The castle of Pierrefonds

The magnificent castle of Pierrefonds is located in the forest of Compiègne at 1h30 from Paris.

As soon as you enter Pierrefonds you can only be struck by the grandeur of this castle which dominates the whole city. The château de Pierrefonds can be visited all year round, the entrance fee is 9 euros, the visit is quite short, it can be done in 1 hour as most of the rooms are empty. Do not miss to stroll in the charming small town of Pierrefonds which is also worth a visit.

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good (1 user)

Difficulty:

Duration: 3 h.

Departure point (Google Maps)

View of the town of Pierrefonds

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View of the town of Pierrefonds — Château de Pierrefonds is located in the picturesque commune of Pierrefonds in the Oise department, 100 km from Paris.

Statues in the courtyard

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Statues in the courtyard — You have to be careful when visiting the castle, there are many statues representing strange animals scattered throughout the castle.

The facade of the castle

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The facade of the castle — Pierrefonds castle is a magnificent example of French medieval architecture. Rebuilt in the 19th century, its imposing silhouette and elegant turrets evoke the era of knights and fortified castles.

View of the stained glass windows of the Chapel

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View of the stained glass windows of the Chapel — You really have to be in the middle of summer for the interior of the castle to warm up. How could one live in this castle?

View of the castle before the restoration

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View of the castle before the restoration — The castle was built in 1397, it was dismantled by order of King Louis XIII in 1617. The castle was a ruin for a long time before Napoleon III decided to make the castle of Pierrefonds an imperial residence. He then ordered its restoration.

The reception room

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The reception room — The architect in charge of the restoration was Viollet-le-Duc. He was in favor of a restoration in the style of the time without rebuilding everything identically. He added elements of style that were not present in the original castle. Paradoxically, this is what makes this castle so charming. It is not a medieval castle but the ideal vision of a medieval castle. Viollet-le-Duc has always been criticized by some for his restoration choices. This is still the case today.

The Hall of Preuses

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The Hall of Preuses — It is the most beautiful room of the castle, it contained the collection of armors of Napoleon III.

The ball of recumbents

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The ball of recumbents — In the cellars of the castle are funerary statues of great characters of French history. They are replicas in plaster. King Louis Philippe ordered these statues for the Palace of Versailles, he wanted to highlight the great men of French history. Some of the statues were then transferred to Pierrefonds. The staging of the statues in the half-light is quite impressive.

The visit of Pierrefonds

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The visit of Pierrefonds — After the visit, you can go back down into the city, but you have to be careful: on busy days in the summer, it's very crowded and the restaurants are packed.

Point of view

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Point of view — Those with a little energy left can climb to the top of the hill opposite for a lovely view. You can then continue your walk in the forest.

🚶‍ Practical information 🌳

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