Family visit to the Castle of Compiègne 👑

Blog Souvenirs de vacances
Jul 8, 2021
5 min read

On the announcement of the reopening of the museums, I decided to organize a surprise visit to Compiègne with my family. Basically, we were supposed to discover the village of Saint-Jean-aux-Bois in the morning, eat in a good restaurant for lunch and visit the Castle of Compiègne in the afternoon. Unfortunately, the closer we got to D-Day, the more the weather deteriorated. So, change of program: restaurant canceled and the Castle Compiègne remained our last solution.

Only 1.5 hours from Paris and 45 minutes from home, the castle of Compiègne is located in the heart of the city of Compiègne, in Picardy. It is the largest French neoclassical castle. The decorations inside are magnificent and constitute a real historical heritage. Furthermore, the Castle of Compiègne is one of the three most important French royal and imperial residences after Versailles and Fontainebleau.

The Castle of Compiègne seen from the park

> History of the Castle of Compiègne

The very favorable situation of Compiègne pushed King Charles V to acquire land inside the city to build a castle. Over the centuries, the Castle underwent many modifications but its appearance remained intact until the 18th century. At that time, Louis XV asked his architect for a major restoration project. Subsequently, under the reign of Louis XVI, major development works were undertaken, in particular for the interior decorations.

Napoleon Ist also left his mark in the Castle of Compiègne by making arrangements inside. Finally, Napoleon III organized there with the Empress Eugenie the famous Series which brought together hundreds of guests and which were organized around hunts, concerts and other festivities. Numerous transformations to accommodate guests have been carried out. The Castle of Compiègne has long remained a hotbed of court life and the exercise of power.

> Arrival in the Columns Gallery

After purchasing our tickets, we landed in a beautiful Gallery of Columns. What struck me the most when I arrived in this gallery was the perfect symmetry of the columns between them and the ground, which gave the impression of an optical illusion. It wasn't very crowded the day we went, so it was even more fun to visit. The Galerie des Colonnes overlooks the inner courtyard of the Castle. Then, we took the Staircase of Honor on which we find monarchical motifs such as laurel branches or the hand of justice. It is a very beautiful marble staircase which gives access to the upper parts of the Castle.

Then, we discovered the Guard Room. It is a very beautiful room with a vault and moldings. I was amazed by the height of the ceiling which makes the room even bigger. This room was notably used under the Second Empire to display armor and weapons on the walls.

> The discovery of the apartments of the Emperor and the Empress

Inside the Castle, we were able to visit the apartments of the Emperor and the Empress. It may sound strange, but they had separate apartments to accommodate political figures for the Emperor and friends for the Empress on their own.

First of all, the Emperor's apartments have seen numerous kings from Louis XV to Napoleon III parade and are located in the center of the Castle. The Emperor's Room is without hesitation the most recognizable room of the Emperor's apartments with its imperial red color. It was installed in the smallest room of the Castle by Napoleon. Likewise, the Emperor's Library is a very beautiful living room where Napoleon liked to come and study on his beautiful wooden desk. The library is very charming with its refined furniture that is pleasant to see. Let us now move on to the apartments of the Empress.

The apartments of the Empress are just as grandiose as those of the Emperor, but the difference can be seen above all in the decoration, which is softer.

To begin with, the Ladies of Honor Lounge is dedicated to welcoming the guests of the Empress. The chairs are in a circle to make it easier to chat. The tones of this room were very clear and very pleasant to see and there are still, in almost every room of the Castle, magnificent hanging chandeliers. Subsequently, we discovered the Chamber of the Empress. The Empress' Room is as memorable as that of the Emperor because of its layout and its soft colors. Finally, the last part of the Empress's apartments to see: the Tea Room. It was here that the Empress Eugenie received her important guests for tea. She herself chose the decoration of the room to express her taste. It is also a pretty room in the Castle to take pictures.

> Small tour in the Park of the Castle of Compiègne

To take full advantage of this beautiful morning, we left the grounds of the Castle and walked for ten minutes before entering the entrance to the Castle Park. At the entrance to the park, we crossed a small bridge over an empty ditch. To find us, there was a map of the Park next to a pretty hut. We then walked the alleys according to our desires, discovering the facade of the Castle in the middle of the vegetation. The Park is also very pleasant to see and very well maintained. There are also a few benches to sit and contemplate the scenery.

There are also beautiful shrubs and beautiful statues at the crossroads. As we walked around the park, we discovered a beautiful yellow lawn with a view of the Castle of Compiègne in the distance. In addition, we really appreciated the kiosk in the heart of the trees where we stopped to take some family photos. Then, we took the direction of the exit passing by a pretty grove of fir trees.

> My little tips and advices for visiting the Castle of Compiègne

To visit the Castle of Compiègne, covid period requires, we had to book our places in advance because the number of entries was limited. In addition, I advise you to do the Castle first and then explore the Castle Park and take the time to walk everywhere. Then, if you have time to discover the city of Compiègne, you must go see the Town Hall, the Old Cassine, the Church of Saint-Jacques de Compiègne. Only 15 minutes by car, the village of Saint-Jean-aux-Bois is also a beautiful place to see. There are also very good bistro and gourmet restaurants in Compiègne and Saint-Jean-aux-Bois such as "A la bonne idée" (found thanks to the many positive reviews on various booking platforms). We were unfortunately not able to discover them because of the weather but I encourage you to do it on your side!

White flowers in the Park of the Castle of Compiègne

I hope this article made you want to come and visit the Castle of Compiègne and that you have learned some interesting things. This imperial castle is very interesting to see as its surroundings with the city of Compiègne and the village of Saint-Jean-aux-Bois. Do not hesitate to leave a comment just below to give me your opinion, to like this article (the little red heart) and to share it on social networks. To be kept informed of the release of future articles, you can also subscribe to the newsletter on the home page.