Beauty of Versailles; HISTORY COMES ALIVE FOR KELLY FENNA IN FRANCE travel.

AS Chateau de Chantilly's crenellated towers silhouetted among the clouds, the sky lit up like a flash of lightning with a cascade of colours.

Grandiose chandeliers as magnificent as those in Versailles' famed Hall of Mirrors burst through the darkness like a spray of shooting stars.

It was in 1672 that Louis II de Bourbon, Le Grand Conde, welcomed His Royal Highness Le Grand Dauphin de France to his Chantilly estate and the tradition of firework displays in the town was born.

More than three centuries later Les Nuits de Feu (Nights of Fire) still gathers together the best pyrotechnics experts to combine symphonic music and stunning explosions.

The chateau's garden plays host to international firework competitions held every two years. Surrounded by emerald forest, I sat awe-stuck, as did 40,000 other revellers, allowing the stunning vision to imprint itself in my memory as, naturally, the French stole the show.

Gunpowder engulfed the air to conjure a colourful fog, and when the shadows melted as day steadily replaced night, the historic Renaissance castle awoke to display some of the finest art collections.

Its museum is the only one in France, save for the Louvre, that's home to three Raphael paintings, and together with its park, gardens and great stables, the chateau is very much the jewel in Chantilly's crown.

Lying 26 miles from Paris, the town - also renowned for its whipped cream, black lace and horse sports - has a certain air of sophistication and makes perfect the smart weekend retreat.

Amid verdant countryside, I spent two nights at Dolce Chantilly, a luxury hotel with three beautiful restaurants, two swimming pools, a fitness centre and an 18-hole golf course.

The destination is certainly an acquired taste, most appreciated by historians, horse enthusiasts and perhaps the older generation.

But French government tourist office Maison de la France were intent on showing me sights I may never have seen by personal choice, as we visited a host of majestic monuments depicting different chapters in French history - my favourite was the imposing 12th century Chateau de Pierrefonds, given second life by Napoleon III in 1857. Open to the public since 1867, the rebuilding of the castle inextricably combined archaeological reconstruction and an imaginary vision of the Middle Ages.

A bumpy coach trip along the Champagne route took us 100km from Paris to Chateau de Conde, a private estate in Conde-en-Brie, framed by parkland with 300-year-old trees. Inhabited all year round, its sumptuous 17th and 18th century interiors were created by the most prestigious artists at the behest of the Princes of Savoy and then the Marquis de la Faye.

Also known as House of Princes, it evokes part of France's history through illustrious characters like the Condes, the Savoies, Jean de La Fontaine, Cardinal Richelieu, Mazarin and Olympe.

Hiding many real marvels and surprises, highlights include the Watteau wing and its recently discovered frescoes, Richelieu's bed chamber, and the drawing room.

After these treasures, we pressed on to Versailles, the wealthy suburb of Paris and once the unofficial capital of the kingdom.

I stayed for one night in the charming Hotel Les Etangs De Corot.

A meal served in the elegant Les Paillotes restaurant overlooking a picturesque pond, offered the finest French cuisine, blending tradition with exotic spices.

The food was delicious, and each day we were provided with mouthwatering meals served with a selection of wines and champagne, enjoyed amid the most stunning of historical backdrops.

Inevitably, the Palace of Versailles was next on the list of places to visit, where I explored what was the official residence of the Kings of France from 1682 to 1790. It counts as one of the most prestigious world heritage sites, the finest achievement of 17th century French art.

King Louis XIII's former hunting lodge was transformed and enlarged by his son Louis XIV, who installed his court and government there. He also used it for his amorous trysts and built a fairytale park around it.

The royal family and the court were forced to leave Versailles in 1789 in the French Revolution.

The palace, famous both as a building and as a symbol of the absolute monarchy that Louis XIV espoused, boasts the Grand Trianon and Marie-Antoinette's estate as well as the shimmering Hall of Mirrors, or Galerie des Glaces.

Visiting Chantilly and Versailles is a must for history enthusiasts, who're likely to fall in love with the mystique and grandeur provided by both the original and restored buildings in the vicinity.

One memory I'll always treasure will be the chandeliers - the pyrotechnic form - bursting through the skyline like exploding rainbows illuminating the silhouettes of the beautiful lakeside Chateau de Chantilly.

TRAVEL INFORMATION

Kelly flew easyJet (easyJet.com) to Paris Charles de Gaulle from Liverpool, prices from pounds 22 one-way, plus charges. Double rooms at Dolce Chantilly hotel (www.chantilly.dolce.com) from pounds 240 a night, Les Etangs De Corot (www.etangsdecorot.com) from pounds 140

CAPTION(S):

Chateau de Chantilly (main), Hall of Mirrors at the palace of Versailles (left) and Chateau de Pierrefonds (right)