1. The incredibly well-preserved appartments of a prince
Chantilly was at some point owned by the Condé family, direct cousins of king Louis XIV, and therefore with the rank of princes. Some of the rooms still bear the trace of their formal wealth and rank, with a decoration unique in France – see below.
2. The second greatest collection of art after the Louvre
The last owner of Chantilly was the duke of Aumale, son of the last king of France Louis-Philippe Ist. Since he never got to play a political role, he devoted his fortune and energy to his art collection, and rebuilt the Chantilly castle to host. So if you want to see the likes of Raphael, Ingres, Delacroix, Botticelli and Van Dyck, but without the crowds, you know where to go…
3. The birthplace of the French whipped-cream : Chantilly
We all know that you can’t experience France without having a taste of French food. And escargots and french onion soup are great, but what’s better than a dessert ? Especially one drowning in the best cream of France, the Chantilly whipped cream. Here you can not only taste it, but make it with a professional chef ! The “Brotherhood of Whipping Knights” promotes this historic culinary heritage. Their goal: teach you to successfully whip the authentic Chantilly whipped cream by hand!
4. A world-class live horse museum
Outside of the famous castle, there’s also the incredible stables to visit : built in the early 1700s, they still host 26 horses, 10 poneys, 3 donkeys and a mule. You can visit them in their individual boxes, but also have the privilege of seeing them perform tricks twice a day, under the majestuous stable dome.
5. A beautiful garden with an unexpected guest
Like all palaces, Chantilly also has wonderful gardens, of every style : French formal gardens, English… It even has a hamlet, older than the one Marie-Antoinette built in Versailles. But it also has something that Versailles doesn’t : wallabies.
If you want to go to Chantilly, book here: A Day trip to Chantilly & Senlis – My Private Paris
If you want to know more about activities in Paris, don’t forget to drop us a line at contact@myprivateparis.com !