Saint-Germain-en-Laye

Saint-Germain was the principal royal residence for two centuries before the court moved to Versailles in 1682, and Louis XIV was born here in 1638. The chateau was rebuilt by Francois I in brick and stone and given a Sainte-Chapelle by Louis IX in the 1230s, a chapel that predates and prefigures the one in Paris. Le Notre laid out the Grande Terrasse in the 1670s, two and a half kilometres of straight raised walk along the escarpment with the Seine valley and Paris in view. The chateau now holds the Musee d'Archeologie Nationale, covering France from the Palaeolithic to the early medieval period.

What you actually see

• The archaeology museum - French prehistory to the early medieval period.
• The Sainte-Chapelle - the 1230s royal chapel predating the Paris one.
• The Grande Terrasse - Le Notre's two and a half kilometre raised walk.
• The Saint-Germain forest - old royal hunting woodland behind the town.

When to go

April to October for the terrace and forest; the museum closes on Tuesdays. The RER makes it an easy half day from central Paris. Autumn colour on the terrace is good.

Honest expectations

The chateau interior is a museum rather than furnished royal apartments. The archaeology displays are extensive and can be dry without interest in the period. The terrace view is often hazy.

Nearby

Malmaison lies east; Versailles is south.