Château de Pierrefonds — Attraction in Compiègne

A must visit location if you are in the area. A glorious fairytale château that rises out of the landscape around it. If you are visiting the best place to park is at the base of the castle, close to the church and Hotel de Ville. It's a large free car park. From there it's a fairly steep walk upwards to the entrance of the château proper. Entry is payable at the gift shop (currently €8 for adults and free for EU citizens under age 25). You can also hire an audioguide jn English for around €3. There is a self guided tour which takes you around the castle with interesting exhibits about the 19th century restoration of the site, responsible for the current appearance of the site. It's quite different to the castles we're used to in the UK as it's a complete building, hence it's popularity in use for TV and film shooting. One of the best parts was the cellars, which hosts Napoleon III's collection of funerary memorials. The staging of these is very clever and it's eerie and fascinating to see. We really enjoyed Pierrefonds and would definitely...

Visiting Château de Pierrefonds was an absolute highlight of my trip. I explored the castle on my own and was lucky with the weather – the sunlight made the entire setting feel even more magical. The architecture is truly impressive, and everything is beautifully preserved. It’s a place where history feels alive.

What really stood out to me was how enjoyable the whole experience was: from the grand halls to the quiet courtyards and towers, there’s so much to discover – and you’re free to take it all in at your own pace.

There’s also a surprisingly modern and well-designed souvenir shop inside, perfect for browsing and picking up something special to remember the visit.

After the tour, I highly recommend staying a while – there are several charming cafés and little shops just outside the castle where you can sit down, enjoy a coffee and a bite to eat, and soak in the fairytale atmosphere a little longer.

A truly delightful and memorable stop – I’d come...

Absolutely loved this Chateau. Like most Brits visiting I had seen the TV series Merlin and knew that this was the Chateau that was portrayed as Camelot. It looked so pretty on the TV I was wondering what it would actually look like. I wasn't disappointed. It is like a fairy tale. I learned that is was the inspiration for Disneys Sleeping Beauty. It was being renovated so one side of the building was completely covered with scaffolding. This didnt spoil it for me. Inside it is not "staged" like some chateau. I liked walking round and seeing if I could recognise any shots from the TV series! Its good value at 6E plus 3E for an audio guide. There is plenty of free parking around the village. We drove round after leaving to get a shot of the Chateau from a distance. Its not easy to find as lots of trees obscure the view. I wanted a shot where the scaffolding wasn't on view. I found one. I would recommend a visit. The staff there were also...