The Palace of Versailles, known in France as Château de Versailles, was the royal residence of the French kings.
Versailles is 19 km from Paris and now it is a museum of the history of France, where are exhibited precious works of art created to decorate the rooms of Versailles, with huge and beautiful gardens, musical fountains, frescoes and curiosities.
Versailles
The Versailles Palace was commissioned by Louis XIV, the Sun King, who lived and reigned here for over 70 years. It was built around a pre-existing dwelling, the Trianon, which until now was considered a bourgeois country residence.
Louis XIV decided to move his entire court away from chaotic Paris and give the idea, through the concept of Versailles, of absolute monarchy centralized around the figure of the king. It is said that in particular the kings did not want to get too far from the capital, but wanted to get away from his people who he considered fearful and dangerous.
After the Sun King’s death Versailles never again had the same pomp and prestige. Two other kings, until the advent of the French Revolution, lived in it and also added transformations and works to make changes in step with the times and with the renewed needs of the court, but the life of the court was now decreasing.
During the siege of Paris the Prussian army camped there and several times throughout history it was subject to destruction and looting. Today it shines in renewed splendor and after long and various restorations you can visit its most important rooms, exhibitions that show the works and objects of use of the palace and its unparalleled gardens.
What to see in Versailles?
The rooms of the palace are 372 but of course, not all of them can be visited. On Google Arts and Culture, you can take a virtual tour of the entire building and discover its many secrets. The rooms open to the public are only the most important. No matter where you look, you will lay your eyes on a small or large masterpiece of art. Consider that to visit the entire palace, the park palaces and the gardens will take at least two days. A full day is enough for a pleasant but not in-depth visit: visit the palace in the morning and then devote yourself calmly to the gardens and park in the afternoon.
Below you will find the things you absolutely must see during a visit to Versailles.
1. Hameau(The Queen’s Hamlet)
To live a little outside the boring etiquette of the court, Marie Antoinette had to build the Hameau, a kind of country house in the park of Versailles where she lived with her children. It can be visited with the ticket that gives access to the visit to the park.
2. Versailles Gardens
The gardens of Versailles are the largest gardens connected to a palace in the world and a unique example of the French Baroque. They have 42 km of trails and 55 water basins. The gardens often host exhibitions and concerts. The gardens are perhaps the most beautiful part of the entire palace to visit because they are endless, less crowded than the rest of the palace, and more peaceful. Don’t miss the musical fountains, a hydraulic masterpiece of the period.
3. Hall of Mirrors
The Hall of Mirrors is one of the most important rooms of the King’s residence. Here was signed on the 28th of June 1919, the treaty that has the same name as the palace and ended the First World War. Even today this room is used by the French president to receive distinguished guests.
4. The Great Trianon
The Trianon is a sober and elegant palace, a kind of building, where the king went to temporarily withdraw from the intense life of the court of Versailles and meet the lady of Montespan. Today it is partially used as the residence of the President of the French Republic.
5. Little Trianon
The Little Trianon is a miniature palace where Madame de Pompadour was in charge of keeping the king company.
6. Grand Canal
The Grand Canal is a large stretch of water that in the time of the Sun King housed 2 gondolas and 4 gondoliers and that today is used by tourist pedal boats.
Hours and Opening
The Palace of Versailles is open from 9:00 to 18:30 in summer and until 17:30 in winter. In the summer the gardens remain open until 20:30. The Royal Palace is closed on Mondays, May 1st, January 1st, and December 25th and is always open the rest of the year.
Before planning your visit, ask on the official website of the Palace of Versailles about the calendar of events and concerts, because on special appointments there are restrictions on visits, schedules or you have to pay a supplement.
Prices and Tickets
Visits are free for children under the age of 18 or for European visitors under the age of 26 (from 0 to 5 years only enter the water games in the gardens for free).
There are various ticket and entry arrangements for the Palace of Versailles.
The Passport ticket saves time in the queue and gives access to the palace (with audio guide), the Trianon residence, temporary exhibitions, gardens and park with the house of Marie Antoinette, gallery and music and games shows water of the a garden It starts from 21 dollars for one day and starts from 26 dollars for 2 days.
The best way to visit Versailles is by buying tickets online, so you only have to deal with the security checks queue. Online you will find all the tickets and the possibility to buy. Alternatively, tickets can be purchased online from the various tour operators that offer guided tours of the palace.
It is advisable to carefully choose the day of the visit to the palace by choosing a day when the Louvre Museum it is not closed and possibly a midweek day.
How to get to Versailles
The Palace of Versailles is located about 20 km from Paris, in the city of Versailles, in the department of Yvelines. How to get to Versailles?
Versailles can be easily reached by car from Paris and by parking in the large parking lots dedicated to buses and cars near the entrance to the building.
Many foreign tourists visiting Versailles arrive at the palace by public transport from Paris. If you are one of these, you have two possibilities: the RER, a regional rail network that completes the Paris metro network, or the train.
Reach Versailles by train
SNCF trains depart from Paris Montparnasse and stop on Versailles Chantiers. Alternatively, you can depart from Paris Saint Lazare and land at Versailles Rive Droite.
Versailles by RER
The RER C5 line is a very convenient alternative because you can take it from the main stops in the city (Champ de Mars, Porte Maillot, St. Michel, Orsay, Gare d’Austerlitz) and get off at Versailles Rive Gauche station which has the -bus stop near the palace. The journey is long but the stopover nearby saves time and energy to devote to visiting the palace.