"Vaux le Vicomte" Melun by Dabs

Melun Travel Guide: 19 reviews and 84 photos

Vaux le Vicomte was my favorite chateau on this trip, the history is just so delicious, the greedy Cardinal Marazin, his scheming flunky Colbert, the young impressionable King Louis XIV so consumed with jealousy that he had the wealthy Fouquet arrested at the chateau's housewarming party. Fouquet died in a French prison, the king enjoyed the beautiful chateau he built. The rural setting and meager crowds allow you to imagine just what it would have been like to own such a fabulous chateau and just how devilish all the King's men were to have wrested it from it's rightful owner. It's said that Vaux le Vicomte was the inspiration for Louis XIV to build Versailles.

Vaux le Vicomte

Melun was a good base for exploration of the area southeast of Paris, from here it was 10 minutes to Vaux le Vicomte, 15 minutes to Blandy, 30 minutes to Fontainebleau and just a short way from there we also visited Moiret sur Loing. With an early start we were able to visit Vaux le Vicomte in the morning, have lunch in Melun, visit Fontainebleau in the afternoon and stop by Moiret sur Loing in the late afternoon. The next morning we drove to Blandy for a visit and then headed to Paris.

Vaux le Vicomte

Last visit to Melun: Sep 2011
Intro Updated Nov 8, 2011
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Reviews (8)

Vaux le Vicomte-carriage house Things to Do (4)

The 1st stop on your tour will likely be the carriage house which has a display of 18th and 19th century horse drawn... more travel advice

Fouquet was a little squirrely Local Customs (1)

The Fouquet family's coat of arms features a squirrel and the motto "Quo non ascendet?" ("How far could it climb?"). You... more travel advice

Vaux le Vicomte-visiting the chateau - Melun

Vaux le Vicomte-visiting the chateau Things to Do (4)

We arrived at Vaux le Vicomte shortly before it opened on a Wednesday morning and we practically had the chateau to... more travel advice

Vaux le Vicomte-the gardens Things to Do (4)

After visiting the chateau, we spent a bit of time wandering around in the gardens, French formal gardens designed by... more travel advice

Restaurants (2)
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Hotels (1)
Budget lodging

Comments (4)

hunterV Jan 31, 2012 at 12:01 PM Report Abuse

Hi, Kristi!~ Thanks for your interesting narration and lovely photographs! I am sure I would have enjoyed my stay there too...
Nemorino Nov 26, 2011 at 7:01 AM Report Abuse

Great looking chateau and gardens with an interesting story!
balhannah Nov 22, 2011 at 9:03 PM Report Abuse

Love this page, only wish I could go there! What an interesting, true story you found, felt sorry for the "real" owner when reading it! Great photo's too, especially of the Chateau and gardens!!
alza Nov 16, 2011 at 9:39 AM Report Abuse

Hi Kristi, Got notice of yr Tip of the Day & glad I came to read it! I never visited Vaux-le-V, perhaps one day... but am interested in its place in history. A recent documentary on French tv rehabilitated Fouquet & brought Colbert further down in my esteem. I like to believe the doco is right :) Tks for this good page.