If there’s one thing the French do well (apart from the wine, food, culture, language and all that) it’s castles. They’re so good, in fact, that they actually brought them over to England and gave them to us when that little kerfuffle happened in 1066. These are some of France’s best.
The Palace of Fontainebleau, first built in the 12th century (although most of the Palace is the result of renovations and new construction in the 16th) was the residence of the French monarch from Louis VII, back at the start of its life, right up until Napoleon III in the mid-19th century. Since then, it has been used as a military headquarters for the Prussians, a school of artillery and engineering for the French Army, a residence of the Presidents of the Third Republic, a site of German occupation during the Second World War, a headquarters of the Allies and NATO and as a place for state guests to visit and relax. Today, the vast expanse of the Palace – including Napoleon’s Throne Room and bedroom, Marie-Antoinette’s boudoir and the spectacular Chapel of the Trinity – is open to visitors, as are the Palace Gardens. The Palace’s rich history isn’t all in the past, either – only earlier this year, a gang of thieves broke in, evaded alarms and cameras, and stole the Chinese Museum’s most valuable items in only seven minutes. Abhorrent, but not entirely unimpressive.
Guédelon Castle, in Treigny, Burgundy, is a little different to the others on this list, in that it’s not actually a historic castle; instead, it’s a project undertaken by a 50-man team (begun in 2004 and due to be completed in the 2020s) in an attempt to build a 13th century medieval castle using only the methods and materials available at the time. Guided tours of the construction site are available, and the castle has actually become one of Burgundy’s biggest tourist attractions. If nothing else, the sheer amount of time and effort that Guédelon is requiring in its construction will make visiting authentic castles – many of which, of course, are far bigger – all the more impressive.
If there’s one thing the French do well (apart from the wine, food, culture, language and all that) it’s castles. Choose your favourite one and let’s explore.
Let's begin
Château is located right on the bank of the Vienne River, in Chinon, in the Loire. The site was fortified in the 5th century, but the first castle to speak of what built in the 10th by Theobald I, Count of Blois (a Count was a pretty big deal back then, acting as advisers to Dukes, who were basically mini-Kings). Falling out of use in the 16th century, having spent some time as a prison, it was restored a decade ago and is nowadays a major tourist attraction. The château is perhaps most famous for being the meeting-place of Joan of Arc and Charles VII, Dauphin of France, where he agreed to allow her to join the army attempting to relieve the Siege of Orléans in 1429.
Avignon’s Palais des Papes is a rather large place. It’s two buildings – the Palaces of Benedict XII and Clement VI, respectively, and is one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture in the world. Within its tremendous walls, the history of the Church in France (and Europe) has been shaped, and, for a time during the 14th century, it was the home of Western Christianity, rather than Rome. One of the country’s most popular attractions, France’s Vatican also serves as an exhibition centre and the central location of the Festival d’Avignon every July. Once, if something big was happening for Christianity, it’d happen here. Now, the same is true for concerts, exhibitions, performances and conferences. How times change.
A personal favourite at SmoothRed, the Cité de Carcassonne was built in the Roman period and gradually improved upon and renovated over the following centuries, and today is a mixture of a load of different architectural styles from the past thousand years. 3km of fortified walls and 52 towers dominate this impregnable fortress, and a significant portion of Carcassonne itself – shops, hotels, restaurants, homes and all – is located within its pristine city walls.
Our team of experts are ready to create a memorable experience, with hotel options, unique tours, exceptional tastings and gourmet meals.
Design my tripAn award-winning, owner-managed boutique travel company, we've spent two decades curating bespoke trips across the globe.
About UsOur team of 26, speaking 12 languages, offers 24/7 support while you're abroad with a premium concierge service.
Meet our Expert TeamAll our experiences with flights are ATOL protected and we’re members of ABTA, the leading travel industry association.
Financial Protection and Peace of Mind
