Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte — Attraction in Melun

This is a magnificent château in a very picturesque setting. We enjoyed tasty and fresh salads for lunch and parking is free. We didn't enjoy learning that the promise of free entry to the gardens had evaporated by the time we arrived which was frustrating and confusing so we had to pay €16+ Euros each to get in. The person dealing with our tickets was not at all sympathetic about the misleading information on the website and was abrupt and quite rude. People ahead of us in the queue made exactly the same comment, so we know we aren't delusional...

We felt compelled to visit the inside, having paid the unexpected premium but were disappointed with what we saw. There is a free multi-lingual narrative supplied with decent headphones but rather than explain particular features of the building, its architecture and decor it was a dramatised biography of Nicolas Fouquet, the person responsible for building the château. Sadly the maintenance and upkeep of the château interior seems to be lacking with evident dust and peeling paint throughout the areas open to visitors.

Having been disappointed in the interior and with it being a beautiful summer's day we were looking forward to exploring the grounds. Well that turned out to be disappointing too. Some of the advertised box hedges were removed (in 2019 apparently) to be replaced with some rather odd shiny sheets of aluminium just lying on the grass. Only one small fountain was working and the flower beds were completely bare (actually that's not quite true - there were quite a few weeds). The more we explored, the more weeds we found and the hedges and topiary trees were definitely in need of a trim.

Lastly, and this may be a climate-related issue but the grand canal looked more like pea soup than a canal. There was a lot of algae!

The ice cream from the kiosk was pretty good, so not all was lost.

I revisited the website after our return and the piece describing free entry to the gardens had duly been removed. How convenient! I guess we should have been wary of anything mentioned on the website though - according to the copyright tag it hasn't been...

Vaux-le-Vicomte is absolutely breathtaking—an unforgettable experience that seamlessly blends history, beauty, and emotion. The gardens alone are worth the trip: an expansive, meticulously designed masterpiece of symmetry and elegance. I was in awe walking through the grounds, designed by André Le Nôtre, with stunning vistas that shift as you move, showcasing the genius of 17th-century landscape architecture. I easily walked over 20,000 steps just taking everything in—every fountain, hedge, and path offers something new.

The château itself is a marvel, both inside and out. Every room is lavishly decorated, with a sense of grandeur and refinement that reflects the vision of Nicolas Fouquet, the original owner. What’s even more fascinating is the story behind it: Fouquet, the finance minister of Louis XIV, threw an extravagant fête for the king in 1661, hoping to impress him. Ironically, it had the opposite effect. Louis XIV, threatened by Fouquet’s ambition and splendor, had him arrested shortly after on questionable charges of embezzlement. The King then used the same architects, designers, and landscape planner—Le Vau, Le Brun, and Le Nôtre—to create Versailles.

The evening Candlelight experience is magical. Thousands of candles illuminate the château and gardens, recreating the ambiance of that infamous night. It truly feels like stepping into a living piece of history. The museum inside is equally captivating, offering insight into Fouquet’s life and his perspective—his belief that he was falsely accused and made a scapegoat for political purposes.

If you love history, architecture, garden and landscape design, or just long walks in extraordinary settings, you can spend an entire day here and still want to return. Vaux-le-Vicomte is an absolute must-visit. As of 7 June, I paid 22 euros to enter, but it was worth it and I paid 5 euros to go to the tower...

I'm confused by the number of 5 star reviews of this place - I think at best this is a 2.5 star destination when compared to everything Paris and its surrounding areas have to offer.

The "palace" is actually very small, interiors and exteriors are a little sad (poorly kept), the grounds are thinly staffed and (frankly poorly trained). The worst is the transportation to and from vaux-le-vicompt - its a 2 hour ordeal one way with a two train transfer + 35min walk if you do the official public transportation route. (and if you uber the last leg like we did to save an hour, be prepared to deal with some pretty rude Melun uber drivers)

Anyway - When you do manage to get there there, your likely first thought will likely be: "so, this is it?" Doesn't look much like the photos to me.

The Palace clearly caters to elementary schools as a field trip destination versus as a worthwhile day trip destination for adult travelers. We arrived 20 minutes before the grounds officially opened, there were already about 30 BUS LOADS of (young) children gathered in the courtyard, such that nearly every room turned into a class room with twenty to thirty 7 years olds and their teachers. Think a very LOUD classroom ..

The pluses: gardens 6/10 palace kitchens 7/10 the sometimes interesting but mostly meandering audio guide 6/10 gift shop 7/10

The minuses: Ease of transportation to/from Paris 1/10 Palace 3/10 staff 3/10 service 2/10 ( for example: they have you take a picture of the map of the grounds instead of giving you a paper map, they try to up sell you on a golf cart for 25 euros an hour when there is actually no real need for it, they try to upsell you taking photos with period costumes and encourage you to make reservations at their restaurant - which gets pretty mediocre reviews etc)

Overall experience: 4/10, would not have done this...