Versailles.com

Versailles, France is a city located approximately 10 miles from the western edge of Paris, the capital of France. It is one of the wealthiest towns near the capital city, but has a relatively small population of only 86,400. Despite of the small population, it has a wide variety of neighborhoods, schools, churches, universities, business districts, restaurants, museums, accommodations, and other institutions. Tourists can explore the alleys on Place du Marché to find local restaurants or they can also go to an Irish pub like the O'Paris, located on the Avenue de Saint-Cloud near the Place d'Armes. In addition, many sporting events are played there.

The #1 Tourist Attraction - The Palace of Versailles

Nonetheless, Versailles is most known for the Château and its magnificent gardens built by Louis XIV, the Sun King. The Château de Versailles is the symbol of French royalty. It is listed as a world heritage monument by UNESCO; and every day, thousands of tourists visit the city to see it. Hence, it is regarded as the most visited among all Versailles tourist attractions and is one of the best historic sights all over Europe. The Château de Versailles is an example of Baroque architecture. It was home to the King of France from 1682 to 1790. It was built in 1624, and was originally a hunting lodge. Several years later, it was turned into a grand palace. Jules Hardouin Mansart arranged for the transformation to happen while Philibert Le Roy designed the palace. Anyway, among the features of the palace are its grands appartements, known as the grand appartement de la reine and grand appartement du roi, occupied the main floor of the château neuf. These apartments were patterned after Italian models at the time.

There is also the Galerie des Glaces or the Hall of Mirrors, which is probably the most celebrated room in the palace. It is famous for its 375 mirrors. It also served as the king’s council room. Another interesting feature is the L’Opéra. It was a very ambitious building project, and it was established to be a part of wedding celebrations. Other palace features are the Chapels of Versailles and the Museum of the History of France. In addition, the Fountain of Apollo and the Fountain of Latona are wonderful sights. The world-famous marble courtyard and Napoleon’s Bedroom are also fantastic attractions. Tourists may also be delighted to see frescoed ceilings and walls in the Salon of Hercules and Salon of Abundance.The Château de Versailles is an epitome of French culture, royalty, and history. It is open every day except on Mondays. The visiting hours are from 9 AM to 5:30 PM during November to March; and 9 AM to 6:30 PM during April to October.Check out Versailles tours page to find a book a variety of tours to Versailles.

The Palace Gardens

Plenty of other Versailles tourist attractions can be seen in addition to the palace. The Palace Gardens, for instance, are another great reason to visit Versailles. These French-style gardens are very close to the Château, and were originally laid out more than 300 years ago. There are numerous terraces, tree-lined pathways, and colorful flower borders. Tourists will also find the 17the century Bassin de Neptune fountain as well as the Orangerie near the Château.

Arboretum de Chevrèloup and the Trianons

Other Versailles tourist attractions to consider are the Arboretum de Chevrèloup and Grand Trianon. The Arboretum de Chevrèloup was once the private deer park of King Louis XV. It covers around 50 hectares and features exotic tree and plant specimens from various places. It is also the favorite spot of tourists wanting to have quiet picnics. The Grand Trianon, on the other hand, was originally called the Marble Trianon. In the latter part of the 17th century, King Louis XIV bought Trianon, a small village. He, then, built a palace called the Porcelain Trianon for him and Françoise-Athénaïs de Mortemart, his mistress.However, the facade of their private residence was not durable enough to withstand harsh weather conditions; so the king had it demolished. After a while, it was replaced with a bigger private residence which is the Marble Trianon. Anyway, tourists may also want to visit the Petit Trianon near the Château de Versailles. It is a mansion that is smaller than the nearby Grand Trianon. In the 1760s, it was built for King Louis XV and his well-known mistress, Madame de Pompadour. Unfortunately, Madame de Pompadour passed away even before the Petit Trianon was completed. So, in 1774, King Louis XVI gave the mansion to his queen, Marie Antoinette.

Marie Antoinette’s village (Hameau de la Reine)

Another Versailles tourist attractions related to Marie Antoinette is Marie Antoinette’s village. Marie Antoinette’s village is actually composed of 12 small stone cottages with picturesque thatched roofs. There is also a dairy farm, a dovecot, a mill, and numerous grottoes. This place was built so that Marie Antoinette could play milkmaid and experience the simple life.

Versailles Parks

The Désert de Rez park, on the other hand, is located near Paris, next to the Forest of Marly. It covers approximately 40 hectares and includes hills, hummocks, and streams. It was first laid out more than 200 years ago. Its natural features also contrast the business of Paris. There is another park known as the Parc Balbi. It is a charming park located next to the Palace Gardens, and it was laid out in the 1780s. Today, tourists will find vast orchards, vegetables, fruit trees, a cave, and a pond here.The parks and gardens are open from 7 AM until sunset.

There are passes and tickets available. An all-inclusive one-day pass costs €20 on weekdays and €25 on weekends during April until October; while it costs €16 during November until March. Those who are under 18 years old and under 26 years old (EU only) can enter for free from November until March. Chateau-only tickets are available for €15; but minors under 18 years old and under 26 years old (UE only), as well as museum pass holders can enter for free. Marie Antoinette’s Village and Grand Trianon-only tickets cost €10 during April until October while they cost €6 during November until March. Minors below 18 years old and under 26 years old (UE only) can enter free of charge.

Historic Versailles Buildings

Furthermore, other historic Versailles tourist attractions can be seen at the west part of town. There is the Hôtel de Ville, a 19th century town hall building; the Cathédrale Saint-Louis; the Hôtel de la Péfecture; the Église Notre-Dame; the public Library; and the Potager du Roi, the place where the king’s vegetables were cultivated.If you are looking to stay in Versailles to see all these sites, please visit our Versailles hotels page to book one of the many hotels in the area.