Fontainebleau Castle, 800 years of French history

A royal hunting lodge in the Middle Ages, the home of Francis I in the 16th century, and then Napoleon Bonaparte's favorite haunt in the early 19th century, the Château de Fontainebleau was continuously inhabited for over eight centuries and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is accessible from Paris via the Gare de Lyon, as is the Fontainebleau Forest, a veritable green lung of the region, known worldwide for its climbing spots.