Château de Maintenon

Spend a leisurely morning exploring the Chateau de Maintenon, a Renaissance gem on the banks of the Eure River that became the secret retreat of Louis XIV and his morganatic wife, Francoise d'Aubigne. Wander through richly furnished rooms, from Madame de Maintenon's private apartments to the King's Salon and galleries lined with Chinese wallpaper and Meissen porcelain. Outside, stroll the formal French gardens restored to Andre Le Notre's original 1676 designs, where giant interlacing L monograms honour the Sun King. Don't miss the dramatic ruins of Vauban's unfinished aqueduct, a colossal engineering project abandoned before it ever carried water to Versailles. The chateau is closed on Mondays (except public holidays); in winter, weekday hours are reduced to afternoons only.