chateau de vaux-le-vicomte

As others have said, Vaux-le-Vicomte is not easy to get to. You take the RER D or the similar commuter line from the Gare de Lyon and get off at Melun. We didn't find any information about a bus, so we took a cab to the chateau (and found it a bit difficult to raise one on the way back.)But all this difficulty is well worth it. The chateau and its garden are architectural marvels. Vaux preceded Versailles and carries a special elegance that Versailles in all its opulence cannot offer. And the crowds are elsewhere. The sad history of Nicholas Fouquet, who, undermined by his rival Colbert, fell from grace as the King's finance minister almost overnight is a compelling tale. If you enjoy 17th-18th C architecture and history, you'll enjoy Vaux-le-Vicomte.

The chateau of Nicholas Fouquet was at his time the most lavishing castel,after all he was the minister of finance.The gardens was made by the Andre le Notre.During the visit of the KING OF FRANCE,NICHOLAS FOUQUET has attracted the envy of the king.FOUQUET has ended in prison,his chateau has served as source of inspiration for building VERSSAILLES.The chateau has a large number of carriages.It was also the location for filming''VATEL''and''VALMONT''with GERARD DEPARDIEU.

Decorated beautifully at Christmas, this made for a great day trip from Paris. It's not widely advertised, but upon entering the castle, we were able to rent a princess dress for our 4-yr-old to wear while touring the castle. This made her day and ours, as we were really able to enjoy the castle with a happy child in tow. The gardens looked beautiful and peaceful to walk through, but it was raining and cold, so we skipped it. We are planning to go back next year to watch the special play they put on at Christmas (in French). There is easy parking leading up to and directly across from the castle. But if it's raining, note that it's a very muddy parking lot. It took us about an hour to drive there from Paris, and about 2 to drive back on a Saturday night. I highly recommend a visit to this beautiful, mini Versailles.

This was the chateau used in the recent film THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK. You get to see practically everything as opposed to Versailles. And you don't have to rush because the large crowds of the former are not here. When we were there the first time, there were full-sized mannequins in all rooms dressed in the costumes of Louis XIV's time. The small café on premises is also a gem. From Paris take the train to Melun and then order a taxi to the Chateau.

Chateau itself was nice with Christmas trees but a big dissapoitmant . It was very cold and there was not proper place to have coffee or to eat. The only open restaurant was full with the groups. There was an open air small café corner but not much place to sit around. The dress up part was very short. You have to give them back almost half way of the Chateau. Because of the cold weather it was not fun with 2 young kids. We couldn't enjoy the gardens. We want to try again in spring tough...

I visited during the Noel season, and the decorations were amazing. It was a joy to watch les enfants in their period costumes and with the supplied jeux. The audio guide was superb, and it was a delightful experience. Also attended the Blanche Neige spectacle which was a real treat, even though as a limited French speaker I understood less than I would have liked, but the kids and actors blended so well. A must see place and event.

We took the train down to Maincy to explore the chateau. I definitely recommend taking the train, it is quite a nice ride and lovely to see a different side of France for a bit. We took the shuttle the chateau set up and it was right outside the train station. We went during Christmas, so the decorations were in that theme. The artwork is amazing and the details of the chateau are breathtaking. The gardens may have been my favorite part. We spent at least an hour exploring the massive grounds. After our visit, we ate in the town near the train station. Very cute area and very inexpensive. Wish we could have explored a bit more down there. TIP- buy your tickets online before your arrival! We went on a Friday afternoon and the line was huge! However, since we had pre-purchased our tickets online, we skipped the whole thing! Just bought two tickets online, printed, and presented when we arrived!

I have visited the Château Vaux--le-Vicomte many times, so this year I took my mother (visiting from the US) and three French friends who all work in fashion/design. Everyone was blown away by the beautiful Christmas decorations, from the trees in each formal room to the historic kitchens at the lower level (they even took photos to get decorating ideas for themselves). We then went outside, despite the chilly weather, to stroll all the way through the gardens and down to the Canal. There are no flowers in winter, but the water features and statues are still gorgeous (French formal gardens are meant to look good no matter the season). Afterwards we warmed up with hot chocolate and desserts in the café on-site, then shopped in the huge boutique for gifts (they also sell some of the Christmas decorations in there). We didn't have kids with us, but it was cute to see them dressed up in the princess and musketeer costumes provided by the château.There is a shuttle from the train station, but I recommend renting a car to drive down for the day for maximum flexibility. There are now Zipcars in Paris which is great if you're a resident. It takes about 90 minutes to get to Paris if there's no traffic. The visit itself with a stop for lunch is about four hours (longer of the weather is really nice and you spend more time exploring the gardens).

We were thrilled by the chateau all decked out for Christmas. Every room had a theme and it was just like someone lived there. Fireplaces roaring, good cheer. A local choir sang in the main gallery and in the kitchen, there was a full sized lord and lady made completely out of chocolate. This may be my favorite chateau that I've seen in France. We'll go back in the spring so as to enjoy the gardens and the grounds a little more. Parking was a tad hairy, but just be patient.

This castle was such a pleasant discovery! It is not big, the rooms are small too, but for me this is a part of its charm. The art of the ceilings and on the walls was complimented by the beautiful Christmas decorations and the fire in the fireplaces brought coziness and warmth. We will definitely go again!

Some people try to couple-up this and Fontainbleau in one hit. i think its a sensory overload. these are massive estates worthy of slow plodding to appreciate the massive grandeur on view. Having said that, life is only as good as what time will allow you,right? Some legends are simply too enticing to be left out. What drew our attention to the region of Vaux was the slogan "The palace that aroused the envy of the Sun King" which refered to the legend that it was the sole reason for dismissing his finance minister, due to his tastes greater then the Sun King's. What is not bandied about so outrageously, is the fact that the minister got the boot misappropriating state funds, which would have driven even a king unaffected by envy ti dismiss his minister. We came specifically to see the Xmas decorations which overwhelmed the senses in the grand fielding of room after room of beautiful tableaux each having a different themed Xmas tree. Its enchanting and creates the best evening lights to savour fore ever If you come by the early train it will deposit you at the taxi stand which in turn will decanter you at the Chateau. The early arrival means that family groups don't arrive on bus tours till later, giving you ample, bump-free enjoyment. The grounds are swish and beautifully maintained whatever the season, so brave the weather and stroll the magnificent paved boulevards.

The castle is close to Paris ( 50 km away), so we got there via car (we rented one). There are apparently more ways to reach it although I do not know how accessible they are: http://www.vaux-le-vicomte.com/infos-pratiques/les-informations-pratiques/acces/It is the first time we chose winter for visiting purposes and I was a bit worried about the cold. Well, the castle turned out to be a nice surprise. There are not a lot of rooms inside but almost all use fireplaces for heating- yes, I know, when I saw the first one, I thought it was a decorating idea and yes, I am excluding the room where they currently have a "chocolate sculpture".The fireplaces plus the Christmas decorations (I honestly do not think I have seen more beautiful decorations anywhere) took me to a fairy tale atmosphere.Once out, one can take two routes to visit the gardens. One will notice the interesting ways in which the laws of perspective have been used to create a clear view from the entrance to the Hercules statue even though it spreads over such a large property. One is made to believe that the elements are closer than they are in reality, hence the impression that the entire garden is revealed in one glance.The garden is pretty large and walking in the cold is not the greatest idea- this is the only disadvantage I would find. The garden would definitely be outstanding during warm seasons. The garden here is said to have inspired the Versailles gardens.In terms of history, one may want to have some knowledge on Andre le Notre and on the big party Fouquet threw in the king's honor and which eventually got him arrested. In what concerns facilities, all is pretty ok- one can also find a nice restaurant with pretty good dishes. Really enjoyed this chateau!

Bonjour, Merci pour votre commentaire et votre visite fidèle.La majorité des décorations sont changées puisque vous pouvez retrouver les décorations en vente à la boutique. Il est vrai que certaines pièces ne changent pas tous les ans comme le Grand Salon car la décoration représente un investissement important ( 5000 pièces pour le Grand Salon) et nous décidons de changer tous les 3 ans. lUn nouveau décor est prévu dans le Grand Salon en 2015. Vous avez par contre certainement du voir les nouveautés comme le piano dans le Grand Salon, les chorales certains week-end de décembre ou encore la fameuse pièce en chocolat dans les cuisines.Enfin concernant les tarifs, le prix d'entrée est de 17,50€ pour un adulte plein tarif et non 19€.RDV l'année prochaine et Bonnes fêtes de fin d'année!

At Christmas time the Chateau decorates the main rooms with differently themed Christmas trees and displays. Each one is more beautiful than the next. Our Sunday visit also included a half-hour performance of holiday carols in the main ballroom and for the children a production of Snow White. Vaux-le-Vicomte is outside of Paris and requires some effort to get there by suburban train, then taxi or Chateau bus (only available on certain days). Bus Tours from Paris are available. Advice: Take an early train from Paris (SNCF R at 10:49 from Gare de Lyon to Melun on a Sunday) at Melun take a taxi for 20€. You will arrive before a lot of tours or families. This allows you to enjoy each of the rooms without crowds and take a lot of photos without being bumped just as you are releasing the shutter button. At this time of year only the Cafeteria restaurant is open. It offers both hot and cold selections...it will be crowded...but the seating area is very nice. Relax. Then depending on the weather, walk the gardens...return to the chateau for caroling and stay till it gets dark to enjoy the dozens of topiary trees dressed in red lights throughout the gardens. I have wanted to see the Vaux-le-Vicomte Christmas for several years now I have and I am already planning to return next year! As you leave the chateau turn around for one last look at the rows of fir trees sparkling in white lights lining the walkway to the front entrance - it is enchanting!

We knew little about this Chateau and its history but it was within easy travel of our base. We arrived at lunchtime and had an excellent meal - self service but nonetheless typically French and good value. There is lots to see, but it can be split up into different sections (House, Grounds, woods and Carriage museum) and so is not overpowering. The house has more than enough history and content to spend several hours but again is not so huge as to overwhelm. When we visited there was a fascinating exhibition of the role of the Chateau as a Hospital in WW1. We were lazy and hired a golf buggy to tour the formal gardens, and finished with the excellent carriage museum in the stable courtyard. All in all a thoroughly enjoyable visit