Photos of Château de la Chasse
About Château de la Chasse
Château de la Chasse is a small medieval castle sits in a peaceful clearing in the middle of Forêt de Montmorency. On paper it has a typical castle design with its short square block, a round tower at each corner and and a moat running the most of the way round. But the towers were cut off at all different heights and angles somewhere in the 1700s and covered with tiles, so nothing about this castle is symmetrical anymore. These unique design changes make it a fun shooting subject to experiment with capturing. Two ponds lie alongside, fed by streams coming down through the forest. That still water adds to the peaceful feeling of the castle's grounds. Shooting from across either of the ponds gives you a full castle reflection. Ideally try to go early in the day while the surface is flat and the light is still coming through the trees at a low angle. Autumn is the most photogenic time, with the trees turning rich colours behind the roof line, although bare winter branches let you highlight the unique shapes of the castle more clearly. The castle grounds are only accessible on foot. The Château de la Chasse car park sits just off of Rue de Paris (RD909) and puts you about 800 metres out, with a flat forest trail right to the castle grounds. If you are lucky there should also be some opportunities for wildlife photography. Ducks and moorhens usually sit along the pond edges, and there's a fair chance of a roe deer on the trail if you're out there early enough. (Saint-Prix, Val-d'Oise, France)
