Erected in the late 14th century by Duke Louis of Orléans, the château was taken down in the 17th century and was in ruins when Napoleon III decided to commission architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc to rebuild it. He applied his architectural designs to create the ideal...More

Yes, I know it's a "reimagining" of sorts by Violet le Duc, but it is still amazing. Of course since it was completely built/rebuilt in the 1800's it's in pretty good shape. There are some stairs but not tons and "most" have handrails. There is...More

The chateau is wonderfully pretty and dominates everything nearby. Rebuilt from ruins in the 19th century in the original medieval style. There is much to marvel at here and very reasonably priced. Do see the dragon(?) drainpipes in the courtyard area. The village/town below has...More

Pierrefonds was just a short stop on our way travelling to our hotel. Passing by Pierrefonds signs a couple of years in a row we now decided to take a right turn and visit the castle. The road leading to the village of Pierrefonds is...More

Viollet le Duc, the hyperactive architect who saved so many of France's heritage sites at a time when the French were neglectful of their historic buildings, excelled himself here at Pierrefonds. The quality of the restoration and attention to detail are stunning. This is an...More

This is a really cool castle out in a small village. You can get there from Paris by taking a train to Compiegne and then a taxi to the castle in Pierrefonds. There are taxis at the train station, and our driver gave us his...More

Photos of this place don’t give it justice! It’s massive and like something out of a fantasy film. You have to pay but it’s not expensive and worth the visit. If I had one small gripe it was that you can only look round a...More