This is a place that many residents of Bellifontaine dream of visiting but never quite pluck up the courage to go inside. The’Tourist Office opens the gates of the’Military Riding School, in the Carrousel district of Paris, for a guided tour that gives access to spaces that are usually only accessible to the general public. closed to the public. Two dates in June: the Saturdays 13 and 27 June 2026 at 10 a.m..
The history of this place begins in 1515, when Francis I decided to establish his hunting stables here. Over the centuries, the site expanded to include stables, a farrier’s workshop, an infirmary and two large riding arenas. In 1943, it became the first National Riding School, before going on to establish a long military tradition that continues to this day. To walk through these courtyards is to journey through five hundred years of French equestrian art.
The guided tour takes visitors to places the public never gets to see: the stables, the state carriage and polished leather, the vast rides, the farriery and the’veterinary infirmary complete with its operating theatre. A guide recounts the daily lives of the riders and horses, the techniques, traditions and anecdotes of a site that remains one of the last of its kind in France.
Meet in the Carrousel district, allée de Maintenon in Fontainebleau, on Saturdays 13 and 27 June at 10am. Price : 16 € for adults, 10 € for children. Places are limited; booking is essential via the Tourist Office.
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