Palace · Fontainebleau, France
Palace of Fontainebleau
Palace of Fontainebleau, located 55 kilometers (34 miles) southeast of the center of Paris, in the commune of Fontainebleau, is one of the largest French royal châteaux.
Photo: Gzen92 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped and resized for display.
Landmark facts
| Location | Fontainebleau, France |
|---|---|
| Type | Palace |
| Area | Area: 1.44 km² |
| Coordinates | 48.4022° N, 2.7006° E |
Every fact above is taken from the sources listed below; anything no source states is left blank rather than guessed.
What Palace of Fontainebleau is known for
Palace of Fontainebleau, located 55 kilometers (34 miles) southeast of the center of Paris, in the commune of Fontainebleau, is one of the largest French royal châteaux.
About Palace of Fontainebleau
Palace of Fontainebleau, located 55 kilometers (34 miles) southeast of the center of Paris, in the commune of Fontainebleau, is one of the largest French royal châteaux. It served as a hunting lodge and autumn residence for many of the French monarchs, including Louis VII, Francis I, Henry II, Louis-Philippe, Napoleon I, and Napoleon III. Though the monarchs only resided there for a few months of the year, they gradually transformed it into a genuine palace, filled with art and decoration.
History
"Fontainebleau" took its name from the "Fontaine Belle-Eau", a natural fresh water spring located in the English garden not far from the château. In 1622 Henry Peacham wrote it “is the purest and fairest fountaine esteemed in the world, wherefore it was called Belle eauë.” In the 19th century the spring was rebuilt with an octagonal stone basin, as it appears today. The earliest reference to a royal residence at Fontainebleau dates to 1137 under King Louis VII the Younger, but it had probably been built earlier, during the reign of Philip I of France (1060 to 1108), when the Gâtinais region was annexed from the Duchy of Burgundy.
Planning a visit? Visit the official Palace of Fontainebleau website — the official site has the current visiting information.
How to get there
| Nearest town | Fontainebleau |
|---|---|
| Nearest airport | Paris-Orly Airport (ORY) |
| Distance from the airport | 27.4 miles (straight line) |
Nearest major airport by straight-line distance from the landmark’s coordinates; road distance will be longer.
Airports near this landmark
The airports a visitor would actually fly into, nearest first — each link opens its profile on our sister site AirportProfiles.
- Paris-Orly Airport (ORY) · Paris (Orly, Val-de-Marne), France · 27.5 miles away
- Charles de Gaulle International Airport (CDG) · Paris (Roissy-en-France, Val-d'Oise), France · 42.5 miles away
- Beauvais-Tillé airport (BVA) · Beauvais, France · 77.4 miles away
Landmarks nearby
The closest landmarks in this library, by straight-line distance.
More landmarks in France
More palaces
Frequently asked questions
What is Palace of Fontainebleau?
Palace of Fontainebleau, located 55 kilometers (34 miles) southeast of the center of Paris, in the commune of Fontainebleau, is one of the largest French royal châteaux.
Where is Palace of Fontainebleau located?
Palace of Fontainebleau is in Fontainebleau, France. Its coordinates are 48.4022° N, 2.7006° E.
How do I get to Palace of Fontainebleau?
The nearest town is Fontainebleau, and the nearest airport is Paris-Orly Airport (ORY), about 27.4 miles away (straight line).
What is the history of Palace of Fontainebleau?
"Fontainebleau" took its name from the "Fontaine Belle-Eau", a natural fresh water spring located in the English garden not far from the château. In 1622 Henry Peacham wrote it “is the purest and fairest fountaine esteemed in the world, wherefore it was called Belle eauë.” In the 19th century the spring was rebuilt with an octagonal stone basin, as it appears today.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_Fontainebleau — Wikipedia article — overview, history and core facts (CC BY-SA).
- https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q201428 — Wikidata — built year, architect, height/size, visitors, official website (CC0).
- https://www.chateaudefontainebleau.fr/ — Official website of the landmark / managing body.
- https://github.com/jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports — Nearest major airport computed from landmark and airport coordinates (haversine); airport list: jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports.
Page last updated 13 November 2026.