The château de Pierrefonds

This unmissable castle at the heart of the Compiègne region attracts visitors from all over France. Just 20 minutes from our 4-star hotel, the Château de Pierrefonds provides an idealised vision of the Middle Ages. With its spires and turrets rising above the treetops of the surrounding forest, this is the kind of castle straight out of a fairy tale. With its unique silhouette in perfect condition, it was a source of inspiration for Walt Disney, and was the location for films including “Les Visiteurs” and Luc Besson’s “Joan of Arc”. In actual fact, a lot of what you see before you is the work of the famous architect Viollet-le-Duc, who was asked to reconstruct it during the 19th century at the request of Napoleon III.

Built at the end of the 14th century for Louis, Duke of Orléans and brother of Charles VI, the castle was dismantled at the end of the 17th century and was lying in a state of ruin when Napoleon I purchased it for next to nothing in 1810. A keen archaeologist and lover of the art of castles, Napoleon III ordered Viollet-le-Duc to restore it, making it one of the grandest sites in the whole Oise department. 

You can visit the Château de Pierrefonds every day except January 1st, May 1st and December 25th.