Vaux Le Vicomte castle is certainly not as famous as Versailles…however it deserves a visit as much as Versailles does.  This is one of the most magnificent chateaus in France.

Located about 40 miles away from Paris (on your way to Burgundy), the whole estate reaches nearly 500 hectares. It was built by Nicolas Fouquet, Superintendent of Finances under young King Louis 14th.

A 17th century masterpiece, Vaux le Vicomte was the backdrop to many major historical events and witnessed the tragic eviction of its creator, Nicolas Fouquet, who was imprisoned following an extraordinary trial about which the writer Voltaire said: “On 17 August at 6 in the evening, Fouquet was King of France; at 2 in the morning, he was nobody” . Upon Louis 14th request, Fouquet was arrested in Nantes by D’Artagnan, captain of the Musketeers.

 

Vaux le Vicomte gardens also deserve a long stroll. To design the gardens, Fouquet called upon André le Nôtre who was the pioneer of French garden art. The perfect harmony between garden and architecture results from the collaboration of a trio : Le Nôtre the landscape gardener, Le Vau the architect and Le Brun the painter-decorator.

France Just For You

Experts in self-drive tours in France

Travelers Reviews

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Kate
Thank you Emilie for such a wonderful honeymoon! Every detail was taken care of so that my husband and I could just relax and enjoy ourselves! It was absolutely the easiest trip we have ever planned and we will certainly be using France Just For You on our next trip to France!
Chuck
Emilie was a great help in planning our trip and the accommodations and recommendations were excellent and well thought out. Unless you speak French and know the countryside, this is the best company for you to use to have a superb vacation and I would use them again anytime. They give you options so you can do what you like, but help with the …
Kelly
My husband and our friends spent two weeks travelling around Northern France, the Loire Valley and Paris. Emilie provided us with a detailed itinerary that exceeded our expectations. The accommodations were excellent and unique providing us with a variety of B & B's. Her recommendations for tours and sights took into consideration our interests and …
Tony
The organisation and friendliness of the places we stayed was outstanding. We travel a lot and this was a delightful experience that we can't wait to do again. I could not recommend more highly the professionalism in the booklets which are a long term reminder of a most memorable time. We travelled from NZ a long way for just two weeks but it was …
Elizabeth
My husband and I just returned from two magnificent weeks in France that included four nights in Paris, four nights in the Loire Valley, two nights near Mont Saint Michel, three nights in Bayeux, near the WWII Landing Beaches and one night at a CDG airport hôtel. We stayed in charming B&Bs with equally charming hosts who recommended great places to …
Kim, Eric & Family
We had a great vacation thanks to you. Your arrangements and attention to detail were unsurpassed. We got to enjoy such a wonderful experience of France because of your little details and suggestions; things we did and saw we would never had been aware of or done if we traveled on our own itinerary or had a canned tour. Thanks so much for all of …