Fontainebleau highlights

Fontainebleau's history spans eight centuries of French monarchy, centered on the Renaissance and Classical architecture of its UNESCO-listed palace. Beyond the royal apartments, the region preserves the 19th-century Barbizon School of landscape painting through preserved artist studios like those of Jean-François Millet and Rosa Bonheur. The surrounding forest, once a royal hunting ground, features dramatic sandstone rock formations and elevated viewpoints at Gorges d'Apremont and Croix du Calvaire, alongside historic religious sites like the 11th-century Saint-Pierre church in Avon.

Fontainebleau Highlights — Map

ignis / CC-BY-SA-3.0

A

Palace of Fontainebleau

Palace of Fontainebleau, located 55 kilometers southeast of the center of Paris, in the commune of Fontainebleau, is one of the largest…

B

Palais et Parc de Fontainebleau

This UNESCO World Heritage site encompasses over 130 hectares of gardens and parkland, including a Grand Canal and French-style gardens designed by André Le Nôtre.

C

Musée départemental de l'École de Barbizon

Housed in the former Auberge Ganne, this museum displays 19th-century landscape paintings and original furniture decorated by artists who stayed here, such as Théodore Rousseau.

Yann Gwilhoù / CC BY-SA 3.0

D

Prieuré Notre-Dame de Franchard

The remains of a 12th-century monastic retreat located in the heart of the forest, once the oldest religious establishment in the Fontainebleau woods.

Thesupermat / CC BY-SA 3.0

E

Église Saint-Louis

A 19th-century Catholic church featuring a facade designed by architect Alexis Paccard and a reliquary containing a fragment of the True Cross.

Prosopee / CC BY-SA 3.0

F

Musée Stéphane-Mallarmé

The former summer home of symbolist poet Stéphane Mallarmé, preserving his personal belongings, furniture, and literary works within a 19th-century setting.

G

Musée de l'atelier Rosa Bonheur

The Château de By, otherwise the Musée de l'atelier Rosa Bonheur is a museum run by a private owner, Katherine Brault, in the French…

H

Musée Millet

The former home and workshop where Jean-François Millet lived for 27 years. It displays original drawings and etchings from the master of the Barbizon School.

I

Croix du Calvaire

A scenic vantage point marked by a stone cross, offering panoramic views over the town of Fontainebleau and the surrounding forest canopy.

J

Point de Vue des Gorges d'Apremont

An elevated viewpoint overlooking a rugged section of the forest characterized by chaotic sandstone boulders, heather, and ancient oaks.

Own work / CC BY-SA 3.0

K

Église Saint-Amand

A 13th-century Gothic parish church located in Thomery, featuring historic stained glass and medieval architectural elements.

Remi Jouan / CC-BY-SA-3.0

L

Église Saint-Pierre

The oldest church in the Fontainebleau area, dating to the 11th century. It houses the tomb of Gian Domenico Monaldeschi.

Other Lists

Fontainebleau Essentials Hidden Gems of Fontainebleau Forest Iconic Bouldering in Fontainebleau Historic Sites of Fontainebleau Historic Places of Worship Cultural Institutions Nature and Parks