Château life in the open air

With the arrival of warmer days, the region’s châteaux unveil an elegant lineup of events set within their sumptuous gardens. In Versailles, the groves come alive to the sound of the Musical Gardens and Musical Fountains Shows through November 1 – with a nighttime version also taking place every Saturday evening from June 6 to September 19. On May 25, the château will also host the 10th edition of the Fêtes Galantes, honoring the iconic Marie-Antoinette with a costumed ball that will conclude in spectacular fashion with a dazzling fireworks display illuminating the estate’s gardens.

Elegance will also take center stage on June 13 at the Château de Chantilly, with the now traditional White Picnic, returning for its 7th edition in the refined setting of the English garden. A taste of summer before its official arrival for visitors to the château, who will also enjoy, a few days earlier from May 22 to 24, the Chantilly Plant Days, this year organized around the theme “A Thousand and One Botanical Treasures.” A charming and mysterious edition held under the patronage of one of the world’s greatest shoemakers, Christian Louboutin.