By Sylvia Sabes

The château at Chantilly, where the sphinx is greeted with a tweak.

Les châteaux de Paris? Sounds odd, because when we talk about the châteaux region of France, thoughts automatically travel to the Loire. But historically Paris was and still is the political, commercial and religious center of France. Everybody who was anybody needed to be near the capital, and the elite required glorious estates where they could impress others, assert their own importance, tend to their properties and escape the pressures of city living while staying close to home. The châteaux are all within an hour’s ride from the city by public transport, with large grounds attached, perfect for an afternoon picnic. This is great for visitors to Paris who want to make a day trip of touring the royal residences.

At the top of many people’s list is Versailles, which is easy to get to on the RER C. The buildings are stunning, the grounds spectacular. Of all the châteaux in France, Versailles is the most outrageous for its opulent decor and vibrant history: ornate silk brocades, gargantuan Baccarat chandeliers and gilt everything bring the past to life. Once there, you could spend days visiting the palace, gardens, Grand Trianon, and Marie Antoinette’s estate; rowing in the Grand Canal; and sitting in the shade of the magnificent plane trees while enjoying lunch at one of the many on-site restaurants.

A regal swan at Fontainebleau.

If you’re yearning for romantic tales, you can take a pleasant train ride from the Gare de Lyon to Fontainebleau to visit the courtyard where Napoléon and Josephine bid their final adieux. The château boasts 700 years of royal history, with rich tapestries as well as the apartments of the royal mistress, Madame de Maintenon, and the young queen, Marie Antoinette. The château is enchanting, with a quaint village an easy stroll away. You can stop in town for lunch or to create a gourmet picnic to be enjoyed in the château's forest. Parisians head there to walk their dogs, go horseback riding or hike, and many Europeans travel the continent for the forest's excellent rock-climbing opportunities.

A 22-minute ride from the Gare du Nord, the Château de Chantilly is another good option, with stables that are fit for a king, quite literally. You can attend equestrian shows, visit the stables and even spend a day at the races. The art collection is world renowned, particularly for its series of drawings by artists like Michelangelo, Rubens and Van Dyck; it also includes Rafael's Three Graces. Chantilly is the French word for “whipped cream,” and the château's kitchen is where the chef Vatel invented this gossamer dessert for none other than Louis XIV. You can taste some for yourself on the château’s grounds, at the gourmet Restaurant du Hameau.

The Château de St.-Germain-en-Laye houses a museum focusing on archaeology. The vista of Paris as you arrive on the grounds from the ultraconvenient RER A is simply stunning. Like the other châteaux, this one comes with a small forest to stroll through. It also has a very upscale little village that’s great if you feel like lunch or a quiet shopping experience that’s far from the quicker pace of Paris but just minutes away.

The medieval fortress at Pierrefonds.

There are many other fascinating châteaux to visit, like the privately owned Vaux le Vicomte, which inspired Louis XIV’s Versailles and the Gérard Depardieu film Vatel; or Pierrefonds, which still looks like a fortress from the warring days of the Middle Ages. But these châteaux are harder to reach by public transportation and would best be visited by car.

If you simply can’t get out of the city, you can console yourself with the knowledge that the first and foremost palace of France, still the largest and most visited in Europe today, is the Louvre. People go there for the art, but it is fascinating to visit the foundations (and model) of the medieval château, and see the collection of royal jewels and the sumptuous apartments of Napoléon III.

Read more about day trips from Paris in our post here.

Editor's note: Why not take a Vespa tour to Versailles? Matt from Left Bank Scooters can set you up.

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By Sylvia Sabes

A portrait of Marie Antoinette by Elisabeth Vigée-Lebrun hangs in the Petit Trianon.

Last week the girls and I cuddled up to watch Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette. I love this film—all that pink and powdered blue, all that sumptuous silk and those decadent pastries—it really speaks to my inner girl. And being teens, my girls loved it, too. Suddenly it seemed I had found the perfect way to squeeze both some Mom time and some culture into them at once. So Sunday we were off to Versailles to visit the queen or, rather, her little piece of the grounds, the Domaine de Marie Antoinette.

The Domaine includes the Petit Trianon, the gardens and the queen’s hamlet. The little Trianon is just that: tiny, the perfect size for a family visit. You see the réchauffoir where meals were heated after having been cooked off-premises to avoid nasty odors, and the mechanical wall lifts Marie had created to increase her closet space, as well as beribboned garden tools. Upstairs the setting is more opulent and includes a replica of her bedroom in silks and tapestries.

The hamlet.

The gardens are English style, very wild and overgrown by French standards, and a lovely break from the city. The real escape, however, is the hamlet, a charming replica of a village to which even local families flock on the weekend to see the sheep and other livestock. It is all so picturesque and idyllic that you can't help but wonder if Walt Disney had visited before setting up his theme parks.

Sheep and other livestock at the hamlet.

The château of Versailles and its grounds are a day trip on their own, so you may have to settle for getting your Marie fix here in Paris. The Musée de Carnavalet, in the 3rd Arrondissement, is a great place to start. The queen once haunted this neighborhood herself, so you'll be walking in Marie’s footsteps as you visit the museum's collection of her personal belongings, including a very precious little shoe.

Less cheerful but more intimate are the queen’s rooms at the Conciergerie, where she spent her final days. Here you’ll see her prison room, as well as the prayer area and the courtyard she crossed before being beheaded.

Royal art.

To lighten the mood you can visit Debauve et Gallais, the official purveyors of chocolate to the king, where the pastilles that Marie so adored are still made. Or take a short walk to Ladurée, the sumptuous pastry shop and tea salon that supplied all of those breathtaking cakes for Coppola's film. Sit down in the terribly feminine chinoiserie tea salon and follow the queen's orders: “If they have no bread, let them eat cake.”*

* Yes, I know she didn't really say that; but it’s a line worth repeating!

Editor's note: Rachel from French Links gives a Marie Antoinette tour. Click here to book one (be sure to mention the Girls' Guide).

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By Sylvia Sabes

Photo by Marc Montméat, Paris Photo Jeune Talent SFR 2009.

It is below zero on a Wednesday morning, and the line at the Grand Palais is an hour long for ticket holders. Those without tickets will be standing in the cold even longer. And yet they stand: university students with a morning off, retirees, mothers who work only four days a week, lovers cashing in an RTT (floating days off), all of them locals and all of them waiting patiently in line to view art. Who is the artist and what was the incredible show that drew so many? I can't recall, and it really doesn't matter, because this is pretty much the scene every time I've attended a show here. From Klimt to Picasso, from Warhol to Rodin, the French love their art—which means there are great shows to attend throughout the year.

Current (and upcoming) shows include Yves Saint Laurent at the Petit Palais, Lucian Freud at the Centre Pompidou, Turner at the Grand Palais, Basquiat at the Musée d'Art moderne de la Ville de Paris, Doisneau at the Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson and photos of Versailles from 1850 to 2010 at the château itself.

If all this information seems rather rushed to you, you're right. That's because, in addition to these temporary events, there are several annual events that are worth the trip in their own right.

A sculpture at FIAC last fall.

Parcours des Mondes
Usually first week of September
This is one of the most important tribal arts shows in the world. Galleries specializing in tribal arts from across the globe borrow space from the St.-Germain-des-Prés galleries to exhibit pre-Columbian artifacts, Egyptian treasures and African sculptures. Much of the work is museum quality, and the people-watching is almost as fantastic as the art itself.

Biennale de Paris
Last weekend of September
Founded by André Malraux, this art and jewelry show attracts dealers from across the globe, with pieces hailing from ancient Rome and Persia, all the way up through contemporary art. The presence of some of the greatest jewelry houses in the world—Van Cleef & Arpels, Harry Winston, Cartier—ensures some serious eye candy, and the participants spare no expense in decorating the jewel-box venue of the Grand Palais.

FIAC
October 21 to 24
This contemporary art show is so huge that it requires two venues: the inner courtyard of the Louvre and the Grand Palais. And if that's not enough for you, the local galleries put on their star collections, hoping to attract the roving eyes of the hordes of international art collectors who head into town the week after visiting Frieze, the London contemporary art fair.

Even the public restrooms go arty for Paris Photo. A display of toilet paper in one restroom.

Paris Photo 
November 18 to 21
This year Central Europe is the guest of honor at Paris's annual photography show, held at the Carrousel du Louvre; Paris Photo features works from artists such as Man Ray and Henri Cartier-Bresson alongside images from Africa, Asia and the Americas. The star of last year's show was Marc Montméat, the winner of the phone company SFR's Young Talent Award—he sold every photo available in just two days.

Editor's note: Parcours des Mondes is an open event, but all the rest (exhibitions and shows) require tickets. Because the whole art world comes to Paris for these events, advance tickets are recommended. If the concierge at your hotel cannot help you, book them yourself online at FNAC.

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