Picture this: Strolling through the grounds of a beautifully preserved 17th French chateau aglow with more 2,000 candles as classical music wafts gently through the air. You dine al fresco in the gardens until the evening all too quickly culminates with a fireworks show directly over the manicured lawns. What is the magical place and how to you attend yourself? Just 50 minutes outside of Paris, Vaux-le-Vicomte comes alive for their Candlelit Evenings each Saturday May-September.
This delightful estate inspired more well-known and trafficked Versailles. The story goes that after Louis XIV attended the housewarming party of Fouquet, the Prime Minister of Finance and owner of Vaux-le-Vicomte, he locked him in prison for mishandling of public funds and then hired his architect, artist, and landscape designer to outdo Vaux-le-Vicomte and in the process built the opulence that is Versailles. Whether Louis XIV was successful is up to us to decide.
I discovered secret this gem from a calendar of events when we last traveled to Paris. I wanted to do something special to surprise John after his storybook proposal the night before and I knew this was exactly what I was looking for. Truly this was the absolute cherry on top of our already incredibly romantic trip. And ever the romantic, I brought us a change of clothes to stroll the grounds in style.
If you’re looking to make a side trip to Vaux-le-Vicomte on your next trip to France (and how could you not?), below you’ll find some helpful tips to navigate your own fairytale evening while there.
Getting there
If you have a car it’s a bit easier to make the trip to the chateau but it’s definitely accessible via public transportation. We took a suburban train from Paris to the Melun train station and from there a bus to the château. Note: Finding the shuttle bus stop can be a bit tricky. Exit the train platforms, cross the parking lot to the bus parking lot, and walk down Avenue Gallieni until you find the chateau bus stop. As you drive through the forest you’re rewarded with unspoiled views of the countryside and tree lined lanes, intended to shade Napoleon’s armies as they marched across Europe. Anything for an emperor!
For the return trip we shared a cab back to Paris with some other Americans that the information booth arranged for us. The last bus to the train station departs at 11:00 pm, which while that sounds late, the sun doesn’t set until 10:00 pm in France during June so it will still feel early and you’ll long for more time to explore. Plus, that’s when the fireworks go off.
Touring the Chateau
Your admission ticket includes the cost of exploring the stately chateau. Allot 30-45 minutes to explore these well preserved rooms. Online they say that they will now also feature a luminous walking tour accompanied by actors who bring the enchanted characters to life. That wasn’t offered when we went but it sounds delightful!
Dining
If you plan ahead there are designated areas for picnicking in the gardens. Otherwise you can’t go wrong by purchasing the food prepared in the gardens. Les Charmilles is a swanky restaurant that requires reservations in advance if you hope to get a table. Since we didn’t have said reservations, we instead dined on the terrace on a simpler fare. We also soaked up the view from Le Songe de Vaux, an outdoor champagne bar overlooking the gardens and chateau.
We absolutely loved our time at Vaux-le-Vicomte and can’t wait to go back again!
