33 Photos To Inspire You To Visit Chateau de Fontainebleau in France & A Little History About the Palace!

“The true home of kings, the house of ages” (Napoleon in Saint Helena, August 1816). With over 1500 rooms at the heart of 130 acres of parkland and gardens, Fontainebleau is the only royal and imperial château to have been continuously inhabited for seven centuries. The Palace of Fontainebleau or Château de Fontainebleau is located 55 kilometres (34 miles) southeast of the centre of Paris, and is one of the largest French royal châteaux. The Château de Fontainebleau can proudly claim to have been a sovereign residence for eight centuries. Capétiens, Valois, Bourbons, Bonaparte and Orléans, all members of French ruling dynasties, have lived within these walls. Kings and queens, emperors and empresses have all striven to make their own improvements to the château built around the original keep. The estate quickly became a huge palace in which many momentous historical events have been played out.

Visiting Chateau de Fontainebleau was remarkable and inspiring.  It opened up an unparalleled view of French history, art history, and architecture. Walking through the Palace and the grounds was mesmerizing. The intricate detail in the decor and every single piece of architecture was incredible. Everywhere you looked was an elaborate work of art. The ceilings, the door handles, the trim, the chandeliers, the gates, the furniture…it was all so beautifully adorned with tapestries, paintings, or some crazy detailed piece of wood or marble!  And oh my, all the gold everywhere! Everything was over the top. I really enjoyed finding all the secret doors! I always wondered where they lead. I also noticed how short most of the doors and doorways were. Obviously people were so much smaller back then. Being 5’9 I was almost touching the top of some of the doorways.

You can definitely walk the castle yourself but I do recommend getting an audio set to guide you through. A few things to remember: Some rooms are quite dark because there are very fragile tapestries and cloth that are susceptible to fading due to light damage. If you don’t come in warm weather, bring an extra sweater or jacket as it is a bit drafty in spots. Check to make sure construction is not going on or there are no room closures on your visit because I know they were doing quite a bit of work on the chateau when we were there in February 2017. That said, there is so much to see. I definitely recommend talking a stroll through the Palace!