Chantilly, the French Town You Absolutely Must Visit

The name Chantilly will sound particularly familiar to you, as it is the name of a delicious cream made from whipped cream and powdered sugar, flavored with vanilla. But like many things in this world, the name of this dessert comes from the beautiful town where it originated, a French locale that is truly worth discovering.

Chantilly is a charming French commune located in the Oise department of the Hauts-de-France region. Just a short distance from Paris, it is also known as the city of princes, lace, and horses.

Nature and history are around every corner, as a magnificent castle stands here with a poetic garden considered one of the jewels of French heritage. It is a must-visit place because it represents a true oasis of peace just a few kilometers away from the hustle and bustle of the big city, where you can taste the original cream that is impossible not to fall in love with.

Undoubtedly, the most exciting attraction in Chantilly is its elegant and magical Castle, but the city also offers other captivating points of interest. First of all, Chantilly is located in the heart of the Oise Natural Park, a true green lung of France where three majestic forests, Ermenonville, Halatte, and Chantilly, survive, along with numerous ponds and valleys that seem infinite.

Secondly, this French city is also known as the Capital of Horses, and it's worth visiting its Great Stables. Considered a masterpiece of 18th-century architecture, they also house the Horse Museum and you can witness one of the wonderful equestrian shows dedicated to the art of dressage from the prestigious Chantilly school. Every year, it also hosts the Prix de Diane, the most enchanting horse racing event in this country that takes place in June.

Chantilly is also famous for lace, a tradition dating back to the 17th century, which can be observed at the Chantilly Museum. Additionally, the Église Notre-Dame De Chantilly is quite fascinating, being a baroque-style building and the first parish church of the city.

Now let's talk about the true gem of Chantilly: its precious Castle. Built on the remains of a fortress from the 1300s, it is now a masterpiece thanks to the restorations it underwent towards the end of the 19th century.

The credit goes to Henri d'Orléans, Duke of Aumale, the son of the last king of the French, Louis-Philippe, who was considered the greatest collector of his time. Not surprisingly, Chantilly is the birthplace of countless masterpieces and priceless manuscripts.

It stands in the middle of a marshy area and spans 7,800 hectares of land. Visiting it feels like being catapulted into a past filled with nobility, because its interiors are of unimaginable beauty.

On the first floor, for example, there are the grand apartments that still cradle precious ceremonial decorations. Among the most beautiful rooms are the Antichamber and the Guard Room, set up to connect the Grand Château to the ancient Petit Château, the large corner wardrobe, the Prince's Room, which features white and gold, the Gallery of the Great Battle, which possesses stunning paintings, and the Music Room.

Then there are the private apartments of the Duke and Duchess of Aumale where you can admire the Guise Salon, home to several family portraits, the Duchess's Room, which has a precious canopy bed and upholstered chairs in Louis XV style, the Violet Salon, which has a unique circular shape, the Little Monkey, a sitting room decorated with these funny animals imitating the actions of the aristocracy, the Duke's Room with a military bed and a cylinder desk, the Salon des Condé, in memory of Louis d'Orléans, and the Marble Room, rich in French Renaissance decorations.

The art galleries are also very interesting. The Condé museum, for instance, houses the largest collection of ancient paintings in France, after that of the Louvre Museum: there are more than 800 paintings and nearly 4,000 drawings. The Clouet Cabinet is also beautiful, showcasing a collection of 90 Renaissance portraits, as is the Giotto Cabinet, which holds Italian works. But these mentioned are just a few examples.

Finally, Chantilly Castle is also home to one of the richest libraries in France. Within its walls, there is a library containing 60,000 volumes, of which nearly 19,000 are accessible to the public. It will not surprise you to know, therefore, that this is also where the most precious manuscript in the world is located.

This monumental Castle is also surrounded by gardens that are worth the trip: they cover an area of 115 hectares and reflect their different periods of creation. There is the French garden, designed by André Le Nôtre in the 17th century, the Anglo-Chinese garden, dating back to the late 18th century, and the English garden, from the early 19th century.

The most extravagant is undoubtedly the French garden, allowing one to get lost among vast water mirrors embellished by fountains and statues. It was created to symbolize the triumph of order over disorder, culture over wild nature, and reflection over spontaneity.

The Anglo-Chinese garden once consisted of seven small houses. Today only five stand and present a rustic appearance. In the past, it was used by courtiers who gathered here to eat and have fun. Its purpose is to imitate the wild side of nature.

Finally, the English garden is a true succession of romantic constructions, including the Island of Love. In this very corner, one can also see the Cascades de Beauvais and its goal is to enhance the poetry of nature.

We can thus conclude that this picturesque town, located not far from Paris, is one of those destinations to add to your bucket list when flying to France.