Family suite and pâtisserie near Pierrefonds castle

Kings, queens, princes or princesses, whatever they want to be, they can get into character at Château de Pierrefonds, just over the way. Dating from the Middle Ages and seemingly lifted straight from the pages of a fairy tale – with dungeon, battlement towers, ramparts to walk and a drawbridge too – you’ll all leave feeling bewitched by one of Northern France’s most exciting family adventures.

Your host Marie knows just how to bring the fun indoors too. Here, at the edge of the forest, behind the stone walls of B&B Les Hauts de Pierrefonds and its classic French shutters, Marie instantly makes the kids feel at home and at ease. While they’re being supervised – digging into the toybox or even making patisserie with Marie – you parents can enjoy the tranquil bliss of candles, essential oils and a massage for two in your room. If that’s not a win-win for a family weekend break, we don’t know what is!

After a good night’s sleep in your family room (a suite of two interconnecting bedrooms), there’s much more to enjoy car-free and carefree right on the doorstep of Château de Pierrefonds: stroll around some of Northern France’s most enchanting medieval streets (including the mysteriously named ‘Sente du Diable’ - Devil’s Path!) then head directly into the Compiègne Forest; With 35,000 acres of wraparound nature, it’s the freshest and most revitalising air on tap. Cycling is the perfect way to explore it (top tip: you can hire bikes to be delivered direct to your door) or try your hand at the treetop acrobatic adventure that is Grimp à l’Arb - exploring the Compiègne forest from on-high and negotiating its zipwires and rope-bridges.