Rambouillet - Château de Rambouillet

Although it is the summer residence of the President of the Republic, the Château de Rambouillet is open to visitors.

In 1706 the château, built on the site of an old manor-house, was bought by the Comte de Toulouse, a legitimized son of Louis XIV and Madame de Montespan. Gothic, Renaissance and Renaissance features in the structure show that the château has undergone considerable extension and renovation.

In 1783 it was acquired by Louis XVI, who, like his predecessors and successors, used it as a hunting lodge. He had a dairy in the form of a Greek temple, the Laiterie de la Reine, built for Marie-Antoinette and established a sheep farm, on which merino sheep are still reared. Napoleon made the Château his residence, and since 1959 it has been the summer residence of the President and has occasionally been used for ministerial meetings.

The rich and elegant interior appointments include fine Delft tiles and period furniture. Notable features are the Marble Hall (Salle de Marbre; 1556), the 18th century Council Chamber, the bathrooms installed by Napoleon in 1809 and the Ballroom, with Aubusson tapestries.

There is pleasant walking in the park and forest of Rambouillet.