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Fontainebleau pairs a UNESCO-listed royal chateau with one of France’s largest forests, so a day or weekend here splits neatly between palaces, museums, bouldering and nearby artists’ villages. Most sights are walkable from the chateau, and everything below is reachable without a car. See also the Fontainebleau neighborhoods guide to plan your route. The Fontainebleau weather by month covers this in more detail.
Things to Do in Fontainebleau: The Chateau and Museums
Chateau de Fontainebleau
The royal residence used by French kings from Francois I to Napoleon III, with over 1,500 rooms across eight centuries of architecture. The Grands Appartements tour covers the Gallery of Francis I, the ballroom, the royal apartments and the chapel. Entry is 14 euro full, 12 euro reduced, and free for under-18s and EU residents aged 18 to 25. It is open 9:30 to 18:00 (April to September) and 9:30 to 17:00 (October to March), closed Tuesdays, 1 January, 1 May and 25 December. Allow two hours, and arrive at opening to beat the groups.
Musee Napoleon I
Included in the chateau ticket, this museum fills the Louis XV wing with portraits, swords, uniforms and the famous bicorne hats of Napoleon and his family, plus the throne room used after Napoleon’s abdication in 1814. Check the best time to visit Fontainebleau for specifics.
Chateau Gardens and the Grand Parterre
The formal gardens are free and open daily. The Grand Parterre, laid out under Louis XIV, stretches 1.2 km from the chateau, while the English garden and the carp pond were added in the 17th century. The park stays open 24 hours; only the Marrier gate closes from 19:30 to 9:00. Plan the rest of the trip with the Fontainebleau events and festivals.
Things to Do in Fontainebleau: The Forest
Foret de Fontainebleau Hiking
Around 28,000 hectares of oak, beech and pine with roughly 280 km of marked trails. The 13 km walk from the chateau through the Gorges de Franchard takes you past sandstone boulders and the Tower of Denecourt. Pick up the free trail map at the Maison du Tourisme on Rue Royale, or join the weekend trains that stop at forest stations such as Fontainebleau-Forêt on the Transilien R line. Plan the rest of the trip with the where to stay in Fontainebleau.
Bouldering at Fontainebleau
Fontainebleau is the birthplace of modern bouldering, with tens of thousands of sandstone problems graded in circuits. Bas Cuvier and Franchard Isatis are the two best-known areas, both reached in 15 to 20 minutes from town. Beginners can rent a crash pad and guide at the S’cape climbing shop on Rue Grande; the best friction runs from September to June when the rock is dry and cool. The Fontainebleau travel tips covers this in more detail.
Le Grand Parquet
This equestrian stadium at the edge of the forest hosts international show jumping, dressage and the CSI Fontainebleau spring event. It seats about 1,000 permanent spectators plus temporary stands. Check the calendar at grandparquet.fr before visiting, since events are seasonal and gaps between them leave the site quiet. Back to the main Fontainebleau travel guide.
Things to Do in Fontainebleau: Nearby Villages
Barbizon
Nine km from Fontainebleau, Barbizon is the 19th-century painters’ village where Millet and Rousseau painted the forest. The Auberge Ganne and the Musee des Peintres de Barbizon show where the artists lodged and worked. Buses run from Fontainebleau, or it is a 10-minute drive.
Moret-sur-Loing
A fortified medieval town on the Loing river, 9 km southeast, with a 12th-century gate, a mill and a bridge painted repeatedly by Alfred Sisley. Walk the ramparts and the riverside path in under two hours, and stop at the town’s weekly market on Thursday mornings.
