%cb%fa%s5Versailles and other Paris, France Off The Beaten Path Tips

Versailles

Versailles
~~~~~~
My trip to Versailles

After a few days in Paris, I concluded my trip to this city with a visit to Versailles. I was feeling tired from walking a few days after each other in Paris, trying to absorb as much as I could of the city. My feet were hurting quite bad by now, but that didn't stop me from visiting Versailles. I always dreamed of seeing Versailles one day, and here I was!

Most of the palace can only be viewed in guided groups and at limited times. But the 'Tour of the State Appartments' can be done on your own, so that was the tour I took. The tour takes you through the :

The State Apartment :
1. Drawing Room of Plenty
2. The Venus Drawing-Room
3. The Diana Drawing-Room
4. The Mars Drawing-Room
5. The Mercury Drawing-Room
6. The Apollo Drawing-Room
7. The War Drawing-Room
8. The Peace Drawing-Room

The Queen's Apartment:
9. The Queen's Bedchamber
10. The State Cabinet or Salon des Nobles
11. The Antechamber of the Grand Concert
12. The Guardroom

The worst time to visit is apparently on Sunday when the entrance fee is reduced and the queues are seemingly endless.

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Website: http://www.chateauversailles.fr/

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Versailles: Opening times and admission fee

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Written by sim1

on Dec 3, 2003

Versailles

Versailles
~~~~~~
Opening times and admission fee

The Château:
The Chateau is open from Tuesday to Sunday, except on certain French public holidays.
May-September 9 a.m. – 6.30 p.m.
October-April 9a.m.-5.30p.m.

The State Apartments :
admission price : 18 and over : 7€50; under 18 : admission free; reduced rate : 5€30
May-September : 9 a.m.-6.30 p.m. (last admission 6 p.m.)
October-April : 9 a.m.-5.30 p.m. (last admission 5 p.m.)

The park and the gardens :
open every day except in bad weather from 7 a.m. in summer, 8 a.m. in winter, until sunset (between 5.30 p.m. and 9.30 p.m. depending on the season)

Gardens : Admission : 3€; guided tour : 5€; reduced rate for children between 10 and 17 : 3€50; Season ticket : 20€
Park : pedestrians : free ; bicycles : free ; motorcycles : free ; cars from Monday to Friday : 4€50; cars during the week-end and the public holidays : 5€50 ; buses : 29€

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Website: http://www.chateauversailles.fr/

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Off The Beaten Path: Impressions... part 1

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Written by sim1

on Dec 3, 2003

Versailles

Versailles
~~~~~~
Impressions... part 1

Before I want to take you with me on my visit to Versailles, I want to share some impressions of my visit to this famous place.

My first excitement of being at Versailles tempered quite quickly when I got inside. The rooms were beautiful decorated, almost "too" beautiful. Not a patch was left untouched, it was all gold platter, sculptured and there were decorations all over. The rooms themselves were quite empty, and the furniture was displayed behind a cord. The cord was important to stop the hundreds of tourist coming to close to those precious items. And that was where it went wrong for me.....

Story continues on the next tip....

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Website: http://www.chateauversailles.fr/

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Off The Beaten Path: Impressions.... part 2

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Written by sim1

on Dec 3, 2003

The fountain of Latona

Versailles
~~~~~~
Impressions.... part 2

In every chamber there were several guided tours at a time, and in every language you can imagine. The guides were calling all their members to gather together behind the cord and listen to the explanation of the chamber.

But due to this there was no room left for me. In the beginning I would wait until a group left, and than take my chance to have a quiet look. But my attempts were in vain. Instead of getting some space because the group left, two new groups entered the chambers and pushed me aside taking up all the room behind the cord.

story continues on the next tip....

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Website: http://www.chateauversailles.fr/

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Off The Beaten Path: Impressions.... part 3

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Written by sim1

on Dec 3, 2003

Versailles

Versailles
~~~~~~
Impressions.... part 3

I got annoyed, and started walking quickly from one room to another, in a new tactic to stay ahead of the groups.
In vain again of course, because there were so many groups and there was no escape possible. So I tried to squeeze my way through the crowds to get a closer look at the displayed furniture and the amazing decorations on the walls and ceilings. Sigh, that didn't make my visit a lot more pleasant. I got angry looks from other visitors and even from their guides. After a while I started to feel uneasy. I am not shy, but this was too much for me. I couldn't enjoy it this way, fighting for every inch of space in a desperate attempt to see something of the rooms.

story continues in the next tip....

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Website: http://www.chateauversailles.fr/

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Off The Beaten Path: Impressions..... part 4

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Written by sim1

on Dec 3, 2003

Versailles

Versailles
~~~~~~
Impressions..... part 4

Although Versailles is beautiful, this is something that ruined the visit for me. I still have good memories of Versailles, but I am not as enthusiastic about it as I could have been. Only in a few rooms I made an attempt to take pictures, and those are the ones you will see here. After taking a look at the interior, you must definitely take a look outside. The gardens are just as amazing, or maybe even more amazing than the interior.

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Versailles: History of Versailles

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Written by sim1

on Dec 3, 2003

The statue of Louis XIV at

Versailles

Versailles
~~~~~~
History of Versailles

Before I start showing you the chambers and the garden I would like to tell you something about the history of Versailles :
Louis XIII had a hunting lodge and garden built here in the 1630’s, but the one mainly responsible for the creation of Versailles was Louise XIV (the Sun King). In 1664 the construction of the château began and it lasted until Louis XlV's died in 1715. After his death the château was abandoned for a few years, but in 1722 Louis XV moved in. Versailles remained the residence of the royal family until the Revolution of 1789. The furniture was sold and the pictures dispatched to the Louvre. Thereafter it fell into ruin and was nearly demolished by Louis- Philippe.
In 1871, during the Paris Commune, Versailles became the seat of the nationalist government, and the French parliament continued to meet in Louis XV's opera building until 1879. The restoration only began between the two world wars.

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Versailles: The Hall of Mirrors

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Written by sim1

on Dec 3, 2003

The Hall of Mirrors

Versailles
~~~~~~
The Hall of Mirrors

It is time to look inside the château and have a look at some of the rooms. This is ‘The Hall of Mirrors’ (La Galerie des Glaces). It’s a place that will astound you for sure. The hall measures 73 metres long, 10.5 metres wide and 12.3 metres high. At one end is the Salon of War, at the other is the Salon of Peace. There are seventeen windows that are overlooking the beautiful garden of Versailles, and on the other side the wall is covered by an equal amount of mirrors. These exceptionally large mirrors were made in a Paris workshop founded by Colbert to compete with Venice's glass factories. The whole effect is amazing!

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Versailles: The Chapel Royal

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Written by sim1

on Dec 3, 2003

The Chapel Royal

Versailles
~~~~~~
The Chapel Royal

This is a photo of the Chapel Royal. You can only see the top part of the chapel as it is too big to get into one photo. The chapel is really impressive. Its architecture is simultaneously Gothic and Baroque. With the ceiling being 25 metres high, the stained glass, the pointed roof and the gargoyles all remind of the medieval cathedrals. The columns, balustrades, carved pillars and coloured marble tiling are all typical of the 1700’s. The chapel features a tribune on the same level as the royal apartments, overlooking the nave. That is where Louis XIV, Louis XV, and Louis XVI attended daily mass, an important moment in a king's day.

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Versailles: The Hall of Battles

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Written by sim1

on Dec 3, 2003

The Hall of Battles