The Aga Khan’s efforts at preserving Chantilly as a beacon of the French lifestyle include the newly opened Auberge du Jeu de Paume. The location is next to none: 20 minutes from Charles de Gaulle and next door to the largest princely estate of France: the Château de Chantilly, once home to the Montmorency family and a prime example of French renaissance architecture.
The estate now houses, second only to the Louvre, the most important collection of old master paintings in France: the Musée Condé. The collection includes works by Fra Angelico, Raphael, Poussin, Watteau, Ingres, Ghirlandio, Lippi, di Cosimo, Greuze, Delacroix, Gericault, Rousseau, Bellini, Reynolds, Delaroche and others, making it a must see for all art historians. No other French museum houses three Raphaels or three Fra Angelicos, and what gems! Though there are just as many famous names as there are at the Louvre, the viewing experience is much more private, as it should be, there are nowhere near as many hoards of tourists, which helps make it a thoroughly enjoyable visit. The décor in the hotel itself exhibits an awareness of its surroundings, aspiring to the works at the Condé with reproductions in every room.
To fully escape the touristic excess of Paris however, one can spend a night or two at the Auberge. Visitors can be sure of not being bored. Chantilly is famous for its equestrianism, and the Chantilly Racecourse is one of the best in France, visitors can take part in polo, for example. There is also the Chantilly Golf Club, founded by Prince Louis Murat, as well as the Mortfontaine Golf Club, founded by the Duke of Guiche, for those wanting to engage in a more relaxing sport.
Visitors are also entertained by the food on offer: the Restaurant, La Table du Connétable, has just been awarded a Michelin star. The Chef, Arnaud Faye, has worked under Michel Roth at the Ritz as well as Thierry Marx at the Mandarin Oriental, with innovative as well as traditional takes on French cuisine with a wine list notable even for France.
The Auberge is a must for those wishing visit the treasures of Chantilly, there is, after all, no other hotel of the sort in town, and as the name signifies, comfort, above all, is certain.
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