Greater Paris, france
Attractions Guide
Introduction
In the area surrounding Paris you'll find several prominent attractions, including grand castle-like chateaus, Disneyland Paris, the UNESCO-listed Chartes Cathedral, and Monet's former residence. Among these attractions however, the most popular is the iconic Palace of Versailles, which is also the nearest to Paris and can be quite easily reached by car or public transportation.
Palace of Versailles
The Palace of Versailles is truly massive and is surrounded by vast opulent landscaped gardens and parkland stretching over an enormous area. The palaces itself contains incredibly extravagant and ornate interiors, with original historic furnishings. Touring the palace's interiors takes a couple hours and passes many extremely elaborate and magnificent rooms, most notably the royal apartments and the Hall of Mirrors.
Within the expansive Gardens of Versailles you'll find a gigantic man-made lake that you can explore via paddle boat, as well as grandiose fountains and many sculptures. On the far-side of the park you'll even find several smaller lavish palaces, including Le Grand Trianon, Marie-Antoinette's Estate, and the Queen's House.
If you visit the palace on the weekend between mid-Spring and mid-Fall you can enjoy the fantastic Fountains Show and Musical Gardens, where the fountains are synchronized to music. The show also takes place on Tuesdays during the summer.
The Palace of Versailles is located in the suburb of Versailles just west of Paris. Be sure to purchase tickets for the palace at least one week in advance as it is extremely popular and impossible to visit without an advanced reservation.
Chateau de Fontainebleau & Chateau de Vaux le Vicomte
Southeast of Paris you'll find the extravagant UNESCO listed Chateau de Fontainebleau, which served as a royal medieval residence for hundreds of years. This massive palace was originally constructed in the 12th century and has been consistently modified. Inside the palace you'll find exquisite and intricately decorated interiors.
Some of the most notable features of the Chateau de Fontainebleau's interior include the Grand Apartments, the Apartments of Napoleon, the Chapel of the Trinity, and the Chinese Museum. The palace sits on a giant park with a lake and grand canal.
Chateau de Vaux le Vicomte (Car Only)
Just north of the Chateau de Fontainebleau is the smaller 17th century Chateau de Vaux le Vicomte, a striking baroque palace which sits on a tiny island surrounded by grand landscaped gardens. This palace features stunning architecture and historic interiors.
Chateau de Chantilly
To the north of Paris is the lavish Renaissance-style Chateau de Chantilly, which sits atop a man-made lake surrounded by fine gardens. Inside this palace you'll find one of the best fine art collections in France, mostly focusing on the 15th and 16th centuries. The interiors of the palace are highly embellished and exquisite, while the palace's stunning exterior looks beautiful set against the lake.
From Chantilly you might take the train further northeast to the city of Compiegne, which hosts an opulent former royal palace, the Palais de Compiegne. This 18th century palace hosts majestic interiors and sits in front of a vast parkland.
If travelling by train and taxi to the Chateau de Pierrefonds, you'll need to stop in Compiegne. This is the nearest city to Pierrefonds from which you can take an Uber or taxi ride to reach the chateau.
Chateau de Pierrefonds
Further northeast of Paris is the Chateau de Pierrefonds, a massive fortified medieval castle which is absolutely breathtaking and looks as if it belongs in a fairytale. This imposing castle was originally constructed in the 14th century but was later destroyed. The castle was reconstructed in the 19th century with high accuracy to the original structure. Although the castle's interior was left unfinished, the castle's exterior is captivatingly picturesque.
The Chateau de Pierrefonds is unfortunately not reachable via public transportation, however you can take a quick 15-20 minute taxi or Uber ride to reach this chateau from the city of Compiegne.
Chartes Cathedral
To the southwest of Paris quite far from the city is the towering 12th century Chartres Cathedral, a UNESCO listed world heritage site famed for its beautifully ornate gothic architecture. and giant spired towers. This cathedral is among the finest and most important churches in France.
Disneyland Paris & Claude Monet Foundation
Just outside of Paris to the east you'll find the Disneyland Paris, which was designed very similarly to the original Disneyland in California. This is one of the top attractions in Paris and the surrounding area, and Disneyland Paris is most popular theme park in all of Europe.
The park's most prominent feature is its stunning version of the Sleeping Beauty Castle, which is distinctly different from the castles in other Disney parks.
Foundation Claude Monet Museum (Car Only)
Halfway between Paris and the city of Rouen is another interesting attraction, the Foundation Claude Monet, which is the gorgeous home in which the famous artist Claude Monet once lived.
Inside this lovely home you can admire Monet's original furniture and art studio, as well as many of Monet's sketches on display. The property also contains small but pretty gardens.
Google Maps Attraction Lists
Save Greater Paris Attraction Lists to your Google Maps Account:
1. Click Link above while logged into Google account on your device.2. Click Follow, and the attraction pins will be saved in your Google Maps.
