This 1337-room palace, originally built for Louis XV, hosted Napoléon III's dazzling hunting parties, which drew aristocrats from all around Europe. A single ticket grants access to the sumptuous Grands Appartements, where highlights include the empress's bedroom and a ballroom lit by 15 chandeliers (English audioguide available); the Musée du Second Empire, illustrating the lives of Napoléon III and his family; and the Musée de la Voiture, featuring vehicles that predate the internal combustion engine.
From about April to mid-November, you can have lunch or a drink in the Jardin des Roses (rose garden). Almost all parts of the palace are now wheelchair accessible.
Stretching southeast from the château, the 20-hectare, English-style Petit Parc links up with the Grand Parc and the Forêt de Compiègne, a forest that surrounds Compiègne on the east and south and is criss-crossed by rectilinear paths. The area is a favorite venue for hiking and cycling (maps and bike-rental details available at the tourist office) as well as horse riding.
