Short French breaks by train

For a forest escapade

Château de Bourron, Montigny-sur-Loing

Just an hour outside Paris, the forest of Fontainebleau makes for a peaceful escape for those who enjoy good food, history and natural settings. Surrounded by an impressive moat and 100 acres of beautifully managed parkland is the family-owned Château de Bourron, which is easily reached by train thanks to the nearby Montigny-sur-Loing station and a short taxi ride. Once there, check into one of the beautiful bedrooms or suites, which feature ornate wallpapers, family portraits and antique furniture carefully chosen by the owners Countess and Count Estrella and Guy de Cordon. Having inherited the chateau from Estelle’s mother who inherited from her aunt, the couple have lovingly restored the chateau, which dates from the 16^th century. It’s a lovely place for some R&R; read a book in the cosy library or book a massage in your room. There’s a little cottage, La Maison de D’Artagnan, in the grounds too, with five double bedrooms, if you want to book a place for a bigger get together with family or friends.

Outside, the grounds feature historic statues, an orchard and an ice house, which has a 12-metre cavity and was used to keep ice before the invention of the fridge. Beyond the grounds, there is much else to explore; the villages of Bourron-Marlotte and Montigny-sur-Loing have several excellent restaurants, including Les Prémices, set just inside the chateau’s walls. Meanwhile, nature-lovers will discover the Plaine de Sorques nature reserve along the Loing River, which opens out into meadows and tranquil ponds that are teeming with bird life and other flora and fauna.

 

For history and culture, take the train back one stop to Fontainebleau or hire a bike at Le Local to cycle there via the trails through the forest. The town is famous for its majestic chateau, which was home to every French monarch between the 12^th and 19^th centuries, including Napoleon I. You can explore its many ornate rooms, including the stunning ballroom with its musician’s gallery, Marie-Antoinette’s Turkish boudoir and Napoleon III’s exquisite little theatre. The town itself is worth a look too, for its chic boutiques, cafes and food stores – look out for the local speciality, crème de Fontainebleau, a cream-cheese dessert usually served with fruit coulis.

Further north, the village of Barbizon was a hub for landscape artists in the middle of the 19^th century, when the Barbizon School was established by such artists as Théodore Rousseau, Charles-François Daubigny and Jules Dupré. Today’s village is home to several galleries, artisan studios and décor boutiques, as well as cafes and restaurants, and makes for a pleasant place to while away an afternoon before returning to the comfort of the Chateau de Bourron.

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