Château de Versailles

Versailles, France

The Château de Versailles, which has been on UNESCO’s World Heritage List for 30 years, is one of the most beautiful achievements of 18th-century French art. The site began as Louis XIII’s hunting lodge before his son Louis XIV transformed and expanded it, moving the court and government of France to Versailles in 1682. Each of the three French kings who lived there until the French Revolution added improvements to make it more beautiful.

The Hall of Mirrors, the King’s Grand Apartments, the Museum of the History of France. The Château de Versailles, the seat of power until 1789, has continued to unfurl its splendour over the course of centuries. At first it was just a humble hunting lodge built by Louis XIII. But Louis XIV chose the site to build the palace we know today, the symbol of royal absolutism and embodiment of classical French art.

In the 1670s Louis XIV built the Grand Apartments of the King and Queen, whose most emblematic achievement is the Hall of Mirrors designed by Mansart, where the king put on his most ostentatious display of royal power in order to impress visitors. The Chapel and Opera were built in the next century under Louis XV.

The château lost its standing as the official seat of power in 1789 but acquired a new role in the 19th century as the Museum of the History of France, which was founded at the behest of Louis-Philippe, who ascended to the throne in 1830. That is when many of the château’s rooms were taken over to house the new collections, which were added to until the early 20th century, tracing milestones in French history.

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Address

Avenue du Sud, Versailles, France
See all sites in Versailles

Details

Founded: 1682
Category: Palaces, manors and town halls in France

More Information

www.versailles-tourisme.com
wikitravel.org
en.wikipedia.org
en.chateauversailles.fr

Rating

4.5/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby


Versailles Cathedral (0,8 km)


Notre Dame de Paris (17,6 km)
Eiffel Tower (14,1 km)
Louvre (17 km)
Sacré-Coeur (18,7 km)
Arc de Triomphe (14,9 km)
Grand Palais (15,6 km)
Musée d'Orsay (16,3 km)
Place de la Concorde (16,2 km)
Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel (16,8 km)

User Reviews

Evelyn Thomas (2 years ago)
Each visit is breathtaking. My third visit to the Palace of Versailles, each room to the gardens is exquisite. The architecture, incredible detail, artworks and architectural landscape is definitely a must see. Best to book a tour group to avoid the queue and morning visits. Summer is always more hectic, I prefer February travel you can enjoy each room especially the hall of mirrors take your time to take in the beauty and appreciation of the craftsmanship.
Colin Day (2 years ago)
An incredible building. Exceptionally pretty and much more than just the Hall of Mirrors. So much history in one site and all for under 20 Euro a head to get in, hence great value for money. There is much more than the palace to see. There are ponds in the gardens and an ornamental lake. Given how busy it was midweek in February I really would recommend that you get there early though.
dillyjanjan (2 years ago)
So we saw all the reviews about this place and thought we had to visit it on a Musical Fountain day. Our minds and our son's mind were totally blown by this place. We took a quick tour of the palace then headed for the gardens. If you are willing to take your stroller on the most off road adventure of its life...then go ahead. The entire garden is covered in gravel and small stones. Have you ever pushed a stroller through beach sand?? That is what is feels like. There is a part leading down into more gardens. Its about 100 steps. The entire experience is going to be a work out so prepare yourself. It is totally worth it. Your kids are going to lose their minds. You are all going to come out covered in dust and dirt and you are going to have the time of your life. Once again...if you are ready for a physical workout...go Versailles with a stroller.
Keenan Gratch (2 years ago)
I loved it here, best way to describe it is grand and majestic. Inside is beautiful, The Hall of Mirrors is my favorite room there. The gardens are huge and maybe even close to as nice as inside. I didn't get to spend nearly enough time here but I will definitely be back
Lisa Lahr (2 years ago)
The palace was lovely. Get there before 9 to avoid standing for too long. Plan on spending the day and wearing comfortable shoes. The gift shops on the grounds have a full range of souvenirs. I will treasure my recipe books. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
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