Yes it definitely transports you back in time. The courtyard is really incredible as well, so much detail.
We actually went there to go hiking but access to the forest from the castle was blocked for some reason so we didn't end up doing that which was unfortunate. I'm sure there was another way to get in but we didn't take the time to find a trail.
I didn't realize that about Merlin. I'll have to check that out. Was it good?
The forest is to the north and west of Pierrefonds all the way to Compiègne. (S and E are mostly fields.) There are several départementales cutting through with plenty of dirt roads giving access. There must be a ton of trails
Merlin was O.K., a little on the lighter side and geared towards young adults. Entertaining, though. It's on Netflix Germany so it stands to reason that Netflix France carries it, too, being a European show and all.
Ok thanks, I'll take a look and see if its on there.