Chantilly is a small city known to lovers of monuments, horses and confectionery throughout France. There is a magnificent Renaissance castle, and the village is also home to the famous Crème chantilly and the seat of one of the most important French equestrian centers.
The city is located a short distance from Paris and is a frequent destination for day trips from the French capital. The most important of the local monuments is Chantilly Castle, a beautiful Renaissance building standing on the foundations of a medieval fortress.
It is surrounded by the gardens of Chantilly Castle with numerous ponds, groves and vast green areas. Closest to the palace is the French garden with sheared lawns and hedges and fountains, and in the park you can also see stylized ruins, a Chinese garden and a reconstruction of an 18th century village. A popular walking route through the park leads along the Grand Canal.
The castle now houses the Conde Museum or the Kondeusz Family, one of the most significant French aristocratic families, being the side line of the Bourbons. It has one of the best painting collections in France, compared with the Louvre collections. In turn, the castle stables were adapted for the Horse Museum.
Horse breeding and horse riding are very closely associated with Chantilly. There is a hippodrome opened in 1846, which still hosts one of the most important equestrian competitions in France.
