Our first adventures in France took us to two historic chateaus north of Paris. Completed in 1550 and 1560 respectively, these two estates were built for Anne de Montmorency, a French Statesman and Diplomat.
Ecouen is the smaller of the two chateaus, and the tour takes you through three floors of the castle, with arms, armor and house hold items on display.
One of the things I was surprised most about Ecouen was that we were about 10 miles out of Paris and it seemed like we were in the middle of the country – farmlands and small towns abound.
Chantilly on the other hand is the grander of the two, much larger, much more ornate. The collection of art on display at Chantilly is regarded as second only to the Louvre. While the two chateaus were originally constructed within 10 years of each other, Chantilly was destroyed in the French Revolution and rebuilt in the 1880s. as a result, Chantilly has a much more modern feel to it.
Of note, Chateau Chantilly was used as a set location for the James Bond film, A View to a Kill.
You may click on any of the images below to view them larger.
The View From Here 
My 2 favorites from our trip!