Ermenonville Chateau

Marie Antoinette slept here, and so did the King of Sweden and one of the Napoleons. You can too, dreaming in rooms once occupied by legendary heroes of the French Revolution such as Robespierre, Mirabeau, Desmoulins and Danton. Benjamin Franklin liked it so much he moved in for a while and the philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau is buried nearby on a tiny island in a lake set in gently sculptured gardens.

Today the village of Ermenonville is split by a noisy highway that even cuts through the former grounds of the chateau. Yet once you are high in your quiet tower room, gazing out over the typically French formal gardens, you could be anywhere in time or space. The rooms are decorated in typical French style too. Plenty of striped chintz and wallpaper, but the history of the place seeps through the formality to add an extra dimension.

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The moated chateau was the dream of the Marquis René-Louis de Girardin and between 1766 and 1776 he transformed the park into the setting of a splendid baroque home that quickly attracted the rich and famous from all over Europe. Rousseau settled into the chateau, although his idyllic stay was cut short. He died there and, in accordance with his wishes, was buried on the island.

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FACTS

How to get there: The chateau is situated forty minutes from Paris, less from Charles de Gaulle airport. Take the A1 in the direction of Lille.

What is available: 64 rooms with bathrooms, reception and conference rooms, helipad, golf course within 15 minutes, a restaurant serving lunches and dinners, and breakfasts included in the tariff.

What else is in the vicinity: The chateau is close enough for day trips to Paris or the Champagne region. Nearby Gerberoy is an ancient medieval city, and Senlis has many ruins and museums. This is also a good point from which to explore Chantilly, Noyon and Beauvais, and to get to know this lovely yet under-rated part of France.

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