A beautiful and gigantic garden produced by the same architect who gave us Versailles.
Even if there is not much else to see in Chantilly, we'd still tell you to go. That's how much we loved the gorgeous Condé Park. Of course it's practically the size of four football fields, well-manicured with hedges supporting perfect 90 degree angles, designed by André le Nôtre himself. But unlike other typical French gardens, this one seems to have some personality. A sort of joie de vivre as they say.
This park has everything. A giant moat-like canal, the square and angular occidental garden but, once you leave the well-trodden paths, you'll discover some pretty cool secrets like the amazing Chinese-English garden. Two different cultures mix to create the natural sprawl of an English garden along with a dash of Chinese zen in the form of bubbling brooks and bonsai trees. Go a bit further along into a rather mysterious forest and you just might stumble onto the petit park or La maison de Sylvie. Both have the feel of long-lost artifacts from an ancient time and both are almost a bit creepy.
The grass might always be greener on the other side, but we challenge you to find another garden with grass as green as this one. Or one that actually allows you to walk on it. Did you just read that last sentence correctly? I believe you did. So go ahead, get barefoot and nutty, that's what parks are for.
Wondering about the Chantilly Castle and the Condé Museum? Click here!