The fine weather is here, and outdoor activities are back in full swing. While many Parisians (and tourists) will be taking advantage of the fine weather to visit the Sun King’s magnificent estate, there’s a lesser-known château that deserves just as much attention… the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye.
Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye: a little-known nugget worthy of Versailles
Less than an hour from Paris lies a royal château worthy of France’s finest estates. Welcome to Saint-Germain-en-Laye, former royal residence and seat of power for many of France’s sovereigns. Following a trip to Italy, King François 1st decided to radically change the style of the building, transforming it into the true Renaissance palace we know today.
This is also where Louis XIV was born and spent part of his childhood. He even spent a few years in the château as a young king, before taking up permanent residence at the Château de Versailles in 1682. It’s thanks to him that we owe the French classical-style exterior garden, the large terraces where you can stroll or the “wilder” English gardens.
Designed by Le Nôtre, these gardens are a major work by the man who would later oversee the gardens of the Palace of Versailles. Designated a “remarkable garden”, you’ll love strolling along the 2 km-long paths of planted terraces, and admiring the breathtaking view over the Seine valley and the forest of Saint-Germain-en-Laye in the distance!
A royal palace close to Paris with a thousand destinies
Hard to believe when you see the splendor of the place, but the palace was abandoned towards the end of the 18th century, due to a lack of maintenance. It was even used as a temporary prison, a veterans’ garrison and even a cavalry school.
Napoleon III restored the palace to its former splendor. Today, it houses Europe’s largest museum of archaeology,with an impressive collection of some 29,000 objects dating from prehistoric times to Celtic Gaul.
📍Location: 1 Pl. Charles de Gaulle 78100 Saint-Germain-en-Laye