The ultimate day trip to Pierrefonds castle from Paris
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Château de Pierrefonds is probably one of the most beautiful castles in France, yet it remains far less well known than famous Loire Valley castles such as Château de Chenonceau or Château de Chaumont-sur-Loire. The village of Pierrefonds itself is equally charming, with a beautiful lake, calm scenery, and plenty of places for picnics with friends or family. In my opinion, Pierrefonds is one of the best and most unique day trips you can take from Paris.
How to go to Pierrefonds castle from Paris?
To go from Paris to Pierrefonds, if possible, I would recommend renting a car. The drive from Paris takes approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes. It is also possible to reach the castle by public transport, although the journey is a bit more complicated. You will have to take a TER train from Paris Gare du Nord to Compiègne, which takes about 50 minutes. From Compiègne station, take a taxi or Uber to Pierrefonds Castle. The drive takes around 20 minutes. This is the most reliable option, because local buses are not very frequent.
Pierrefonds castle
Pierrefonds Castle is the village’s main attraction. It is a medieval castle originally built in the late 14th century that was destroyed and later restored in the 19th century. It has been used as a filming location for several movies and TV series, including the TV series Merlin.
The grounds offer some beautiful views, and you can also visit the inside of the castle. I have never been a big fan of castle interiors, so I personally did not find it that interesting. However, the cellars contain some stone tombs and medieval sculptures that might be worth seeing.
Aside from Château de Pierrefonds, there is also Pierrefonds Lake, which might be worth visiting. When we visited, it was covered with water lilies, and we had a picnic right by the lake with a fairy-tale-like view of the castle
I hope you found this post useful. If you are interested in visiting castles around Paris, you might also want to check out my posts about Château de Fontainebleau and Château de Rambouillet.
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