Places : Château de Chantilly

Château de Chantilly is located 40km north of Paris - an approximate forty-five minute drive. Wikipedia lists it as a historic château - aren't they all historic though?
As part of our historical reading in my french class last semester, we read the memoirs of Madame de Sévigné, and our french teacher advised that we visit the Château de Chantilly as this was where where some of her writings regarding the life of the court were set.
In addition we were advised to see the movie Vatel, which stars Gerard Depardieu and Uma Thurman, based on the life of the maître d'hotel, François Vatel. I highly recommend this.

Both the readings and the movie gave me an intimate knowledge of the castle, more so than I would have got from just the tourist guide readings. This made the visit much more interesting. As always I cannot say enough about the meticulously kept gardens, or the old but well-maintained castle.
A visit to Château de Chantilly is worthwhile, for both adults and children. Wear comfortable walking shoes if you wish to walk the gardens and parks - there is a kangaroo park on the grounds. There is also the option of hiring a golf cart.
The children can finish off their visit with ice cream or waffles, topped with Chantilly cream
In addition to the Musée Condé and a visit of the castle, you can tour the gardens and parks, and the Musée du Cheval, which holds equestrian shows between April & October.

Addition information:
La Fête à Chantilly is on next week Saturday 28th & Sunday 29th, from 10am to 6pm.

A view of the Musée du Cheval from the Castle