chateau of maisons-laffitte

If you are a fan of his works, you'll enjoy a day trip to Lafitte. Not far from the center of Paris by train, I walked to the Chateau from the train station while enjoying young Cocteau's pictures on the street. It is said that he was born here and left when he was 15. The Chateau was not crowded and had quiet time inside and the pretty garden. (Visited autumn '13)

We were staying in Avenue General Leclerc which is a stones throw away form Chateau Maisons- Lafitte. It can be done in about an hour and there are no crowds to contend with. The history is interesting and the staircase amazing. It was very inexpensive - spent about Euro 7.50. History is an exciting study and these famous places help us gather information about the times.

The general tours around the Chateau of Maisons-Laffitte are interesting but they have recently introduced a separate to-pay-for tour of two private apartments in the attic. Do not be tempted. The rooms are not furnished in the style of the time; rather they seem to be a place the chateau stores extra furniture; the guide gives a lot of background information on the chateau which you'll get on the general tour.

Really enjoyed our visit to the "Petit Versailles" even more than Versailles. Versailles is still a must and is regal and magnificent, but Chateau de Maisons-Lafitte was incredible and we did not have to fight crowds and wait in line. We got an incredible tour with the time to see every portion of the house and gardens. The entry price was nothing, especially since there were not lines to stand in, and you got to visit a house nicer than anything in America except maybe the White House (which is not longer open to the public). So no long lines, no hassle, and the time and peace and quiet to enjoy the house with only a small group of people - a fantastic bargain.Only distraction, we wish they would spend a little more to clean up the grounds and maintain the house better. They have a gem, they should take good care of it.

I won't kid you: Château de Maisons Lafitte is not something you should have high on your 'to do' list if you only have a limited time in France. Although for the student of (17th century French) architecture the Château is considered a masterpiece chock-a-block full of innovations dreamt up by François Mansart, a more casual visitor would probably be better off visiting the castle and town of St. Germain-en-Laye, not very far fro here.Note that the Château was widely used as a prototype across France, so looking at it you will probably have a sense of "déjà vu", given that lots of Town Halls closely resemble it...Inside, although you will find some object of interest, most of the place gives off an air of slight abandonment, being sparsely furnished with objects... The two floors that you can visit comprise of four apartments, two for the royal couple and two for their hosts, the men and women having separate rooms of course! Lots of drapery in these, beds and whatnot, paintings of impressive dimensions and even a loo fit for royal bottoms...The grounds around the house have been greatly reduced by the encroaching town, basically being restricted to the 'inner park' (they used to include all the area up to the gates you went though on the main street). What is left still follows that design of Mansart, in typical French style. However here too, no one seems to be taking care of things and although still beautiful it is definitely not flourishing....Furthermore the town around the Château, although nice, does not really inspire one to linger longer. Cut through by busy avenues it gives the impression of a passage rather than a town in its own right.SUMMARY:GOOD: A 17th century architectural masterpiece.GOOD: No queues, no jostling in the rooms.BAD: The house and grounds are poorly cared for.BAD: Déjà vu feeling. If you have just visited Versailles, you will be disappointed.BAD: The Ticket price is steep. For the offering I will not be taking any guest there any time soon...If the ticket price was halved I might take a few, but mainly because I live close by.ENGLISH SITE: http://maisons.monuments-nationaux.fr/HOW TO GET THERE:From Paris take the RER A line in the direction of Cergy or Poissy and get off at the 'Maisons Laffitte' station. Exit via the "Mairie" exit. You will come out just across from the town hall (Hôtel de Ville), right next to the Office de Tourisme (which, if open might provide some interesting information). From here things are pretty straightforward (and well signposted): Just continue up past the Hotel de Ville and the Cultural centre just opposite along Avenue de Longueil, straight through the old gates to the "Extended Park". Turn right on Avenue du Général Leclerc and soon you will see the Château at the end of the street. Exact address: 2 Avenue Carnot 78600 Maisons-LaffitteNOTE: This is the best and most scenic approach to the château - do NOT follow the route proposed by Google Maps as it will lead you to a side entrance to the Château's grounds that may or may not be open...OPENING TIMES and ENTRY FEESOpen every day except Tuesdaymid-May to mid-September, 10h to 12h30 and 14h à 18hmid-September to mid-May, 10h to 12h30 and 14h à 17hClosed on Tuesdays and 1st January, 1st May 1st November, 11 November and 25 December.Entry Fee: 7.50 € Reduced rate : 4,50 € Adult group rate : 6 € (minimum 20 persons) The Ticket includes the use of an Audio guide. If you plan on following the complete audio guide you should set aside at least 2 hours for the experience...

Château de Maisons, about a 10 minute walk from Maisons-Laffitte staion, is a somewhat overlooked gem of French history. Much of the land and buildings surrounding the château have been demolished but it is still a fine example of baroque architecture, with some lovely gardens remaining to give a tantalising glimpse of what it used to be. The interiors are lovely.François Mansart designed the château - the popularity of what became known as the 'mansard roof' can be attributed to him. When we visited, there was a chaming exhibition of fairy-tale châteaux that would delight many a would-be princess. There was also a display of all things 'horsey' as the area is considered to be the bithplace of horse racing in France. Maisons-Laffitte is about a 20 minute trip on RER Line A or SNCF from St. Lazare. The tourist office is right at the station and I think a bus also goes from the station to the château. It's well- worth a visit.

We visited this chateau on a Wednesday, when it was almost empty of visitors. Very reasonable entry price, and we got a self guided audio tour included in the price. Easy to imagine life as it used to be. Lots of lovely things to see and admire. The house is surrounded by a garden, and you can just wander around them free of charge.

This beautiful Chateau is well worth a visit! It was included in our Paris Museum pass - which is how we came to find out about it. It was less than a 20 minute train ride from center of Paris and less than 10 minute walk from the Maisons-Laffitte train station. The township is lovely and the Chateau is an interesting part of French history!

Easy to get to and very much worth the 15 minute train ride.Elegant and superbly proportioned. Well maintained and with a good audio guide.Take a break from the city for a few hours

A truelly wonderful building and no crush of tourists, The shops in Maisons- Laffitte are also outstanding the bakeries, butchers and Fromagers. Best food I have tasted in a long while. The Chateau is a must visit if near to Maisons- Laffitte

The Chateau de Maisons is the classic Renaissance palace with tasteful architecture but no gardens. Because it is not on the main tourist route, slthough only 20 minutes from Versailles, there are no queues to join wern you visit. A plus

Сначала у нас была увлекательная экскурсия по замку, а потом мы праздновали там свадьбу моей лучшей подруги. Все было очень здорово, всем осталась довольна

Этот замок был построен в семнадцатом веке и представляет собой пример классического французского искусства, берущего начала от Версаля. Он пострадал во время французской революции и был куплен и восстановлен одним из сподвижников Наполеона. К большому сожалению, парковой части практически нет, но в самом замке есть что посмотреть. Из Парижа добраться можно легко: на RER A5 и A3, а затем 10 минут пешком. Рекомендую совместить с посещением музея Maurice Denis в городке Saint-Germain-en-Laye, куда легко добраться автобусом из Maisons-Laffitte. Автобус N2 отправляется с привокзальной площади в среднем раз в полчаса, время в пути около 20 минут.

splendido "piccolo" chateau fuori Parigi. Poco visitato (c'eravamo solo noi) abbiamo potuto godercelo. Il mobilio è ottimamente conservato. Ci siamo capitati per caso ma lo abbiamo apprezzato più che Versailles

A voir absolument ! Très beau château meublé ou vous pouvez prendre des photos (ce qui n'est pas toujours le cas...) !