The town of Maisons-Laffitte is only about 35 minutes away from the Champs-Elysées by the RER A…read moretrain, and the Château de Maisons is a small and unusual chateau. Regular entry is 7.5 Euros or about $9 USD and includes a 2 hour guided tour during certain times (in French). The entrance looks perfectly symmetrical because it was built a bit like a Hollywood facade, with the outside built first and the inside built around the outside. This meant that some rooms have half a window, and walls are not where they might seem to be on the inside. The original entrance was built to receive royalty on the chance that they might come visit (which they did on occasion) so the marble sculptures in the portico and on the columns were carved to impress. Even the trompe d'oeil staircase gives the illusion of several stories even though the entire chateau is only two stories. The "third" story was hidden quarters for the servants under the "roof", which gave them a view of the royals entering and leaving the royal chambers on the second floor. The ground floor was where the actual owners lived and although the columns here look like marble, they are actually painted wood because the original ones were sold to pay off debts long ago. The most ornate part of the chateau is of course where the royals ate and slept and even the original parquet floors show the work put into pleasing them. The dining area had a middle entrance reserved for the King, while the side entrances were for everyone else; any pushing or shoving was punishable by fines. The King's bedroom was only used by the king on a handful of occasions but had the rare modern convenience of its own private entry with an adjacent bathroom. The women's quarters on the other side had a distinctly more feminine style. Most of the grounds were parceled off and sold to rich Parisians for weekend homes in the "country", but the bit that remains looks out towards Paris and the Seine as a reminder that a few minutes away is a place where you can leave the noise and intensity of city life behind.

Looking for something to visit not far from Paris and you've already done Versailles? Chateau de…read moreMaisons is your place. On RER A direct from Paris and a short walk through the charming town of Maisons Lafitte, you'll find this gorgeous castle. Gorgeous interiors for this castle nestled amongst suburbia. Entrance was 7,50€ for adults or free for 18-25 EU Recommend a visit!

From the owner: La ville de Van Gogh et des impressionnistes Le 20 mai 1890, Vincent Van Gogh arrive à Auvers sur…read moreOise et s'installe à l'Auberge Ravoux. La petite église de style gothique, aujourd'hui exposée au musée d'Orsay à Paris devient l'un de ses sujets majeurs. Mais, dans la soirée du 27 juillet 1890, Van Gogh se suicide dans sa chambre à l'auberge. Il n'est bien sûr pas le seul : de Pissaro en passant par Cézanne et Daubigny, ce village a conservé l'âme de ces impressionnistes de la fin du XIXème siècle.