Sign in with Facebook"I can see why they chopped off their heads!" Versailles by Dabs
Versailles Travel Guide: 883 reviews and 2,275 photos
It's hard to believe visiting Versailles today that it started out as a mere hunting lodge in a country village for Louis XIII in 1623. Louis XIV, the Sun King, was responsible for turning it into the opulent palace you see today but it would be a Louis further down the royal line that would pay the price for the Sun King's extravagance, Louis XVI and his wife Marie Antoinette. When 6,000 women from Paris marched on Versailles on October 5, 1789 after rumors spread that they were hoarding grain during a bread shortage, they reluctantly left Versailles to relocate to the Tulieries in Paris during the French Revolution. They never saw it again, in 1793 they lost their heads to Madame Guillotine.
For the modern day visitor to Versailles, you do not need to present an invitation from the King but any traveler who has done their homework will come armed with either a prepaid ticket or a Paris Museum Pass or they will feel like one of the many who visited the palace seeking an audience with the King and sit there waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting...
My July 2011 visit was the 3rd time I've been to Versailles, I've been in the dead of winter, the heat of August summer and this time an unusually cool and overcast July day. Getting to Versailles is very simple, the RER C goes directly to Versailles Rive Gauche in about 40 minutes and the station is just a 10 minute walk from the palace.
The approach to Versailles is less than picturesque, the town has built up around it not unlike many palaces that you will find in Europe. It's a little hard to imagine what it might have been like in the days of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette when Versailles was considered quite a distance outside Paris and there were no cars or telephone poles to mar the view.
Each time I visit the ticketing and security are a bit different, this time there was only a short line for the tickets at around 1pm and there was no separate line for the museum pass, everyone waited in the same queue to go through security. After you pass through the security line, you are in the courtyard of the Palace ready to start your visit
- Pros:Opulent palace within easy reach of Paris
- Cons:Fountains only turned on certain days
Reviews (19)
Apartment of the Dauphin and Dauphine
Things to Do
(11)
The final stop on the tour of the interior of the palace was the apartments of the Dauphin and Dauphine, the Dauphin is... more travel advice
Grand Apartments of the Queen
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(11)
After gawking at the grandeur of the Hall of Mirrors, you'll come across the Grand Apartments of the Queen (Grand... more travel advice
Royal Chapel
Things to Do
(11)
After collecting our headsets, the Royal Chapel was the 1st room on the tour of the interior of the Palace. You can't... more travel advice
On the grounds of Marie Antoinette's...
Things to Do
(11)
In addition to the Hamlet, there are several other buildings and structures dotting the landscape near the Grand Trianon... more travel advice
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Comments (10)
Yes, it's impossible to get a shot of the Hall of Mirrors without bus loads of people in it, but you gave it a good try. Now that you mention it, I've never been to Versailles when the fountains were on. I think they see me coming and turn them off.
I visited Versailles when I was 15 and we went on a guided tour in French. I was very taken in by the secret passages I heard about. Before travelling there I had read the novel "Desirée".
Kristi, fabulous photos of your wanderings around Versailles! The Hall of Mirrors looks spectacular and I loved your descriptions of all the interesting buildings hidden around the estate! No fair, I want one of those Topographical globes too!!
I wish you and your hubby also a merry christmas and a happy new year. we have lovely winter weather, great for skiing. Cheers, Peter
What lovely pictures and helpful tips Kristi! I'd forgotten how much there is to see at Versailles.
It appears train tickets here are very Versailles-tile.
Wow--beautiful! That royalty was a bunch of spoiled brats for sure.
Versailles must be one of the most beautiful places in the world--judging from the lines to get in, most people must think so, too! The Hall of Mirrors looks magnificent--and Marie's little cottage surprising!
3x I went to Versailles in past 5 years and Hall of Mirrors always closed! But I see it through your pics --- nice tip and maybe I'll see it next time...Thanks for sharing
Hope the water subsides soon, Kristi! You have my sympathies - I was stuck at work until 3am one day last year when the river burst its banks in Sheffield, flooding half of the city! Nice start on Versailles - looking forward to seeing more!
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