The Palace of Fontainebleau is the most historically layered of all French royal residences. Unlike Versailles, which was built in a generation, Fontainebleau accumulated over seven centuries of royal occupation — 34 monarchs from Louis VI to Napoleon III all left their mark. The result is a building that is simultaneously medieval fortress, Renaissance showpiece, and Napoleonic stage set.
The interior is outstanding. The Galerie François I, built in the 1530s, is the first Renaissance decorative program in France built outside Italy — the walls covered in carved walnut and elaborate stucco-and-fresco panels that still astonish. The Salle de Bal, with its painted coffered ceiling and musicians' gallery, is one of the finest Renaissance interiors in Europe. Napoleon's private apartments, by contrast, are all Empire severity. Budget two to three hours inside; the park and gardens add another hour or two.