The Château de Grosbois was built in Boissy-Saint-Léger, in Val-de-Marne, in the 16th and 17th centuries. In the beginning, this little château went almost unnoticed, isolated in its large estate of 412 hectares. It grew in size thanks to the Duke of Angoulême, who had it extended in 1616 by adding the two wings of the château, the park and its surrounding wall.
Many owners succeeded him until it was bought in 1805 by the Prince of Wagram, a close associate of Napoleon. A listed Historic Monument, the entirely furnished château has kept its Napoleonic style, with furniture, paintings and period décor. During your visit, you can admire the dining room, the Regency salon, the Bailiffs' salon, and the remarkable library, which contains over 3,000 military, scientific and historical publications. As for the not-to-be-missed Gallery of Napoleonic Battles, it features huge paintings of the Emperor's battles and busts of marshals.
Since 1962, the Château de Grosbois has been home to an international training centre for trotting horses, which boasts a wide range of facilities and can accommodate more than 1,500 horses. In 2010, this competitive sport was given pride of place with the inauguration of Europe's largest museum on the subject in the right wing of the château. The 600 m² Trotting Museum houses a major collection charting the sport's 3,000-year history. Here you can learn about the development of harness racing from Antiquity to the present day, as well as the history of harnessing and horse breeding, and then the advent of sports betting.
The Grosbois estate also boasts extensive grounds made up of gardens, meadows, ponds and forests, making it the perfect place for family outings.
