DOMAINE DE CHANTILLY - The Birthplace of Whipped Cream, and Perfect for Horse and Art Lovers (Day Trip from Paris)

The birthplace of whipped cream is, unsurprisingly, very regal and opulent.

Within the domaine de Chantilly is a lush forest, a magnificent castle, and a stable that would make any horse lover’s heart skip a beat.

The stable is attached to an arena that still hosts horse shows. These are among some of the best shows of equestrian art I have ever seen (and, I must admit, I’ve seen many). The castle itself is very beautiful, and boasts the second largest collection of art from the 15th to 19th century in France outside of Paris.

This is a fun day-trip that combines art, sport, and food (hello, you can’t leave without trying the namesake whipped cream).

Domaine de Chantilly - the French castle seen as you first approach it, in all its French Renaissance style!

On the walk towards the castle from the train station, there is a path that leads through a small forest. It seems to be pulled straight out of the pages of a fairytale! I recommend walking to the castle (takes 20-30 minutes depending on your pace), rather than getting a taxi or a bus. It is a very leisurely walk that isn’t too difficult.

I don’t suggest visiting on Tuesday, as the castle, the stables, and the museum are closed. As the castle is air-conditioned, it’s a fantastic place to visit during a heatwave (that’s when I went - although the train that was supposed to bring me back to Paris caught fire before reaching the station, so I was stuck in Chantilly longer than expected - not that this story should discourage you from visiting).

There are five things about the Domaine de Chantilly that I want to showcase. They are:

The castle
The gardens
Musée Condé (the art museum)
The stables and horses
The food

Without further ado, let’s get into the review:

1. The Castle

The Château de Chantilly was originally built in 1560 for Anne de Montmorency, the Constable of France, and Honorary Knight of the Garter.

Built in a typical French Renaissance style, the castle is composed of two buildings that combine to create the grand structure: the Petit Château, and the Grand Château. The latter was rebuilt in 1875-1882, as it was destroyed during the French Revolution.

Below are photos depicting the exterior and the interior of the castle. The interior is quite elaborate, and harkens to the opulent architectural style of Versailles, and other similar castles throughout France.

Notice the French Renaissance architectural style, which showcases a particular attention to detail, particularly in regards to the proportions and symmetry of the structure. Ornamentation and decoration is also taken into account, and no expense was spared on opulent interior.

The castle is quite large in size, and its imposing structure can even be noted when seen from the vast castle grounds.

2. The Gardens

If you like French gardens, then you’re in for a real treat.

For a price of 6 €, you can explore 115 hectares that are manicured, and highly decorative.

The creator of the gardens, André Le Nôtre, was even quoted as saying the Chantilly gardens were his absolute favourite. The immense pools of water are meant to reflect the sky, and add extra beauty to the flower beds along the lawn.

Part of the beauty of the gardens is that they stretch out much farther than one would assume. I easily spent 1 h 30 walking throughout the gardens, and still never managed to see all they had to offer. There are hidden streams, statues, and animals in every possible corner. It is really a joy to spend time wandering.

There are paddle boats available to rent for those who prefer to explore the castle’s gardens by water.

There is an Anglo-Chinese garden, and an English garden along the path. Be inspired like the Marie-Antoinette was to create her own version of the gardens when you visit! It’s difficult not to be charmed by the rustic buildings, and ornate pagodas.

The CondÉ Museum (MusÉe CondÉ)

The Condé Museum is second only to the Louvre in regards to its collection of 15th to 19th century paintings.

While the Louvre may be the paragon museum of art in Europe, the Condé Museum boasts its own enviable collection featuring the works of famed artists Raphaël, Nicolas Poussin, Clouet, Fra Angelico, among others. All of the paintings and statues on display are only able to be seen at the museum itself, due to a strict “no loaning” clause established by the Duke d’Aumale, a certain Henri d’Orléans.

Below, get a brief glimpse at some of the beautiful pieces present in the museum:

The castle’s architecture is also a piece of art; the marbled columns, gilded ceilings, and highly-ornate floors are as worthy of a glance as the pieces of art hanging on the gallery walls.

Great Stables (Grandes écuries de Chantilly)

Domaine de Chantilly’s Great Stables have been in use for more than 3 centuries. These rich historical stables, the largest in all of Europe, are still in use today, and put on impressive equestrian spectacles.

Best of all - you can sit and watch shows in the same place as past royalty in these lavish stables! Yaaaas, be the #Queen / #King you always knew you were!

I have seen many equestrian shows, but I was blown away by the sheer talent of these horses, and their riders. This show was on par with the Austrian “Spanish Riding School” equestrian shows in Vienna. It was well worth the price in my opinion.

The show is one hour in length, and it is held in the grandiose arena. You can walk through the main stables and see the horses (and a few donkeys) as part of your ticket price. There is also an interesting horse museum included in the price, that is found within the Great Stables complex.

As someone who rode horses for many years, I really enjoyed this and found it special. The show is in French, but non-French speakers can still enjoy it, as the main attraction is the horses. The riders are skilled in dressage, and they create performances based on a theme. Costumes, music, and lighting are taken into consideration.

A single ticket just for the horse show will cost you 17 € (13,50 € if you are able to get the reduced ticket price). However, you can get a combo ticket for the castle, the gardens, the museum, and the horse show, which runs you 25 € (20 € reduced ticket price).

The Food

Domaine de Chantilly.

For those who don’t know, “Chantilly” is the French word for whipped cream. As the birthplace of this sweet dessert, it would be positively criminal to not try some when visiting!

Although there are a few places in town that serve the dessert, I decided to stop by Restaurant Le Hameau in the castle grounds.

Although my bowl of strawberries and cream was pricey, I decided to splurge given the ambiance. The small terroir is located inside the sprawling castle grounds, near a few original rustic houses (it’s said that Marie-Antoinette herself was inspired to create her Petit Trianon at Versailles by these exact houses).

It is pleasant to sit outside, and listen to the nearby stream and birdsong as you feast on fresh strawberries and Chantilly.

As for the crème de Chantilly itself, it was phenomenal! The house-made cream was the absolute best whipped cream I’d ever tasted in my life. Despite originally scoffing at the price, I was so tempted to buy a second plate!

It’s a unique experience, and it feels good to say I’ve had the pleasure of eating Chantilly in Chantilly!

Here is a photo I took of the other side of the restaurant. It was a weekday when I went, so not all of the chairs were in use.

How to get there

It takes anywhere from 25 minutes to 45 minutes to get to Chantilly from Paris. It is very doable as a full, or half-day trip.

If you have a metro pass (a Mobilis pass or a Navigo pass) that goes to Zone 5, then this trip is completely free!

For the metro pass option, take a Transilien RER D train (towards the terminal stop Creil), and get off at the stop Chantilly-Gouvieux. It is the second last stop on the journey.

If you don’t have a metro pass, you can purchase a train ticket either online via the SNCF website, or at the SNCF ticket booths at Gare du Nord.

Buy a ticket for the destination “Chantilly-Gouvieux”, and follow the instructions on the boards in regards to the correct platform.

My particular journey took 45 minutes, as I took an RER D train with my Navigo pass.

For a regal and opulent step back in time, the Domaine de Chantilly makes for a great choice. This is a cheap day-trip from Paris that offers a myriad of things to do.

Combining art, gardens, architecture, food, and horses, there really is something for everyone here!