A long weekend in Fontainebleau

From Paris’ Gare de Lyon, hop on the train to Montreux, stopping at Fontainebleau. From there it is a half-hour walk into the town, through the grounds of the Chateau de Fontainebleau. The grand imperial palace is reminiscent of Versailles with its long, symmetrical avenue of trees, stripped bare when we visited in late November.

Fontainebleau has the feel of a chic university town that moves at its own pace. We walked slowly with our three-year-old daughter and her brown toy rabbit; we were not in a rush and nor was the town. Charming and elegant with a rich history, Fontainebleau is no Parisian suburb. This is a place with a distinctive identity – well worth the journey from the French capital.

Where to stay

We stayed at the Hotel de Cavoye, a 20-bedroom hotel a short walk from the town and chateau. It was clean and comfortable, with pared-back decor and a restaurant on site. The breakfast was hugely appealing to kids, if only for the novelty of having ham, cheese, croissants and cornflakes all in one sitting. There is a large and pleasant courtyard and some of the rooms have their own balconies, which I imagine would be lovely in the summer.

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The Hotel de Londres is another charming and comfortable option. Founded in the mid-19th century, and overlooking the chateau, it has the literary claim of a visit from Marcel Proust, who sat in the dining room and wrote a few paragraphs of his great novel In Search of Lost Time. The same family have run the hotel for four generations, and have worked to maintain the feel of 19th-century Fontainebleau in the days of Proust and Napoleon.

Eating and drinking

The restaurants are fantastic, as French cooking always is. Lunch, I am told, should be a sit-down affair, with steak and, if you like, a glass of vin rouge. VivaVino is a small wine bar hidden down a side street near the centre. It specialises in natural wines, and there are just a couple of options by the glass each night. Likewise the menu stretches to a few delicious items, including the signature baked cheese with walnuts and honey, smoked trout and a very hearty dish of ricotta and spinach ravioli.

By day a butcher, by night a restaurant, Le Viand’Art steakhouse might be one of the best such places in Europe. Our little one enjoyed coquilletes (essentially macaroni cheese with ham) while we dined on all manner of meats cooked to perfection, with vegetables, salad, aligots, or frites cooked in beef dripping. The puddings are also excellent.

For a quick lunch option, I recommend queuing for a sandwich, cake, quiche or slice of pizza from Boulangerie Patisserie Dardonville, a tiny outlet whose produce is as heavenly as baked goods can be. It’s also just a stone’s throw from the best toy shop I have ever visited, Le Nénuphar, which seems to sell the most imaginative and beautiful objects that a small child (or their parent) could ever dream of.

Things to do

Having visited several chateaus with children, from Versailles to Reggia di Caserta in southern Italy, I found Fontainebleau the most impressive and interesting. It must have been spared such a looting in the revolution as Versailles, as its wonders date back to the 16th century in some rooms: friezes, frescos and tapestries created for Francis I.

The Napoleon apartments are fascinating and give visitors a palpable sense of the man who apparently identified as a bumblebee. A permanent exhibition shows Napoleon’s clothes, hat and weapons, as well as the cot commissioned for his son, who was crowned King of Rome before he was even conceived. The gardens and grounds are stunning, and you could easily spend a morning if not the whole day there.

A short Uber ride away is Barbizon, a small village where Impressionism emerged, with painters including Rousseau, Corot and Millet all coming to paint from nature in its surroundings. There is a wonderful forest to walk in and two good museums in the former houses and studios of Rousseau and Millet. Be sure to stop by at Le Gaulois for more steak and wine.

Back in Fontainebleau, the farmers’ market that takes place three times a week (Wednesday, Friday and Sunday) from 7am to 1pm, is unmissable. Unlike London’s farmers’ markets, this one seems to be supplied by actual farmers, selling fruit, veg, cheese, liqueurs, honey and spices at reasonable prices. It is where the locals do their weekly shop, and a great place to pick up something delicious to take home.

Flora was a guest at Hotel de Cavoye, hoteldecavoye.com