Chateau d'Anet was built in the 14th century and was inhabited by Diane de Poitiers, wife of Henry... read more
Chateau d'Anet was built in the 14th century and was inhabited by Diane de Poitiers, wife of Henry... read more
The Château may not be as beautiful as it once was, but it is worth a visit just to see the Statue... read more
Town of Dreux is an hour from the centre of Paris by train. From the train station you can take a number 28 or 80 which takes you to Anet. Dont ask the taxi drivers at the station if a bus goes to Anet as they will tell you no buses goes to the Chateau and then charge you 35 euros - I hate the way people rip off tourists. Anyway the Chateau which appeared in Bond movies was very interesting and although the guide could not speak English, we were given a sheet printed in English with all the information required. Staff very helpful. Entrance to Chateau was 8.50 Euro.
We went out of our way to visit this chateau in May 2012 and were very disappointed. Many people were gathered in the courtyard when we arrived (after paying an entrance fee) and after about 10 minutes an officious woman who turned out to be the guide unlocked the doors of the chateau and we all streamed in and then were led around by the officious guide. The tour was long, we could not understand a word of it, we were not allowed to go into rooms by ourselves and had to stay with the group. The worst part was that we were prohibited (!) from leaving. Since we could not understand a word of the tour we tried to leave by one of the doors, only to find they were locked. When I told the guide I need to leave (by pointing to my watch and looking pained) she wagged her finger at us and refused to let us leave. Nowhere on the website is there any mention (as least there was not in May) of the fact that you are required to join a tour in French in order to see the chateau and no one informed us of it when we arrived and paid the entrance fee (which they refused to refund by the way). If you speak good French this may be an interesting place, otherwise stay away.
I do enjoy good food and I have to say that this restaurant gave us the best! Really enjoyed a wonderful meal with our party of 8 friends. Great ingredience and service and all at a very reasonable price. Planning our next trip to France just so we return to this restaurant! It can't come soon enough.
Je ne me lasse jamais de visiter ces châteaux privés, malgré les restrictions (visite guidée, aucune photo, etc.). Ces châtelains du monde d'aujourd'hui y consacrent amour, temps et argent pour nous faire revivre notre histoire (oui, je suis canadien, mais de souche française en 1655). Quelle belle collection de pièces inédites, relatant les faits les plus intéressants de Diane de Poitiers. Malgré les destructions des diverses époques, dont la Révolution, il reste quelques joyaux d'architecture, dont la chapelle du Château. A la fin de votre visite, n'oubliez pas de visiter l'église voisine (à droite en sortant du Château) où vous verrez le gisant de Diane. Somme toute, cela vaut beaucoup mieux que les pièces vides de certains châteaux de la Vallée de la Loire. Et il ne faut pas oublier les guides, toujours disposés à répondre à nos questions, et parfois faire un peu d'animation pour les enfants, petits et grands. MERCI DE CETTE VISITE.