Rouen to Vaux-le-Vicomte: Private day trip

Start your visit at Chateau de Vaux-le-Vicomte by exploring the Grand Salon with its magnificent dome painted by Charles Le Brun featuring intricate mythological scenes celebrating the glory of Nicolas Fouquet, Louis XIV's ambitious finance minister. Wander through the opulent state apartments, including the King's bedroom with its elaborate Gobelin tapestries and the spectacular oval salon with its gilded decorations and painted ceiling that showcase the height of 17th-century French decorative arts. Step outside to discover André Le Nôtre's revolutionary garden design—walk the grand perspective from the chateau to the Hercules statue, then climb the grotto for the best panoramic view back to the palace and its perfect architectural proportions. Don't miss the basement kitchens with their impressive vaulted ceilings and massive stone fireplaces where elaborate feasts were prepared, and the carriage museum in the stables showcasing period vehicles, harnesses, and the lifestyle of French aristocracy. If visiting on a candlelit evening (weekends May-October), experience the chateau illuminated by 2,000 candles for a truly magical atmosphere that recreates 17th-century royal entertainment exactly as Nicolas Fouquet intended before his dramatic fall from grace and lifelong imprisonment that made this chateau a symbol of dangerous ambition. Explore opening hours and ticket prices online: https://vaux-le-vicomte.com/en/prepare-your-visit/date-and-time/