With a storied past of a Royal prince, a captivatingly beautiful castle, an extraordinary art collection, legendary feasting, elegant equestrian pursuits and an enchanting forest, the picturesque historic town of Chantilly has all the ingredients for a perfect fairytale escapade. For my storybook experience, I stayed at Auberge du Jeu de Paume, the luxury 5-star boutique Relais & Châteaux property at the heart of Chantilly, with standout signature dining by Chef Clément Le Norcy at La Table du Connétable, and perfect pampering at the Valmont Spa.

My French fairytale adventure began once I was whisked away in a limousine from the sparkling new Schengen Air France terminal of Paris Charles de Gaulle airport for the short, 30-minute journey north to the enchanting French town of Chantilly, writes Andrew Forbes (The Luxury Editor).
Soon enough we left the motorway and began navigating the country roads passing through idyllic scenes of French pastoral life. As we reach Chantilly, there?s a forest. As we continued, the notifications from my iPhone were silenced as momentarily we lost phone signal. Emerging from the forest was passing through a moment of time travel. The tarmac road had changed to stone cobbles, and the view was now of 18th and 19th-century French aristocratic architecture.

I had arrived in Chantilly.

Hotel Auberge du Jeu de Paume

The car drew up outside the Auberge du Jeu de Paume, a noble 19th-century property, and now a ...