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Château de Fontainebleau — Long château wing facing formal lawns and clipped gardensPhoto: Thomas1313 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · edited
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Château de Fontainebleau

Gardens ·Fontainebleau ·Open now
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About

Château de Fontainebleau is a former royal palace and national museum in Fontainebleau, 55 km southeast of Paris, beside its large park and forest.

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Château de Fontainebleau — Château facade and central courtyard viewed from the garden approach Gzen92 Edited by User:Radomianin · CC BY-SA 4.0 · edited
Château de Fontainebleau — Château facade and central courtyard viewed from the garden approachChâteau de Fontainebleau — Château entrance and courtyard beneath a cloudy skyChâteau de Fontainebleau — Panoramic view across the château's broad courtyard facadeChâteau de Fontainebleau — Château reflected in the garden pond beyond the treesChâteau de Fontainebleau — Grand horseshoe staircase rising to the château entranceChâteau de Fontainebleau — Curved stone staircase and arched entrance in the courtyardChâteau de Fontainebleau — Ornate interior stair hall with sculpted figures and painted wallsChâteau de Fontainebleau — Gilded salon with a chandelier and richly decorated wallsChâteau de Fontainebleau — Gallery wall displaying large paintings and oval portraitsChâteau de Fontainebleau — Historic swords and armor displayed in a museum galleryChâteau de Fontainebleau — Monumental fireplace framed by painted and gilded decoration

What's on here

Conférences : Marie-Antoinette et Louis XVI, entre mythe et réalité Conférences : Marie-Antoinette et Louis XVI, entre mythe et réalité 28 Nov – 29 Nov L’automne au château L’automne au château Until 1 Dec Noël au Château de Fontainebleau Noël au Château de Fontainebleau 20 Dec – 2 Jan 2027 Exposition « Marie-Antoinette et Louis XVI à Fontainebleau. Splendeur… Exposition « Marie-Antoinette et Louis XVI à Fontainebleau. Splendeur… Until 25 Jan 2027 Exposition « Le panache des Lumières » Exposition « Le panache des Lumières » Until 25 Jan 2027 Visites exceptionnelles « Les boudoirs de Marie-Antoinette » & « Les… Visites exceptionnelles « Les boudoirs de Marie-Antoinette » & « Les… Until 25 Jan 2027 Résidence de Thomas Hengelbrock et des ensembles Balthasar Neumann Résidence de Thomas Hengelbrock et des ensembles Balthasar Neumann Until 30 May 2027

Why go

  • The horseshoe staircase, the château’s emblem, in the Cour du Cheval Blanc.
  • Galerie François I: royal imagery framed by sculpted ornament, a defining work of the first School of Fontainebleau.
  • The formal parterre redesigned for Louis XIV by André Le Nôtre and Louis Le Vau.
  • The bed made for Marie Antoinette, which arrived in 1797 after her execution.
  • Napoleon’s throne, installed in the former kings’ bedroom in 1808.

Opening hours

Today09:30 – 17:00Show all
Monday09:30 – 17:00
TuesdayClosed
Wednesday09:30 – 17:00
Thursday09:30 – 17:00
Friday09:30 – 17:00
Saturday09:30 – 17:00
Sunday09:30 – 17:00

Don't miss

  • Ballroom floor and ceilingThe wooden floor made for Louis-Philippe matches the ceiling’s design.Ballroom
  • Saint Louis keepThe medieval square keep survives in the Oval Courtyard.Oval Courtyard
  • Fish pond pavilionA pavilion designed by Le Vau stands on an island in the pond.Large fish pond
  • Marie-Antoinette’s boudoir ceilingThe ceiling depicts Aurora and angels in a painting by Jean-Simon Berthélemy.Marie-Antoinette’s boudoir
  • Queen’s bedchamber ceilingAnne of Austria’s ceiling dates to 1644 and bears her initials.Queen’s bedchamber

Shorts

History

Fontainebleau served as an autumn hunting residence. Under Louis XIV and his successors, the court moved here from Versailles for the hunting season. Louis XIV added a large canal and a new park to the gardens. The Fontaine Belle-Eau spring in the English garden gave the château its name; its octagonal stone basin dates to a 19th-century rebuilding. After the French Revolution, the palace furniture was auctioned, and the buildings later housed a military school. From 1949 to 1966, the château housed NATO’s Allied Forces Central Europe headquarters.

  1. 1137A charter issued by Louis VII records the château as a royal residence.
  2. 1169Thomas Becket consecrated the chapel built by Louis VII.
  3. 1528–1539Construction of the present central building began in 1528. Italian artists decorated the Galerie François I from 1533 to 1539 under Rosso Fiorentino or Primaticcio.
  4. Mid-16th centuryHenry II and Catherine de’ Medici extended the palace with architects Philibert de l’Orme and Jean Bullant.
  5. 1593–1609Henry IV added wings and reshaped the Oval Courtyard. The Cour des Offices housed kitchens and residences for court officials.
Show all
  1. 1685Louis XIV issued the Edict of Fontainebleau, revoking the Edict of Nantes.
  2. 1814Napoleon abdicated at the château on 4 April and bade farewell to the Old Guard on 20 April.
  3. 1927The château became a national museum.
  4. 1981The château and its park became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Sources: Palace of Fontainebleau - Wikipedia · Château de Fontainebleau | Site officiel · Château de Fontainebleau | Official Site · Château de Fontainebleau | Site officiel · Château de Fontainebleau - Wikipedia · Schloss Fontainebleau - Wikipedia · checked 6 Oct 2026

Where
Pl. du General-de-Gaulle, Fontainebleau, 77300

Plan from here: Evening walk →

Questions and answers

What are the opening hours of Château de Fontainebleau?

09:30–17:00 on opening days.

Which day is Château de Fontainebleau closed?

Tuesday.

What is the address of Château de Fontainebleau?

Place du Général-de-Gaulle, 77300 Fontainebleau.

How can I contact Château de Fontainebleau?

Call 01 60 71 21 65.

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