Vaux le Vicomte

We would like to visit Vaux le Vicomte on our upcoming trip to Paris. We understand on Saturday nights they have a candle lit tour of the house and gardens. Is it possible to go late afternoon and see the fountains, then find a place to eat, then go back for the night tour?

I also read there is a restaurant on site. Is it open from 6-8 PM when the chateau if closed in between the day and night hours? Are there other places to eat close by in Melun?

TIA!

|||

You might want to do a search on the candlelight tour.

I%26#39;ve read that it%26#39;s crowded with tour groups, with guides audibly providing commentary in every language imaginable, and you%26#39;ll be sandwiched among them, and that it%26#39;s too dark, with just the candles, to really see anything.

If you do decide to go at night, I%26#39;ve read/heard, it%26#39;s essential to have reservations, so you don%26#39;t get there and find they%26#39;re booked solid and have wasted the trip only to be disappointed.

|||

Hi, Neitzjl -- I%26#39;m a Tampa girl!

Vaux isn%26#39;t horrifically crowded -- it can get busy, but it isn%26#39;t anywhere near the scope of Fontainebleau or Versailles. I have a friend who went to the candlelight evening recently, and said it%26#39;s absolutely gorgeous, but didn%26#39;t even mention crowds. Her only comment was that on a warm day, the candlelight makes the inside rather close and stuffy.

Yes, you can go in late afternoon -- but the evening spectacle is a different admission price (higher, of course).

The %26quot;restaurant%26quot; on site is a cafeteria, with very so-so food and tourist prices.

You can, of course, go into Melun for a meal -- I%26#39;m sorry I can%26#39;t help with that, as I%26#39;ve only grabbed a quick sandwich when I was in the city to take care of visa issues. I saw several nice-looking cafes and restaurants.

Melun is quite charming, though (I walked around late one evening) -- nothing in particular to see, pretty church, charming streets...

You could also pop over to Blandy-les-Tours for a look round there -- it%26#39;s a fully restored chateau fort, and a very interesting contrast to the gilding and arabesques of Vaux.

|||

Thanks for your responses.

I think that the candlelight tour sounds like it will be really nice. I am still trying to decide if we should go late afternoon to see the fountains as well. Is the atmosphere znd fountains as nice as Versaille when the fountains are running? My understanding is from the VLV website is that the fountain show if from 3-6 PM. The gardens close at 7 PM then reopens at 8 PM for the candlelight tour. What is there to do in the interim, is the restuarant open? Could we bring a picnic to eat if nothing else?

|||

I think the picnic idea is very good.

I bring people to VLV and it%26#39;s never really crowded, luckily it is still not well known to vast amount of tourists. The candlelit tour is amazing, just beautiful. I did it once and was all alone in the chateau and gardens with my husband, and that was in the summer months.

|||

Of course, timing is everything. It could be very busy your selected date, or not.

To my recollection, there were tables/benches/seats just outside the restaurant/cafeteria, where you could eat your picnic.

The chateau and gardens are much, much, smaller than Versailles!

On the website:

%26quot;Possibility to enter the estate at 2.00 pm with a candlelight ticket, but the visit of the chateau with candles starts at 8p.m.%26quot;

I wonder if, with a candlelight ticket you will have access to the gardens or fountain show?

Or, the carriage house? That would be a good place to visit if open between 6 and 8.

|||

Of course, timing is everything. It could be very busy your selected date, or not.

To my recollection, there were tables/benches/seats just outside the restaurant/cafeteria, where you could eat your picnic.

The chateau and gardens are much, much, smaller than Versailles!

On the website:

%26quot;Possibility to enter the estate at 2.00 pm with a candlelight ticket, but the visit of the chateau with candles starts at 8p.m.%26quot;

I wonder if, with a candlelight ticket you will have access to the gardens or fountain show?

Or, the carriage house? That would be a good place to visit if open between 6 and 8.

|||

The cafeteria is there as a profit center for the operation of the chateau...they get a little fussy about eating food that they didn%26#39;t sell at the tables.

Vaux is privately owned, as the owner makes very clear -- thus he is quite up-front about making money so as to fund the never-ending maintenance of the place.

|||

Cafeteria: food is NOT worth the bother. And they will certainly not look mildly upon people unpacking their own picnic baskets on the cafeteria terrace.

Fountains: are FAR down at the end of the park. But IMO not %26quot;spectacular%26quot; as those at Versailles

Horse carriage collection: so-so unless you are very much into horsie stuff

Park: a peculiar lack of flowers. Huge lawn, classic French lay-out (is best admired from the top of the dome on the château)

All this said, I haven%26#39;t seen the candle light show. But I can%26#39;t really imagine what the buzz could be ? Will one be allowed to go into the château for a visit, when it%26#39;s lit up only with candles (which could be fun) ? OR do you only get to see it from the outside (which would be over with rather quickly) ?

Here you can see some pictures from last August of the cafeteria terrace, the cafeteria food (!!), the château, the park and the fountains.

http://tinyurl.com/mxcy7r

|||

Gitte, you can wander the chateau lit up with candles -- inside AND out.

|||

Ouille !! That must be quite spectacular then. But as an insurance person I can%26#39;t help thinking about the fire hazard.....