Ile-de-France: 10 famous or lesser-known châteaux to discover around Paris

This charming property, built in the commune of Port-Marly in 1847, was home to Alexandre Dumas, the writer behind The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte-Cristo. This extravagant neo-Renaissance edifice is surrounded by a beautiful English-style park with grottoes, pools and waterfalls.

Inside, the décor is stunning, as is the exuberant Moorish salon. Several rooms are devoted to the works of the famous Romantic author, while a pavilion in the park houses his study.

In Rueil-Malmaison, the former residence of Napoleon Bonaparte and Josephine de Beauharnais offers a fascinating insight into French history. In a display of the finest Empire style, the decor of the Château de Malmaison is a testimony to the refined taste of its former occupants.

The Council Chamber, from which Napoleon ruled France from 1800 to 1802, and Josephine’s personal quarters feature some exceptional collections of objects, clothes and other sundry artefacts of the imperial couple.

This is without a doubt one of the most beautiful châteaux in the world! The former residence of the kings of France and a symbol of the power of Louis XIV, the Palace of Versailles boasts grand French gardens,

extravagant apartments and a dazzlingly impressive Hall of Mirrors. A must-see in the Île-de-France region, less than 30km from the centre of Paris.

Visiting to the Champs-sur-Marne Castle is like strolling through an 18^th-century decorative masterpiece of refinement and harmony. On the ground floor, in the Chinese drawing room, you can see splendid armchairs covered with Beauvais tapestries and marvellous Rocaille-style decorations.

Upstairs, Madame de Pompadour’s bedroom is beautifully decorated with scrolls and floral motifs. A lesser-known château, but well worth a visit.

Louis XVI and his minister Louis-Auguste de Breteuil embroiled in the Collier affair in 1785, Marcel Proust having a chat with Henri de Breteuil… The Breteuil Castle hosts 50 wax figures created by the Musée Grévin.

You can walk from room to room, exploring the memories of the de Breteuil family, masters of the castle since 1712. In the park, characters from Perrault’s fairy tales await the younger visitors. An all-in-one place for young and old!

On the outskirts of Paris and the Bois de Vincennes, the Château de Vincennes lets you take a trip back in time to the Middle Ages. Protected by ramparts, you’ll discover a magnificently restored keep,

the symbol of royal power under Saint-Louis, and a beautiful Gothic ensemble, including the Sainte-Chapelle de Vincennes, built by Charles V.

Most visitors who come to the Courances Estate come for its gardens, a 75-hectare masterpiece of plant life. The series of flowerbeds, water features and wooded areas create a tableau in green, with a deliciously romantic atmosphere.

The château, an elegant Louis XIII-style residence, houses three superb 16^th-century tapestries in the Galerie des Singes.

Built in the middle of the woods in the 16^th century, the former residence of Constable Anne de Montmorency is now the National Renaissance Museum.

Behind its sober façade lies one of the finest collections of decorative arts in the world, featuring furniture, woodwork and tapestries from the 16^th and 17^th centuries.

This is the crown jewel of Baroque architecture, built and decorated by the three great French artists of the 17^th century, Le Vau, Le Brun and Le Nôtre!

Strolling through the building, you’ll see incomparably luxurious interiors and discover the fascinating story of its creator Nicolas Fouquet. All of it surrounded by magnificent French gardens.