 |
Chateau de Chantilly Metro:
RER D direction Chantilly, trains from Gare du
Nord
|
The Chateau is north of Paris. If I remember
correctly, the train ride takes about 45 minutes. To get
from the Train Station to the Chateau, you should take a
taxi. It is a long walk. I went in the winter, so I'm not
sure if there is other public transportation during the
peak tourist season. I will make this a priority item on
a return visit. I felt very rushed. It would be easy to
spend an entire day here.
The Chatuau de Chantilly is built on
a rock surrounded by water. The buildings were erected
between the 14th and 19th century for the families of
Orgemont, Montmorency, Bourbon-Conde, and Orleans. The
Grand Chateau was razed to the ground during the
revolution. It was rebuilt on the foundations of the 14th
century Orgemont fortress.
The Park was designed in the 17th
century by Andre le Notre (who also did Versailles and
Vaux le Vicomte).
The Musee Conde. I was very impressed
with the collection of paintings in this museum. There is
a colleciton of paintings and drawings from the French
School as well as many italian masterpieces. There is
also a book collection, manuscripts, and 40 of Fouquets
minatures.
They brochure I picked up claims that the
Aerophile is the largest balloon in the world. I
find that really hard to believe, but it is pretty big.
Anyone can take a ride for a price of course!
I did not have time to visit The Living Horse
Museum. The horses are housed in the stables
next to the Chateau. It looks as nice as the castles.
Being a horse must be a pretty good life here. They have
equestrian shows during the first weekend of each month.
There are 30 horses of different breeds, donkeys and
ponies. There is horse racing track right in front of the
stables. I assume they race, but I don't know when.
France is a relatively safe country, but the crime
rate in Paris has been climbing over the last few years.
Tourists are often the target of pickpockets
and other minor crimes, which often occur on the train
from Charles de Gaulle Airport airport to Paris. Any criminal defense
attorney Dayton could suggest tips to outsmart petty
thieves, such as avoiding the use of a backpack and
anchoring your bag when you're sitting in one place.
|
