Amiens Cathedral is a towering UNESCO-listed Gothic masterpiece in Hauts-de-France — famous for its record-breaking nave height intricate sculpted façade and sublime medieval choir stalls making it one of the most remarkable and complete Gothic cathedrals in the whole of Europe.
France: Hautes de France – Chateau de Chantilly
🏰 Château de Chantilly: A Royal Gem Just Up the Road from Paris
We’ve visited a fair few châteaux in our time, and France has no shortage of them, but Chantilly has always held a special place in our hearts. Tucked away about 40 kilometres north of Paris — and conveniently close to Charles de Gaulle Airport, which is handy if you’re landing and want to do something useful before the jet lag kicks in — it’s one of those places that genuinely takes you by surprise.
Now, if you’ve been to Versailles or Fontainebleau, you’ll know what it’s like to spend half the day just trying to find your way out again. Chantilly is nothing like that. It’s a far more modest affair by comparison, which we think is absolutely a point in its favour. What it lacks in sheer scale it more than makes up for in character. The building sits within a lovely setting with a lake wrapping around three sides of it, which gives the whole place a rather dreamy, almost theatrical quality. On a bright day, the reflections on the water are quite something.
🎨 A Prince’s Passion and a Nation’s Treasure
The story of how Chantilly came to be what it is today really starts with one man: Henri d’Orléans, the Duke of Aumale, born in 1822 as the fifth son of Louis-Philippe, the last king of France. Louis-Philippe reigned from 1830 until the Revolution of 1848 booted him off the throne — France being France, of course — and his son Henri ended up inheriting Chantilly in 1830 at just eight years old, though he wouldn’t truly make it his own until decades later.
The Duke of Aumale became a formidable military man and a passionate collector of art, manuscripts and rare books. He spent much of his life assembling one of the finest private art collections in the world, and Chantilly was very much his showroom. He had serious taste — we’re talking Raphaels, Botticellis, works by Delacroix — the whole lot. In 1886, in an act of extraordinary generosity, the Duke bequeathed the entire estate, along with everything in it, to the Institut de France. His one condition was that nothing should be moved, sold, or rearranged. And to this day, that condition holds. What we saw on our visit looked very much as it did when Aumale was pottering about the place in the 1880s, which gives it a rather rare and precious quality that the bigger, more famous châteaux simply can’t match.
The château itself is actually two buildings joined together, which explains why it looks a bit mismatched if you stare at it long enough. The older part, known as the Petit Château, was built by the powerful Montmorency family back in the 16th century. The Montmorencys were among the most influential noble families in France at the time — Constable Anne de Montmorency, who commissioned the original structure around 1560, was one of the most powerful men in the kingdom, serving under four French kings. The second, larger part is called the Château Neuf and is a thoroughly 19th-century creation. It was built on the footprint of the original grand château, which had been thoroughly demolished during the Revolution. The French certainly had a talent for knocking things down. The Château Neuf was constructed between 1875 and 1882, designed by the architect Honoré Daumet, and was intended to house Aumale’s ever-growing collections properly.
We made our way in through a set of genuinely impressive gates — the sort that make you stand back for a moment and take it all in before carrying on — which led us through a second courtyard and into the main building itself.
The two halves of the château each have their own distinct character and purpose, which becomes obvious fairly quickly once you’re inside. The Petit Château, the older of the two, is largely given over to living accommodations, and you get a real sense of how the place would have felt as an actual home rather than just a grand showpiece. The Château Neuf, on the other hand, is where things get properly spectacular. The library alone is worth the trip — a breathtaking room housing an extraordinary collection of illuminated manuscripts and rare books, second only to the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris. Aumale accumulated somewhere in the region of 13,000 volumes over his lifetime, and you can see why he needed the space. There are also proper art galleries and a chapel tucked in there, both very much worth a wander.
What we really loved, though, were the State Rooms. There’s a magnificent dining room laid out as though a state dinner is about to kick off at any moment — the table settings are immaculate and the whole thing feels wonderfully theatrical. The salons and private apartments are similarly lavish, filled with 18th-century furnishings that somehow survived the upheaval of the Revolutionary years largely intact. Remarkable, when you think about it.
⛪ A Chapel Worth the Trip Alone
For most visitors, the undisputed highlight of the whole château was the chapel, and we’d be hard pressed to argue with that verdict. It’s a genuinely spectacular space — the kind that stops you in your tracks the moment you step inside.
The ceiling is painted in a manner that has you craning your neck and quietly wishing you’d brought a better camera. Light pours in through the stained-glass windows in a way that shifts and changes depending on the time of day, which gives the whole interior a rather alive, almost breathing quality. On a sunny afternoon, the colours thrown across the stone floor are extraordinary.
It’s the sort of place that makes even the most confirmed philistine put their phone away for five minutes, which is no small achievement these days.
🌿 Gardens Fit for a King (and a Rather Clever Landscaper)
Once you’ve had your fill of the château itself, do yourself a favour and get outside, because the gardens at Chantilly are absolutely worth the wander. They’re a cracking example of the formal French garden style — immaculately manicured, with everything clipped and arranged just so. Very satisfying if you appreciate that sort of geometric precision, and frankly even if you don’t, it’s all rather lovely.
What makes them particularly interesting is that the original design was the work of André Le Nôtre, the legendary landscape architect who also laid out the gardens at Versailles in the 1660s and 1670s under Louis XIV. Le Nôtre was the go-to man for grand formal gardens in 17th-century France, and his hand is unmistakeable. Remarkably, his original layout has been faithfully preserved here, so what we were walking through had its roots in designs drawn up over 350 years ago.
Water features heavily throughout the grounds. Rather than the traditional moat you might expect around a château of this age, Chantilly has lakes to both the front and rear, and the gardens themselves are dotted with several large ornamental ponds that have a distinctly English feel to them — which was very much on trend at the time.
There’s also a charming little hamlet tucked within the grounds, sitting inside what was called the Anglo-Chinese Garden. Built in the 18th century as a fashionable garden folly, it echoes the famous Queen’s Hamlet at Versailles — though rather less well known, which means rather fewer tourists, and that suits us just fine.
🐴 The Grand Stables: A Palace Fit for a Horse
As you make your way towards the Château from the town, the Grand Stables are utterly impossible to miss — and honestly, your first thought is probably the same as ours was: this is without question the poshest set of stables we have ever clapped eyes on. We’ve seen some grand buildings in our time, but a palace built specifically for horses? That was a new one on us.
The stables were designed by the architect Jean Aubert on the orders of Louis-Henri de Bourbon, the 7th Prince of Condé, and built between 1719 and 1735. At 186 metres long and widely considered the most beautiful stables in the world, it’s a genuinely jaw-dropping structure, whether you’re a horse person or not. The Prince, it’s said, believed he would be reincarnated as a horse in his next life — which perhaps explains why he commissioned something quite so lavish for the animals. Each to their own, we suppose.
Inside, the Grand Stables house the Musée du Cheval, the Museum of the Horse, which we didn’t manage to get around to on our visit — time, as ever, was against us. What we did see were the beautiful horses belonging to the resident equestrian troupe, who put on spectacular shows throughout the year, along with some rather endearing Shetland ponies and a couple of thoroughly cheeky donkeys who seemed entirely unbothered by the grandeur surrounding them.
Right next door sits the Chantilly racecourse, which held its first race in 1834. Its grandstand was designed by the very same Honoré Daumet who built the Château Neuf, constructed in 1879. In more recent times, while Longchamp underwent major renovations, Chantilly stepped in to host the prestigious Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe — which is a bit like your local pub suddenly hosting the FA Cup Final.
Planning your visit to Château de Chantilly
📍 Location | Château de Chantilly, 60500 Chantilly, France
| 🕖 Opening Times | Wednesday–Monday, 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM (last entry 5:00 PM). Closed Tuesdays. | 🌐 Website | domainedechantilly.com |
|---|---|---|---|
| 📞 Phone | +33 (0)3 44 27 31 80 | info@domainedechantilly.com |
| 🚆 By Train | SNCF from Paris Gare du Nord to Chantilly-Gouvieux (approx. 30 mins). 10-minute walk or taxi to the Château. |
|---|---|
| 🚗 By Road | A1 motorway, exit Chantilly. Follow signs for Château. Parking available on site. |
| 🚌 By Bus | Local bus services from Chantilly-Gouvieux station to the Château entrance. |
| ℹ️ Notes | The estate includes the Grandes Écuries (Great Stables) and Musée Condé. Audio guides available. Gardens accessible separately. |
🎟️ Entry Fees
| Adults | Children (4–17) | Under 4s | Gardens Only |
|---|---|---|---|
| €18 | €10 | Free | €9 |
The best time to visit Hauts-de-France
🌸 Spring (March–May)
March remains cool (6–12°C), but by April the countryside greens up and the days lengthen noticeably. The Bay of the Somme draws migratory birds and active seal colonies, making it the best season for wildlife. WWI battlefield tours run in comfortable conditions, Lille’s museums are uncrowded, and gardens at Chantilly and Compiègne are at their freshest. Crowds are thin and prices reasonable throughout.
What to pack: Waterproof jacket, lightweight layers, jumper or fleece, walking shoes, trousers, compact umbrella, sunscreen for May.
☀️ Summer (June–August)
Peak season, with temperatures of 18–24°C and occasional warmer spells. The Opal Coast is at its best — Le Touquet-Paris-Plage draws families and day-trippers, while sea breezes keep the clifftops at Cap Blanc-Nez and Cap Gris-Nez comfortable. Lille buzzes with festivals and terrace dining, WWI sites are fully staffed, and cycling in the Avesnois countryside is excellent. Book accommodation early, especially on the coast.
What to pack: Light tops, swimwear, trainers or sandals, sunscreen, sunglasses, hat, light waterproof, cardigan for evenings.
🍂 Autumn (September–November)
September holds real warmth (15–20°C) while crowds thin rapidly. Lille’s Braderie — Europe’s largest flea market — fills the city in early September, and the cultural calendar peaks through October. The Somme battlefields are quietly affecting under autumn skies, and the forests around Compiègne turn copper. November is cooler and wetter; better suited to museums and cathedral visits than outdoor exploration.
What to pack: Warm waterproof jacket, layers (tops and jumpers), waterproof walking shoes or boots, scarf, gloves for November, umbrella, smart-casual for evenings.
❄️ Winter (December–February)
Cold (2–8°C), grey, and damp, but rewarding for those who embrace it. Lille, Arras, and Amiens host some of northern France’s finest Christmas markets; Arras’s Grand’Place setting is particularly impressive. After Christmas, visitor numbers drop sharply and major sites — including the Historial de la Grande Guerre and Vimy Memorial — can be explored in near solitude. The coast is dramatic: enormous skies, empty beaches, and crashing waves.
What to pack: Heavy coat, thermal underlayers, waterproof boots, thick socks, hat, scarf, gloves, smart layers for markets and evenings.
📊 Summary Table
🗓️ Overall Best Time to Visit
Late spring (May) and early summer (June) offer the most balanced experience — pleasant weather, manageable crowds, accessible coast, and the full range of activities from battlefield tours to city breaks. July and August suit those prioritising beaches and festivals, despite the busier conditions. September is ideal for culture and heritage travel with a touch of warmth still in the air. Even winter earns its place, delivering atmospheric solitude, excellent Christmas markets, and a quieter, more personal encounter with one of France’s most underrated regions.
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