated area 5 minutes' walk from the château
© CMN
© Colombe Clier / CMN
© Benjamin Gavaudo / CMN
© Colombe Clier / CMN
© Caroline Rose / CMN
© Benjamin Gavaudo / CMN
The grounds of the Château de Maisons
An exemplary restoration
The château de Maisons, François Mansart 's masterpiece in Maisons-Laffitte, has recently been given a makeover!
Its gardens were completely restored between 2020 and 2021, based on 17th century engravings and plans: at the time, the château was surrounded by a 500 hectare estate combining orchards, vegetable gardens, vineyards and pleasure gardens.
After exploring the château, its monumental staircase and its superb ballroom, you can take the terrace down to the garden for a pleasant stroll among its trees and shrubs, its lawns, its flower meadow, its redesigned paths lined with lime trees...
The central pool with its 38 jets has also been restored and reopened to water!
Practical information
- Open every day
- Park: free
- Château: full price 9 €, concessions 7.50 €, free for under 26 years old
- How long: minimum 1 hour, maximum 1/2 day
- Accessible by RER A (30 minutes from Châtelet-les-Halles) or Line L, Maisons-Laffitte station
- Picnics allowed
© David Bordes / Centre des monuments nationaux
The domaine national de Saint-Cloud
Le Nôtre's masterpiece
460 hectares of greenery on the outskirts of Paris? That's the pleasant surprise in store for you at the domaine national de Saint-Cloud, to the west of Paris!
Listed as a Historic Monument since 1994 and awarded the "Remarkable Garden" label, this immense park is one of the jewels of André Le Nôtre, who also designed the gardens at Vaux-le-Vicomte and Versailles.
As you follow the park's paths, you'll come across numerous ponds, waterfalls and fountains: every summer, they are brought to life by water displays that perpetuate the skills of 17th century Florentine fountain-makers.
The icing on the cake: the Saint-Cloud national estate offers spectacular panoramic views of the capital and the tour Eiffel!
Practical info
- Open every day
- Free for pedestrians
- How long: minimum 1 hour, maximum 1 day
- Accessible by bus, tram and metro (line 10, Boulogne - Pont de Saint-Cloud)
- Picnics permitted
© Éric Sander / Centre des monuments nationaux
The gardens of the Château de La Motte Tilly
A paradise for botany enthusiasts
Located near Provins, the château de La Motte Tilly is much more than just a château!
This beautiful residence from the Age of Enlightenment is nestled in the heart of a magnificent green setting: 60 hectares of English-style landscaped parkland, orchard, kitchen garden, flower garden, water mirror, canal along the Seine, arboretum...
The château even has its own 'tilletum', a unique botanical collection of 83 varieties of lime trees from all over the world.
When the season allows, the gardeners pick flowers from the flower garden to decorate the château's drawing rooms: a marvellous sight!
Practical information
- Open Tuesday to Sunday from April to October, and Wednesday to Sunday in winter
- Park: free
- Château: full price 9 €, free for under 26 years old
- How long: minimum 2 hours, maximum 1 day
- 1h30 from Paris by car
- Picnics allowed
© Yann Monel / Centre des monuments nationaux
Villers-Cotterêts and the Forest of Retz
13,000 hectares of forest to explore
Opening in November 2023, the Cité internationale de la langue française awaits you in the heart of the château of Villers-Cotterêts, in the Aisne department.
It can be reached in just 45 minutes by train from Gare du Nord!
Discover its trail dedicated to the French language and French-speaking cultures, with 150 works of art and 62 audiovisual and digital displays to help you learn while having fun.
Want to stretch your legs after your visit? The 13,000 hectares of the Retz forest, which has been awarded the Forêt d'Exception® label, are yours for the taking!
Practical info
- Open every day
- Park: free
- Cité: full price 9 €, reduced price 7.50 €, free for under 26 years old
- How long: minimum 2 hours, maximum 2 days
- Accessible by TER train (45 minutes from Gare du Nord)
- Picnics allowed in the park and forest, but not inside the Cité.
© CMN
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