Field Trip: Chateau de Champs-sur-Marne

We’re going to: the Chateau de Champs-sur-Marne, a spectacular neoclassical mansion and garden just outside Paris!

The Chateau de Champs-sur-Marne is the Goldilock’s porridge of Paris-area castles: not as sumptuous or historic as Versailles, more dramatic and impressive than the Chateau de Maisons.

Is the Chateau de Champs-sur-Marne Worth Visiting?

Yes. 

Of course it is! It’s an incredible, neoclassical estate built at tremendous expense in 1699, and it sufficiently resembles Versailles that Sofia Coppola used it as a filming location for Marie Antoinette! 

The more central question is: Is this chateau the best chateau for your time and money?

If you’re going to see one castle near Paris, it should probably be Versailles. If you’re going to see two castles, it should be Versailles and the Chateau de Vincennes. But if you’re only going to see one castle and you hate crowds and you love expensive, historical furnishings, this is the one. It’s a first-class chateau but a second-tier attraction, if you know what I mean.

How to Get to the Chateau de Champs-sur-Marne from Paris

It’s super easy. You’re probably taking the RER A from central Paris. From the Noisiel RER stop, you can take Bus 220 7 stops to the chateau itself. It’s about 40 minutes, total travel time, from the Gare de Lyon.

Alternatively, you can take the RER to Noisiel and walk the rest of the way, which will add about 10 minutes to your trip.

How Long Do You Need?

This is a big estate! With spectacular gardens. Depending on the weather, I’d say 90 minutes to two hours for the interiors, and perhaps an hour or so for the gardens.

Best Time to Visit the Chateau de Champs-sur-Marne

Spring, summer, and early fall.

You can tell from my photos that I visited during low season: late October. The grounds were not particularly appealing — the garden is such a part of the attraction here that this was a real miss. If you’re in Paris during the non-flowering season, I’d recommend Chateau de Maisons or the Chateau de Vincennes (both, I would argue, are more appealing in the winter) or Versailles, which is an iconic stop even if you can’t see its gardens in their full glory.

The Chateau de Champs-sur-Marne Vs. the Chateau de Vincennes Vs. Versailles

As we discussed above: This chateau maybe shouldn’t be at the top of anyone’s list.

Versailles is Versailles — there’s no competing against it, unless you just absolutely cannot bear crowds, in which case this castle (or another, like the Chateau de Chantilly) could be a decent replacement.

The Chateau de Vincennes is an entirely different kind of castle — a fortification — with a richer history (it’s like five hundred years older! Henry V died there! The Marquis de Sade was imprisoned there!) and a superior single attraction (the spectacular Sainte-Chapelle). History buffs should head there first.

There is a rich Frenchie estate, passed for centuries between princesses, dukes, and their financial equals, with incredible interiors. It’s amazing — but competing against other amazing chateaux.

Three Must-Dos at the Chateau de Champs-sur-Marne

• If you’ve ever bought a copy of World of Interiors, you will love the rich, ornate furnishings and decoration — it has over 700 pieces of period furniture. From the photo above, you can see — it’s not pristine! It looks like you’re rummaging through a rich person’s castle. Fair enough.
• The gardens, designed by Claude Desgots, grandson of Andre Le Notre, are amazing on a sunny day, reflective of their acclamation as a Jardin Remarquable — bring a book and some sunscreen. 
• The children’s dining room was one of the spaces opened to the public following a major renovation concluding in 2013. 

A Bit About the History of the Chateau de Champs-sur-Marne

The Chateau de Champs-sur-Marne isn’t like Versailles or even the Chateau de Vincennes, a former royal residence to kings and queens. It is, though, certainly royal-ish, with owners and visitors ranging from the Princess de Conti (Louis XIV’s daughter with official mistress Louise de La Vallière) to Prince Philip (of Queen Elizabeth fame).

The chateau’s first owner was Paul Poisson de Bourvallais, sent to the Bastille on accusations of financial embezzlement following the death of Louis XIV. Poisson offered it to the government to avoid the guillotine — and so, for many years after, the estate was traded like an engagement ring lost at poker: One early owner, the Princess of Conti, in fact, gave it to her cousin, the duc de La Vallière, as repayment for a debt. In 1739, he left it to his son — Louis César de La Baume Le Blanc, according to Wikipedia, “a French nobleman, bibliophile and military man.” (One out of three isn’t bad.) He’s also the one responsible for commissioning the Salon Chinois in 1748, one of the mansion’s most beautiful rooms, with wall paintings by Christophe Huet — these show such activities as fishing and ostrich hunting. After building another chateau in Montrouge, he leased the Chateau de Champs-sur-Marne to Madame de Pompadour, mistress to Louis XV. (Can you believe these people?? Mistresses, princesses, and bibliophiles: The French are so French.)

So it went for quite a while, the estate passing between French aristocrats and mistresses, from “a rich shipowner” to Madame Isabelle de France, younger sister of Louis XVI. Then, the revolution, then a series of commercial transactions. Beginning in 1959, the estate was used as a residence for visiting heads of state for nearly a decade, primarily from independent, francophone nations in Africa, including Léopold Sédar Senghor, the president of Senegal (and poet).

The Chateau de Champs-sur-Marne, in About 10 Words:

An incredibly French experience, an incredible French experience. 8 stars out of 10.

FAQ Recap: The Chateau de Vincennes

1. Is Château de Champs-sur-Marne worth visiting from Paris? Yes! But consider how you want to prioritize a more iconic site (Versailles) with the lower crowds (and cost) here.

2. How do you get to Château de Champs-sur-Marne from Paris by public transport? Basically the RER A.

3. How long does it take to visit Château de Champs-sur-Marne? It’s a very sturdy half-day trip.

4. When is the best time to visit Château de Champs-sur-Marne? Early morning, in the summer.

5. Is Château de Champs-sur-Marne a good alternative to Versailles? It can’t compete with Versailles’s best, and it is kitty-corner to history — not right at the heart of it, like Versailles. But if you want fewer crowds, it’s a great alternative.

6. What is there to see at Château de Champs-sur-Marne? I would prioritize the Salon Chinois and the garden!