Choose your route
Orly Airport - Fontainebleau and its Castle
Fontainebleau is a the town situated at south west of Paris well-known for its castle and its surrounding forest . If you want to see this beautiful town upon your arrival to Orly airport, you can book our Paris airports transportation service
Fontainebleau houses the famous royal castle "Château de Fontainebleau". It is a true trace of the history of the ages before to count of the royalty of François Ier. The castle of Fontainebleau is a building dating from the Renaissance. Located 60 km from Paris, this castle is classified among the French historical monuments. It contains so far important collections of antique furniture and so many other traces of the eleventh to the nineteenth century.
History of Fontainebleau Castle
The first traces of a castle in Fontainebleau date back to the 12th century. The castle of Fontainebleau was the main residence of several kings. This is one of the reasons why it is considered the home of the centuries. It remains until now the only royal and imperial castle inhabited throughout 7 successive centuries. Among others, Capetians, Valois, Bourbons, Bonaparte, in other words, each of the members of the dynasties who reigned over France succeeded each other in the walls of this castle. Kings and queens, emperors and empresses worked to embellish the castle built around the original dungeon. Built on approximately 5 ha, the Château de Fontainebleau gathers more than 1530 rooms with 45 000 m² of floors and 2 ha of roofs, 5 courtyards, 3 gardens, 1 large park and more than 40 000 objects.
What to visit at Fontainebleau castle ?
Those who are passionate about discoveries and stories will be pleased to visit Fontainebleau castle because it includes four major museums, including the Empress's Chinese Museum, the Napoleon I Museum, the Galerie de Peinture and the Galerie de Fontainebleau. furniture. Each of these museums has its own specificities and particularities to know more about the history of France through eight centuries. Admittedly, it has already been demolished several times, rebuilt, renovated according to the taste of kings who have succeeded one another but it is still a must-see monument. It is normal then that it attracts more than 450 000 visitors a year. In addition, 130 hectares of park and garden including the largest parterre in Europe, work of André Le ours and an English garden are also to discover apart from the museums to see up close the beauty of the castle.
Visiting hours at Fontainebleau castle
In winter (from October to March), the Castle opens its doors from 09:30AM to 5:00PM and in summer (from April to September) until 6:00PM. Closing days are: every Tuesday, May 1st and Christmas Day. Entrance tickets are no longer sold 45 minutes before closing as well as access. However, the gardens are open every day from 09:00AM to 5:00PM from November to February, until 6:00PM in March, April and October, until 7:00PM from May to September.
Fontainebleau is a place of unparalleled horse riding. Thanks to the forest of this city, it is quite possible to spend good time in the forest whether for hiking, climbing or hunting. The forest of Fontainebleau is also the second most important tourist attraction of this city after the royal castle. The forest of Fontainebleau deserves a detour when it comes to stay in Seine-et-Marne.
History of the forest of Fontainebleau
40 000 years ago, nomadic inhabitants settled on the edge of the forest of Fontainebleau. Indeed, traces of life have been found as cut stones and a large number of animal bones; among others, bears, elephants and giant deer. It is since the Neolithic period that many villages were formed all around this forest which formerly was known under the name of forest of Beer. From 1137, more precisely during the Empire of Louis VII, the forest of Fontainebleau becomes not only a royal residence but it also served as a military refuge and an important hunting ground of the department of Seine-et-Marne.
What to discover in the forest of Fontainebleau ?
The forest of Fontainebleau contains an artistic reserve that has been under the protection of the painters of the Barbizon School. They have suspended any cut of leaves in order to appeal to the exceptional artistic character of this forest. In addition, the forest of Fontainebleau is also known by its biological reserves which extend since 2011 on 1050 ha for the integral reserves and on 1300 ha for the managed reserves. The forest of Fontainebleau contains among others oaks, several Scots pines, beeches, a large number of leaves as well as a variety of conifers. It is home to about 1,500 top plant species, 440 lichen species, 480 mosses and liverworts and more than 1,700 species of mushrooms. The Fontainebleau forest also attracts young people who are passionate about hiking and walking. Indeed, it has several bike paths. It is also interesting for visitors who came to do botanists to see loan the richness and diversity of fauna and flora of this forest of 25 000 ha of which the 21 000 ha are now administered in state forest.
Fontainebleau has a large number of tourist attractions thanks to its quarantine buildings which represent 7% of the historic monuments of the department of Seine-et-Marne. The Théodore Rousseau workshop is one of them. It is located in Barbizon, in the department of Île-de-France. It is the annex of the departmental museum of painters in Barbizon. The Théodore Rousseau studio pays tribute to its former owner, the landscape painter, Théodore Rousseau. The barn of the house was a welcome place for visitors to the painter each weekend while being his place of work daily. Indeed, since 1850, a large number of painters, tree lovers, critics and art lovers come every Saturday to attend meetings that took place in this barn. From the end of the last century, this barn became the famous chapel of Barbizon.
What does Theodore Rousseau workshop contain ?
Inside Theodore Rousseau studio house are grouped the works of this painter who speaks to trees. In addition to the works of this landscape painter, the workshop also contains works by Rosa Bonheur. This animal painter left in the studio Théodore Rousseau several of his works as a painting representing a furious royal tiger, oil on canvas which is in bronze; a sheep sheep in bronze; a bull standing and a beef lying down. From 1975, it became an important place of exhibition of Seine-et-Marne. Exhibitions included the Millet exhibition in 1975, the Barbizon School exhibition in 2003 and the philosophical and artistic exchanges on landscape art in 2006.
Located a few minutes walk from the Château de Fontainebleau, the Ibis hotel offers both private and professional accommodation in a friendly and comfortable setting. The hotel attracts many travelers due to its privileged location which is close to various amenities: shops, restaurants, monuments, popular attractions, etc.
The quality of accommodation
Ibis Château de Fontainebleau offers a variety of modern rooms that are non-smoking, comfortable, air-conditioned and equipped with all the necessary amenities for a peaceful and pleasant stay. The rooms have been designed to accommodate customers of all ages: children and adults. The hotel staff are very welcoming, helpful and professional. Every morning, the hotel and its team offer a delicious buffet breakfast, but the team also offers continental and gluten-free breakfasts. One of the great assets of the hotel is its good value for money.
Available services
The hotel offers countless services to meet customer needs such as: 24 hour reception, luggage storage service, laundry service, maid service, etc. Apart from all these services, the hotel also has a business center with Wi-Fi connection. For transported customers, the establishment has a private paying car park.
Nearby places
Nestled in the heart of the horse capital, the Ibis hotel is the ideal place to enjoy a stroll in the large State Forest, which is located a stone's throw from the establishment or in the heart of the Grand Parquet. There are many popular attractions in the vicinity of the hotel such as the Château de Fontainebleau, the National Prisons Museum, the Saint-Louis de Fontainebleau Church, the Eight Ball Café, in New Delhi… The Ibis is also surrounded by many good restaurants such as L'Axel, Hirondelle, La Petite Ardoise, La Salamandre and many more. All reservations can be made online! To make the reservation, you have to do it early
.
Planning a trip to the region? This is your chance to discover a place that will mark your trip and that will leave a trace in your memory with new interesting restaurants, new gastronomic experiences. Here is a list of good addresses in Fontainebleau.
La Salamandre
Traditional French bistro, you can enjoy delicious and fresh seasonal dishes. The quality of the products and the originality of their preparation and presentation make this restaurant a special place. The reception is exemplary. This charming restaurant is well located. The restaurant is simple and elegant. It offers an apparently simple, but perfectly balanced menu.
La petite ardoise
La Petite Ardoise offers creative cuisine based on the richness of the different regions of France. The ready meals are cooked with seasonal ingredients. You have the choice between “Les Petits Plats or les Plats”. Located in the heart of downtown Fontainebleau, a few minutes walk from the castle, this restaurant offers a menu that will delight all age groups. In a warm and friendly atmosphere, you can enjoy tasty cuisine – with vegetarian alternatives.