During the summer of 2022, I attended an exchange program with the INSEAD Business School, located in the small town of Fontainebleau France. The program was around 6 weeks; the perfect amount of time to get to know the place, settle in, and travel around. Fontainebleau is a true little gem. It is extremely small and could be toured quickly. You can easily spend one day in Fontainebleau if you are in Paris and want a small gateway from the city. So, follow along to see some of the highlights that this cute place offers.
HOW TO GET THERE AND GET AROUND
Fontainebleau or Fonty as they call it, is 40mins away by train from Paris. Usually, it is very easy to get to; just a one-way 5euros ticket from Gare de Lyon in Paris to Fontainebleau – Avon. Once you arrive to the Fontainebleau station, there is a bus that can take you to the center of the town. In the town, you will need to walk or bike around because ubers and taxis are not very accessible and usually require some time to reach passengers.
WHAT TO DO IN FONTAINEBLEAU
Although Fonty is small, there are still plenty of things you could do to spend a full day there. Below are some highlights that you should not miss:
Tour the Château de Fontainebleau
One of the must-see things in Fontainebleau is the Château de Fontainebleau. A mini-version of the Château de Versailles, Château de Fontainebleau is beautiful inside out, rich in art, paintings and architecture, with a huge outdoor terrace including a lake and a jardin (park). The history of the place is very interesting; in fact, the castle did not belong to one King, but a series of Kings who passed it down, from the medieval times to Napoleon. It was constructed in the XIIeme century, initially in a medieval style but soon got modified and embellished with a renaissance style.
The Château was also designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981 because of its special architecture and history. Today the castle is a museum that people can visit any day, except for Tuesdays where it is closed (you can still enjoy its outdoors but you won’t be able to canoe or see the interior, so I definitely advise you to go another time!).
INSEAD students graduate in this castle and even have their Alumni ball in it. Honestly, if I tell you that I was not jealous, I would be lying!
Stroll or have a picnic along the Grand Canal
Outside the Château there are some café trottoirs as well as restaurants and gelato places where you can have a quick bite. But the grand canal is definitely not to miss. It is a long water-corridor surrounded by a beautiful park. I would suggest dropping the restaurants plan and instead getting a picnic by the canal.
The canal is also a perfect spot for a quick jog. I spent most of my days running by the water for my workouts. I have watched the sun rise from there as well. A breathtaking experience; so definitely, go to the canal!
Le grand canal
Visit the INSEAD Campus
Another thing that would be nice to do is visiting the INSEAD campus. The campus, although small, is very modern and usually full of students. It has a nice outdoor area where people chill, eat or have a beer (yes! the university sells alcohol!). The students are very International and they would be more than happy to assist you in your tour and tell you more about their experience. I honestly LOVED my time at this institution. So yeah, it’s a worthwhile tour to consider; you never know, you might be inspired to pursue a master’s in business someday!
Go on a small hike in the forest
If you are spending more than one day in Fonty and love the outdoors, you can hike in the forests of the little town. Personally, I did not do the hikes, but I heard that that they have great views and sceneries. One of the most famous hikes is the one spanning from Fonty to Barbizon, also known as the FB trail. The trail starts at the end of Plessis Mornay Street and is marked with white and green paint along the way. This hike is relatively easy to do, takes around 2h and would lead you to Barbizon, another small town next to Fontainebleau, that you can also explore or indulge in for a few hours.
Explore the city center and do some shopping
One of the things I loved doing while there was walking around the city center. The area is filled with small shops and boulangeries along the way (Boulangeries Patisserie Dardonville was DELICIOUS). If you like to shop, you will definitely be able to do that in Fonty. Fontainebleau is house to many local stores. I loved walking pass them, window shop or buy things as well. There are many options, from known brands to small boutique stores. You can easily kill an hour of shopping there. However, because they are mostly local shops, they will have pricey collections in comparison to Paris.
Enjoy a good drink and small bites
And of course, can Fonty be a French town if it’s not filled with small restaurants and cafés? If you love to spend a day exploring different restaurants and cuisines, you can do that in Fontainebleau. Although it doesn’t have THAT many options, you will still find a good amount for a one or two-day journey.
The town has many restaurants (also Michelin stars ones) of different cuisines. My favorite spots were the Municipal Theatre of Fontainebleau (for drinks, bites and background DJ), Deme (for delicious pizza and pasta) and Masu (for great sushi and sake).
Municipal Theatre of Fontainebleau
I highly recommend Fonty to anyone visiting Paris. If you end up going, let me know in the comments about your experience. I truly loved this small town, and I hope you do too!
