Melun Travel Guide

 Dabs Says:  The 1st stop on your tour will likely be the carriage house which has a display of 18th and 19th century horse drawn carriages in the old stables. The carriage house is included with any ticket to the grounds or to the chateau. 

 Dabs Says:  We arrived at Vaux le Vicomte shortly before it opened on a Wednesday morning and we practically had the chateau to ourselves and during the visit we only saw a handful of people. We opted for the complete visit for 16€ which includes the chateau, the gardens and the... 

 Dabs Says:  After visiting the chateau, we spent a bit of time wandering around in the gardens, French formal gardens designed by André Le Nôtre, the landscape designer for Fontainebleau and Versailles. The gardens here are noted as the 1st formal French garden and the 1st major project... 

 von.otter Says:  “Aussi doux pue sévère, aussi puissant pue juste.” (“Just as gentle as he is stern, just as powerful as he is fair.”)Sung by an actress, in honour of Louis XIV, at Fouquet’s fête at Vaux-le-Vicomte, 17.August.1661There was something about Vaux-le-Vicomte that captured my... 

 hquittner Says:  This large room is unique in French chateau architecture. Note its great height and the use of mirrors. It is obvious that Louis XIV was impressed. Since Versailles was too large and long for such an unifying architectural ploy, they came up with the immense Hall of Mirrors... 

 hquittner Says:  We were beginners when we visited. We did not know that a close personal association existed between Le Vau, Lebrun, Le Notre, La Fontaine and Fouquet or that Fouquet was in such a rush to build that he assembled 10,000 workmen and artisans for his project. Or that he set up... 

 hquittner Says:  LeBrun showed his talents to be the equal of his compatriots in his interior creations, especially seen in the rooms that are intact. The ceiling in Madame Fouquet's closet has an example of his ceiling painting, seen best with binoculars.( There are several ceilings to... 

 hquittner Says:  While the room arrangement was part of the LeVau achievement, the interior decoration and ceiling paintings was entirely the work of LeBrun, who lived and entertained in the partly finished chateau as did La Fontaine ( a friend of the group). Our traversal of the rooms long... 

 hquittner Says:  From below the lower pool the water areas in the second level are not visible and the vista is of a landscape in tiers. The waters become dominant in the walk through the middle level with the round pool at the head most prominent. From the pool the upper level and parterres... 

 hquittner Says:  The idea behind Le Notre's French formal garden (this is the first of this type and also his first) is to lead the eye of the viewers as they are walking, disclosing new vistas on all sides with new objects of interest coming into view both close and distant (is this where... 

 hquittner Says:  In its way the Chateau is, we think, a finer architectural attraction than Versailles. The North entrance is closed by a wrought iron pillared fence,, the figures resembling telamons (by Lespagnandel). The front gates are not used today. This closed courtyard is faced... 

 3 Opinions

 Dabs Says:  After our 1st two ideas for dinner didn't pan out, we were headed towards a Domino's Pizza that we saw earlier in the day in Melun when we spotted Planet Pizza so we decided to stop there instead and try a local pizza place. It's take out only, the pizzas come out really... 

 pedroswift Says:  We parked down by the Seine and walked to the city square seeking a place for Sunday night dinner. The places around the square looked like they were full of inmates from Melun Prison so we took a side street to find the Bistrot du Boucher.The first impressions are very... 

 hquittner Says:  The name Ecureuil (squirrel) derives from Fouquet's emblematic (icon) animal. There is on the grounds near the entry a fine cafeteria-style cafe. It is excellent for lunch and is also equipped for dinner on the candlelight evenings. The food like everything else is well...