Château de Versailles
The Original Château and the Courtyard
Map: Versailles Château—Ground Floor & Entrances
Map: Versailles Château—First Floor
Trianon Palaces and Domaine de Marie-Antoinette
Map: Domaine de Marie-Antoinette
Map: Versailles Town Hotels & Restaurants
Every king’s dream, Versailles (vehr-“sigh”) was the residence of French monarchs and the cultural heartbeat of Europe for about 100 years—until the Revolution of 1789 changed all that. The Sun King (Louis XIV) created Versailles, spending freely from the public treasury to turn his dad’s hunting lodge into a palace fit for the gods (among whom he counted himself). Louis XV and Louis XVI spent much of the 18th century gilding Louis XIV’s lily. In 1837, about 50 years after the royal family was evicted by citizen-protesters, King Louis-Philippe opened the palace as a museum. Today you can visit parts of the huge palace and wander through acres of manicured gardens sprinkled with fountains and studded with statues. Europe’s next-best palaces are just Versailles wannabes.
Worth ▲▲▲, Versailles offers three blockbuster sights. The main attraction is the palace itself, called the Château. Here you walk through dozens of lavish, chandeliered rooms once inhabited by Louis XIV and his successors. Next come the expansive Gardens behind the palace, a landscaped wonderland dotted with statues and fountains. Finally, at the far end of the Gardens, is the pastoral area called the Trianon Palaces and Domaine de Marie-Antoinette (a.k.a. Trianon/Domaine), designed for frolicking blue bloods and featuring several small palaces and Marie’s Hamlet—perfect for getting away from the mobs at the Château.
Visiting Versailles can seem daunting because of its size and hordes of visitors. But if you follow my tips, a trip here during even the busiest times is manageable.
By Train: The town of Versailles is 35 minutes southwest of Paris. Take the RER-C train (4/hour, 35 minutes one-way, €7 round-trip) from any of these Paris RER stops: Gare d’Austerlitz, St. Michel, Musée d’Orsay, Invalides, Pont de l’Alma, or Champ de Mars. You can buy your train tickets at any Métro ticket window in Paris—for no extra cost it will include the connection from that Métro stop to the RER. At the RER station, catch any train listed as “Versailles Château Rive Gauche” (abbreviated to “Versailles Chât”). Versailles Château Rive Gauche is the station closest to the Château (there are two others; ride to the last stop).
At the Versailles Château Rive Gauche train station, exit through the turnstiles (you may need to insert your ticket). Ignore any hawkers peddling guided Versailles tours and tickets (like those at Guidatours). To reach the palace, follow the flow: Turn right out of the station, then left at the first boulevard, and walk 10 minutes. When returning to Paris, catch the first train you see: All trains serve all downtown Paris RER stops on the C line.
An hourly shuttle bus (mid-April-Oct only; see here) links the Versailles Château Rive Gauche train station to a stop near the Trianon/Domaine, but doesn’t go to the palace.
By Taxi: The 30-minute ride (without traffic) between Versailles and Paris costs about €60.
By Car: Get on the périphérique freeway that circles Paris, and take the toll-free A-13 autoroute toward Rouen. Exit at Versailles, follow signs to Versailles Château, and park in the big pay lot at the foot of the Château on Place d’Armes (€6/2 hours, €10/4 hours, €15/8 hours). This is likely the best for most visitors. You can also drive onto the Garden grounds. Entrances are at the Porte St. Antoine (at the park’s northern corner) or from Porte de la Reine; pay €6, then drive past wheat fields, lakes, and small forests to find several car parks by the Petit Trianon, the Hamlet, and the Grand Canal. The car park by the Grand Canal is the most central of these and an easy walk to the Château, but it is tricky to locate and sometimes off limits. You are free to move from one car park to another once you’re on the grounds.
Versailles is all about crowd management; a well-planned visit can make or break your experience. Take this advice to heart.
Versailles merits a full sightseeing day and is much more enjoyable with a relaxed, unhurried approach. Here’s what I’d do on a first visit:
• Get a pass in advance (explained later, under “Passes”).
• Avoid Sundays, Tuesdays, and Saturdays (in that order), when crowds smother the palace interior. Thursdays and Fridays are the best days to visit.
• Leave Paris by 8:00 and arrive at the palace just before it opens at 9:00. Or consider leaving Paris a bit earlier to take advantage of the €10 buffet breakfast at the recommended Hôtel Ibis Versailles (served 7:00-12:00, across from the train station).
• In the morning, tour the Château following my self-guided tour, which hits the highlights. If the line to enter the palace is really long, consider a €7 guided tour to bypass the line (explained later, under “Tours”).
• Have a canalside lunch at one of the sandwich kiosks or cafés in the Gardens. Spend the afternoon touring the Gardens, Trianon Palaces, and Domaine de Marie-Antoinette. On weekends from April to October (and many Tuesdays), enjoy the Spectacles in the Gardens (but put up with intense crowds in the Château). Stay for dinner in Versailles town (see recommended restaurants at the end of this chapter), or head back to Paris.
• To shorten your visit, focus on the Château and Gardens and skip the Trianon/Domaine, which takes an additional 1.5 hours to see and a 30-minute walk to reach.
• An alternate plan that works well is to visit the Trianon Palaces and Domaine de Marie-Antoinette first (opens at noon), then work your way back through the Gardens to the Château, arriving after the crowds have died down (usually by 14:00, later on Sun). Try to coordinate your arrival so you can catch the shuttle bus from the Versailles Château Rive Gauche train station to the stop near the Grand Trianon (see here).
In general, allow 1.5 hours each for the Château, the Gardens, and the Trianon/Domaine. Add another two hours for round-trip transit, plus another hour for lunch, and you’re looking at an eight-hour day—at the very least.
(See “Versailles” map, here.)
Cost: Buy either a Paris Museum Pass or a Versailles Le Passeport Pass, both of which give you access to the most important parts of the complex (see “Passes,” next). If you don’t get a pass, buy individual tickets for each of the three different sections.
The Château: €15, includes audioguide, under 18 free. Covers the famous Hall of Mirrors, the king and queen’s living quarters, many lesser rooms, and any temporary exhibitions. For €7 more, you can get a guided tour of the Château—a good deal that also allows you to skip the security line (see “Tours,” later). Free on the first Sunday of off-season months (Nov-March).
The Trianon Palaces and Domaine de Marie-Antoinette: €10, no audioguide available, under 18 free. Covers the Grand Trianon and its gardens, the Petit Trianon, the queen’s Hamlet, and a smattering of nearby buildings. Free on the first Sunday of off-season months (Nov-March).
The Gardens: Free, except on Spectacle days, when admission is €9 (weekends April-Oct plus many Tue; see “Spectacles in the Gardens,” later).
Passes: The following passes can save money and allow you to skip the long ticket-buying lines (but not security checks before entering the palaces). Both passes include the Château audioguide.
The Paris Museum Pass (see here) covers the Château and the Trianon/Domaine area (a €25 value) and is the best solution for most. It doesn’t include the Gardens on Spectacle days.
The Le Passeport pass (€18 for one day, €25 for two days) covers the Château and the Trianon/Domaine area. The price bumps up on Spectacle days (€25 for one day, €30 for two).
Buying Passes and Tickets: Ideally, buy your ticket or pass before arriving at Versailles. You can purchase Versailles tickets at any Paris TI, FNAC department store (small fee), or online at www.chateauversailles.fr (print out your pass/ticket or pick it up near the entrance). If you arrive in Versailles without a pass or a ticket, buy it at the rarely crowded Versailles TI, not far from the train station (€2 service charge, see “Information,” below).
Your last and worst option is to buy a pass or ticket at the usually crowded Château ticket-sales office (to the left as you face the palace). Ticket windows accept American credit cards. Avoid the lines by using the ticket machines at the back of the room (you’ll need a chip-and-PIN card or bills).
Hours: The Château is open April-Oct Tue-Sun 9:00-18:30, Nov-March Tue-Sun 9:00-17:30; closed Mon year-round.
The Trianon Palaces and Domaine de Marie-Antoinette are open April-Oct Tue-Sun 12:00-18:30, Nov-March Tue-Sun 12:00-17:30; closed Mon year-round (off-season only the two Trianon Palaces are open, not the Hamlet or other outlying buildings).
The Gardens are open April-Oct daily 9:00-20:30, but may close earlier for special events; Nov-March Tue-Sun 8:00-18:00, closed Mon.
Last entry to all areas is 30 minutes before closing.
Crowd-Beating Strategies: Versailles is packed May-Sept 10:00-13:00, so come early or late. Avoid Sundays, Tuesdays, and Saturdays (in that order), when the place is jammed with a slow shuffle of tourists from open to close. To skip the ticket-buying line, buy tickets or passes in advance, or book a guided tour. Unless you take a guided tour, everyone—including holders of advance tickets and passes—must go through the often slow security checkpoint at the Château’s Royal Gate entrance (longest lines 10:00-12:00). Consider seeing the Gardens during mid-morning and the Château in the afternoon, when crowds die down.
Pickpockets: Assume pickpockets are working the tourist crowds.
Information: Before you go, check the excellent website for updates and special events—www.chateauversailles.fr. The palace’s general contact number is tel. 01 30 83 78 00. You’ll pass the city TI on your walk from the RER station to the palace—it’s just past the Pullman Hôtel (daily 9:00-19:00, free Wi-Fi, tel. 01 39 24 88 88). The information office at the Château is to the left as you face the Château (WCs, toll tel. 08 10 81 16 14).
Tours: For a basic visit, this chapter’s self-guided tour works great. But the 1.5-hour English guided tour gives you access to a few extra rooms (the itinerary varies) and lets you skip the long security check line (€22, includes palace entry, at least five tours in English between 9:00 and 15:00 April-Oct; off-season usually only at 9:30 and 14:00). Ignore the tours hawked near the train station (like Guidatours). You can book a tour in advance on the palace’s website, or reserve immediately upon arrival at the guided-tours office (to the right of the Château—look for yellow Visites Conferences signs). Tours can sell out by 13:00.
A free audioguide to the Château is included in your admission. You can download a free Rick Steves audio tour of Versailles; see here. Other podcasts and digital tours are available in the “multimedia” section at www.chateauversailles.fr.
Baggage Check: Free. You must retrieve your items one hour before closing. Large bags and baby strollers are not allowed in the Château and the two Trianons (use a baby backpack or hire a babysitter for the day; see here).
Services: WCs are on either side of the Château courtyard (in the ticket-sales office and in the guided-tours office), immediately upon entering the Château (Entrance H), and near the exit from the Dauphin’s Apartments. You’ll also find WCs near the Grand Café d’Orléans, in the Gardens near the Latona Basin, at the Grand Canal, in the Grand Trianon and Petit Trianon, and at several other places scattered around the grounds. Any café generally has a WC.
• You could read this on the train ride to Versailles. Relax...the palace is the last stop.
Come the Revolution, when they line us up and make us stick out our hands, will you have enough calluses to keep them from shooting you? A grim thought, but Versailles raises these kinds of questions. It’s the architectural embodiment of the ancien régime, a time when society was divided into rulers and the ruled, when you were born to be rich or to be poor. To some it’s the pinnacle of civilization; to others, the sign of a civilization in decay. Either way, it remains one of Europe’s most impressive sights.
Versailles was the residence of the king and the seat of France’s government for a hundred years. Louis XIV (r. 1643-1715) moved out of the Louvre in Paris, the previous royal residence, and built an elaborate palace in the forests and swamps of Versailles, 10 miles west. The reasons for the move were partly personal—Louis XIV loved the outdoors and disliked the sniping environs of stuffy Paris—and partly political.
Louis XIV was creating the first modern, centralized state. At Versailles he consolidated his government’s scattered ministries so that he could personally control policy. More importantly, he invited France’s nobles to Versailles in order to control them. Living a life of almost enforced idleness, the “domesticated” aristocracy couldn’t interfere with the way Louis ran things. With 18 million people united under one king (England had only 5.5 million), a booming economy, and a powerful military, France was Europe’s number-one power.
Around 1700, Versailles was the cultural heartbeat of Europe, and French culture was at its zenith. Throughout Europe, when you said “the king,” you were referring to the French king—Louis XIV. Every king wanted a palace like Versailles. Everyone learned French. French taste in clothes, hairstyles, table manners, theater, music, art, and kissing spread across the Continent. That cultural dominance continued, to some extent, right up to the 20th century.
At the center of all this was Europe’s greatest king. He was a true Renaissance Man, a century after the Renaissance: athletic, good-looking, a musician, dancer, horseman, statesman, patron of the arts, and lover. For all his grandeur, he was one of history’s most polite and approachable kings, a good listener who could put even commoners at ease in his presence.
Louis XIV called himself the Sun King because he gave life and warmth to all he touched. He was also thought of as Apollo, the Greek god of the sun. Versailles became the personal temple of this god on earth, decorated with statues and symbols of Apollo, the sun, and Louis XIV himself. The classical themes throughout underlined the divine right of France’s kings and queens to rule without limit.
Louis XIV was a hands-on king who personally ran affairs of state. All decisions were made by him. Nobles, who in other countries were the center of power, became virtual slaves dependent on Louis XIV’s generosity. For 70 years he was the perfect embodiment of the absolute monarch. He summed it up best himself with his famous rhyme—“L’état, c’est moi!” (lay-tah say-mwah): “The state, that’s me!”
Three kings lived in Versailles during its century of glory. Louis XIV built it and established French dominance. Louis XV, his great-grandson (Louis XIV reigned for 72 years), carried on the tradition and policies, but without the Sun King’s flair. During Louis XV’s reign (1715-1774), France’s power abroad was weakening, and there were rumblings of rebellion from within.
France’s monarchy was crumbling, and the time was ripe for a strong leader to reestablish the old feudal order. They didn’t get one. Instead, they got Louis XVI (r. 1774-1792), a shy, meek bookworm, the kind of guy who lost sleep over revolutionary graffiti...because it was misspelled. Louis XVI married a sweet girl from the Austrian royal family, Marie-Antoinette, and together they retreated into the idyllic gardens of Versailles while revolutionary fires smoldered.
Photography: Allowed, but no flash indoors.
Eating: To the left of the Château’s golden Royal Gate entrance, the Grand Café d’Orléans offers good-value self-service meals (€5 sandwiches and small salads, great for picnicking in the Gardens). In the Gardens, you’ll find several cafés and snack stands with fair prices. Most are located near the Latona Fountain (less crowded) and in a delightful cluster at the Grand Canal (more crowds and more choices, including two restaurants, €10 salads).
The restaurants closest to the Château are on the street to the right of the parking lot (as you face the Château). Handy McDonald’s and Starbucks (both with WCs) are across from the train station. The best choices are in the town center on the lively Place du Marché Notre-Dame, with a supermarket nearby (listed at the end of this chapter), or along traffic-free Rue de Satory, on the opposite (south) side as you leave the Château.
Spectacles in the Gardens: The Gardens and fountains at Versailles come alive at selected times, offering visitors a glimpse into Louis XIV’s remarkable world. The Sun King had his engineers literally reroute a river to fuel his fountains and feed his plants. Even by today’s standards, the fountains are impressive. Check the Versailles website for current hours and for what else might be happening during your visit.
On non-winter weekends—and some spring Tuesdays—the Gardens’ fountains are in full squirt. The whole production, called Les Grandes Eaux Musicales, involves 55 fountains gushing for an hour in the morning, then again for about two hours in the afternoon, all accompanied by loud classical music (€9, April-Oct Sat-Sun 11:00-12:00 & 15:30-17:30, plus mid-May-June Tue 11:00-12:00 & 14:30-16:00). Pay at the entrance to the Gardens, unless you’ve bought Le Passeport—in which case you’ve already paid (automatically tacked onto Passeport price on Spectacle days).
On most other in-season Tuesdays you get all-day music, but no water, with the Les Jardins Musicaux program (€8, April-mid-May and July-Oct Tue 9:00-18:30).
On certain summer weekend nights you get the big shebang: Les Grandes Eaux Nocturnes, which presents whimsical lighted displays leading between gushing fountains and a fireworks show over the largest fountain pool (€25, mid-June-mid-Sept Sat at 21:00, plus mid-June-mid-July Fri at 21:00).
Starring: Luxurious palaces, endless gardens, Louis XIV, Marie-Antoinette, and the ancien régime.
(See “Versailles” map, here.)
On this self-guided tour, we’ll see the Château (the State Apartments of the king and queen as well as the Hall of Mirrors), the landscaped Gardens in the “backyard,” and the Trianon Palaces and Domaine de Marie-Antoinette, located at the far end of the Gardens. If your time is limited or you don’t enjoy walking, skip the Trianon/Domaine, which is a 30-minute hike from the Château.
(See “Versailles Château—Ground Floor & Entrances” map, here.)
• Stand in the huge courtyard and face the palace. The golden Royal Gate in the center of the courtyard, nearly 260 feet long and decorated with 100,000 gold leaves, is a recent replica of the original. The ticket-sales office is to the left; guided-tour sales are to the right. The entrance to the Château (once you have your ticket or pass) is through the modern concrete-and-glass security checkpoint, marked Entrance A. After passing through security, you spill out into the open-air courtyard on the other side of the golden Royal Gate.
(See “Versailles Château—Ground Floor & Entrances” map, here.)
The section of the palace with the clock is the original château, once a small hunting lodge where little Louis XIV spent his happiest boyhood years. Naturally, the Sun King’s private bedroom (the three arched windows beneath the clock) faced the rising sun. The palace and grounds are laid out on an east-west axis.
Once king, Louis XIV expanded the lodge by attaching wings, creating the present U-shape. Later, the long north and south wings were built. The total cost of the project has been estimated at half of France’s entire GNP for one year.
Think how busy this courtyard must have been 300 years ago. As many as 5,000 nobles were here at any one time, each with an entourage. Riding in sedan-chair taxis, they’d buzz from games to parties to amorous rendezvous. Servants ran about delivering secret messages and roast legs of lamb. Horse-drawn carriages arrived at the fancy gate with their finely dressed passengers, having driven up the broad boulevard that ran directly from Paris (the horse stables still line the boulevard). Incredible as it seems, both the grounds and most of the palace were public territory, where even the lowliest peasants could come to gawk—provided they passed through a metal detector and followed a dress code. Then, as now, there were hordes of tourists, pickpockets, palace workers, and men selling wind-up children’s toys.
• Enter the Château from the courtyard at Entrance H—the State Apartments. Inside are an info desk (get a free map), WCs, and free audioguides. Glance through a doorway at the impressive Royal Chapel, which we’ll see again upstairs.
Just follow the flow of crowds. You may pass through a dozen ground-floor rooms with paintings of Louis’ XIV, XV, and XVI, and of Versailles at different stages of growth—and may get a peek at the Royal Opera House. (The route and displays change often.) Climb the stairs, passing through more exhibits. Finally, you reach a palatial golden-brown room, with a doorway that overlooks the Royal Chapel.
(See “Versailles Château—First Floor” map, here.)
Dut-dutta-dah! Every morning at 10:00, the organist and musicians struck up the music, these big golden doors opened, and Louis XIV and his family stepped onto the balcony to attend Mass. While Louis looked down on the golden altar, the lowly nobles on the ground floor knelt with their backs to the altar and looked up—worshipping Louis worshipping God. Important religious ceremonies took place here, including the marriage of young Louis XVI to Marie-Antoinette.
In the vast pagan “temple” that is Versailles—built to glorify one man, Louis XIV—this Royal Chapel is a paltry tip of the hat to that “other” god...the Christian one. It’s virtually the first, last, and only hint of Christianity you’ll see in the entire complex. Versailles celebrates Man, not God, by raising Louis XIV to almost godlike status, the personification of all good human qualities. In a way, Versailles is the last great flowering of Renaissance humanism and a revival of the classical world.
• Enter the next room, an even more sumptuous space with a fireplace and a colorful painting on the ceiling.
(See “Versailles Château—First Floor” map, here.)
Pleasure ruled. The main suppers, balls, and receptions were held in this room. Picture elegant partygoers in fine silks, wigs, rouge, lipstick, and fake moles (and that’s just the men) as they dance to the strains of a string quartet.
On the wall opposite the fireplace is an appropriate painting showing Christ in the middle of a Venetian party. The work—by Paolo Veronese, a gift from the Republic of Venice—was one of Louis XIV’s favorites, so the king had the room decorated around it. Stand by the fireplace for the full effect: The room’s columns, arches, and frieze match the height and style of Veronese’s painted architecture, which makes the painting an extension of the room.
The ceiling painting, ringed by a balustrade, creates the effect of a sunroof opening up to heaven. Hercules (with his club) hurries up to heaven on a chariot, late for his wedding to the king of the gods’ daughter. The scene echoes real life—Louis XIV built the room for his own daughter’s wedding reception. The style is pure Baroque, a riot of 142 exuberant figures depicted at all angles by Louis’ court painter, Charles Le Brun.
• From here on it’s a one-way tour—getting lost is not allowed. Follow the crowds into the small green room with a goddess in pink on the ceiling. The names of the rooms generally come from the paintings on the ceilings.
(See “Versailles Château—First Floor” map, here.)
If the party in the Hercules Room got too intense, you could always step in here for some refreshments. Silver trays were loaded with liqueurs, exotic stimulants (coffee), juice, chocolates, and, on really special occasions, three-bean salad.
The ceiling painting shows the cornucopia of riches poured down on invited guests. Around the edges of the ceiling are painted versions of the king’s actual treasures and royal dinnerware—golden bowls, urns, and gravy boats. The two black chests of drawers are from Louis’ furniture collection (most of it was lost in the Revolution). They rest on heavy bases and are heavily ornamented—the so-called Louis XIV style.
Louis himself might be here. He was a gracious host who enjoyed letting his hair down at night. If he took a liking to you, he might sneak you through those doors there (in the middle of the wall) and into his own private study, or “cabinet of curiosities,” where he’d show off his collection of dishes, medals, jewels, or...the Mona Lisa, which hung on his wall. Louis’ favorite show-and-tell items are now in the Louvre.
The paintings on the walls are of Louis XIV’s heirs. He reigned for more than 70 years and outlived three of them, finally leaving the crown to his pink-cheeked, five-year-old great-grandson, Louis XV (on the right).
Love ruled at Versailles. In this room, couples would cavort beneath the goddess of love, floating on the ceiling. One of the ceiling paintings (above the statue, in a rectangular frame) symbolizes the marriage of Louis XIV and Marie-Thérèse, shown in their wedding-limo chariot. Venus sends down a canopy of golden garlands to ensnare mortals in delicious amour. Notice how a painted garland goes “out” the bottom of the central painting, becomes a golden garland held by a satyr, transforms into a gilded wood garland, and then turns back into a painting again. Baroque artists loved to mix their media to fool the eye. Another illusion is in the paintings at both ends of the room—the painted columns match the room’s real ones, extending this grand room into mythical courtyards.
Don’t let the statue of a confident Louis XIV as a Roman emperor fool you. He started out as a poor little rich kid with a chip on his shoulder. His father died before Louis was old enough to rule, and, during the regency period, the French parlements treated little Louis and his mother like trash. They were virtual prisoners, humiliated in their home, the Royal Palace in Paris (today’s Louvre). There they eked by with bland meals, hand-me-down leotards, and pointed shoes. After Louis XIV attained power and wealth, he made Versailles a pleasure palace, with happy hours held in this room every evening. There was one topic you never discussed in Louis’ presence: poverty. Maybe Versailles was his way of saying, “Living well is the best revenge.”
Here in the billiards room, Louis and his men played on a table that stood in the center of the room, while ladies sat surrounding them on Persian-carpet cushions, and music wafted in from next door. Louis was a good pool player, a sore loser, and a king—thus, he rarely lost.
The famous bust of Louis by Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini (in the center) shows a handsome, dashing, 27-year-old playboy-king. His gaze is steady amid his windblown cloak and hair. Young Louis loved life. He hunted animals by day (notice Diana the Huntress, with her bow, on the ceiling) and chased beautiful women at night.
Games were actually an important part of Louis’ political strategy, known as “the domestication of the nobility.” By distracting the nobles with the pleasures of courtly life, he was free to run the government his way. Billiards, dancing, and concerts were popular, but the biggest distraction was gambling, usually a card game similar to blackjack. Louis lent money to the losers, making them even more indebted to him. The good life was an addiction, and Louis kept the medicine cabinet well-stocked.
As you move into the next room, notice the fat walls that hid thin servants, who were to be at their master’s constant call—but out of sight when not needed.
Also known as the Guard Room (as it was the room for Louis’ Swiss bodyguards), this red room is decorated with a military flair. On the ceiling there’s Mars, the Greek god of war, in a chariot pulled by wolves. The bronze cupids in the corners are escalating from love arrows to heavier artillery. But it’s not all war. Louis loved music and playing his guitar, and enjoyed concerts here in the Mars Room nearly every evening.
Out the window are sculpted gardens in the style of a traditional Italian villa—landscaped symmetrically, with trimmed hedges and cone-shaped trees lining walkways that lead to fountains.
As you wander, the palace feels bare, but remember that entire industries were created to decorate the place with carpets, mirrors, furniture, and tapestries. Most of the furniture we see today is not original, but is from the same period.
Louis’ life was a work of art, and Versailles was the display case. Everything he did was a public event designed to show his subjects how it should be done. This room may have served as Louis’ official (not actual) bedroom, where the Sun King would ritually rise each morning to warm his subjects.
From a canopied bed (like this 18th-century one), Louis would get up, dress, and take a seat for morning prayer. Meanwhile, the nobles would stand behind a balustrade, in awe of his piety, nobility, and clean socks. At breakfast they murmured with delight as he deftly decapitated his boiled egg with a knife. And when Louis went to bed at night, the dukes and barons would fight over who got to hold the candle while he slipped into his royal jammies. Bedtime, wake-up, and meals were all public rituals.
This was the grand throne room. Louis held court from a 10-foot-tall, silver-and-gold, canopied throne on a raised platform placed in the center of the room. (Notice the four small metal rings in the ceiling that once supported the canopy.) Even when the king was away, passing courtiers had to bow to the empty throne.
Everything in here reminds us that Louis XIV was not just any ruler, but the Sun King, who lit the whole world with his presence. On the ceiling the sun god Apollo (representing Louis) drives his chariot, dragging the sun across the heavens to warm the four corners of the world (counterclockwise from above the exit door): 1) Europe, with a sword; 2) Asia, with a lion; 3) Africa, with an elephant; and 4) good ol’ America, an Indian maiden with a crocodile. Notice the ceiling’s beautifully gilded frame and Goldfinger maidens.
The famous portrait by Hyacinthe Rigaud over the fireplace gives a more human look at Louis XIV. He’s shown in a dancer’s pose, displaying the legs that made him one of the all-time dancing fools of kingery (see a photo of this portrait on here). At night they often held parties in this room, actually dancing around the throne.
Louis XIV (who was 63 when this was painted) had more than 300 wigs like this one, and he changed them many times a day. This fashion first started when his hairline began to recede, then sprouted all over Europe, and even spread to the American colonies in the time of George Washington.
Louis XIV may have been treated like a god, but he was not an overly arrogant man. His subjects adored him because he was a symbol of everything a man could be, the fullest expression of the Renaissance Man. Compare the portrait of Louis XIV with the one across the room of his last successor, Louis XVI—same arrogant pose, but without the inner confidence to keep his head on his shoulders.
• Continue into the final room of the King’s Wing.
“Louis Quatorze was addicted to wars,” and the room depicts his victories—in marble, gilding, stucco, and paint. France’s success made other countries jealous and nervous. At the base of the ceiling (in semi-circular paintings), we see Germany (with the double eagle), Holland (with its ships), and Spain (with a red flag and roaring lion) ganging up on Louis XIV. But Lady France (center of ceiling), protected by the shield of Louis XIV, hurls thunderbolts down to defeat them. The stucco relief on the wall shows Louis XIV on horseback, triumphing over his fallen enemies.
Versailles was good propaganda. It showed the rest of the world how rich and powerful France was. A visit to the Château and Gardens sent visitors reeling. And Louis XIV’s greatest triumph may be the next room, the one that everybody wrote home about.
No one had ever seen anything like this hall when it was opened. Mirrors were still a great luxury at the time, and the number and size of these monsters were astounding. The hall is nearly 250 feet long. There are 17 arched mirrors, matched by 17 windows letting in that breathtaking view of the Gardens. Lining the hall are 24 gilded candelabra, eight busts of Roman emperors, and eight classical-style statues (seven of them ancient). The ceiling decoration chronicles Louis’ military accomplishments, topped off by Louis himself in the central panel (with cupids playing cards at his divine feet) doing what he did best—triumphing. Originally, two huge carpets mirrored the action depicted on the ceiling.
Imagine this place lit by the flames of thousands of candles, filled with ambassadors, nobles, and guests dressed in silks and powdered wigs. At the far end of the room sits the king, on the canopied throne moved in temporarily from the Apollo Room. Servants glide by with silver trays of hors d’oeuvres, and an orchestra fuels the festivities. The mirrors reflect an age when beautiful people loved to look at themselves. It was no longer a sin to be proud of good looks and fine clothes, or to enjoy the good things in life: laughing, dancing, eating, drinking, flirting, and watching the sun set into the distant canal.
From the center of the hall you can fully appreciate the epic scale of Versailles. The huge palace (by architect Louis Le Vau), the fantasy interior (by Charles Le Brun), and the endless gardens (by André Le Nôtre) made Versailles le best. In 1871, after the Prussians defeated the French, Otto von Bismarck declared the establishment of the German Empire in this room. And in 1919, Germany and the Allies signed the Treaty of Versailles, ending World War I (and, some say, starting World War II) right here, in the Hall of Mirrors.
• Midway down the Hall of Mirrors, a short detour to the left circles you through the heart of the palace, to the...
Pass through a first large room to find Louis XIV’s bedroom. It’s elaborately decorated, and the decor changed with the season. On the wall behind the impressive bed, a golden Lady France watched over her king as he slept. The balustrade separated the courtiers from the king. Though this was Louis’ actual bedroom, it was also a somewhat public space where he received visitors. The two rooms on either side of the bedroom—right next to where the king slept—were large halls for ambassadorial receptions and cabinet meetings.
Look out the window and notice how this small room is at the exact center of the immense horseshoe-shaped building, overlooking the main courtyard and—naturally—facing the rising sun in the east. It symbolized the exact center of power in France. Imagine the humiliation on that day in 1789 when Louis’ great-great-great-grandson, Louis XVI, was forced to stand here and acknowledge the angry crowds that filled the square demanding the end of the divine monarchy.
• Return to the Hall of Mirrors. Continue to the far end, being sure to enjoy views of the garden. Next is the...
By the end of the Sun King’s long life, he was tired of fighting. In this sequel to the War Room, peace is granted to Germany, Holland, and Spain as cupids play with the discarded cannons, and swords are transformed into violins. Louis XIV advised his great-grandson to “be a peaceful king.”
The oval painting above the fireplace shows 19-year-old Louis XV bestowing an olive branch on Europe. Beside him is his Polish wife, Marie Leszczynska, cradling their baby twin daughters.
The Peace Room marks the beginning of the queen’s half of the palace. The Queen’s Wing is a mirror image of the King’s Wing. The King’s Wing was mostly ceremonial and used as a series of reception rooms; the Queen’s Wing is more intimate. For instance, on Sundays the queen held chamber-music concerts in this room for family and friends (notice the gilded music motifs).
• Enter the first room of the Queen’s Wing, with its canopied bed. (Note: In 2015, some rooms of the Queen’s Wing may be closed for renovation.)
It was here that the queen rendezvoused with her husband. Two queens died here, and this is where 19 princes were born. The chandelier is where two of them were conceived. (Just kidding.) Royal babies were delivered in public to prove their blue-bloodedness.
True, Louis XIV was not the most faithful husband. There was no attempt to hide the fact that the Sun King warmed more than one bed, for he was above the rules of mere mortals. Adultery became acceptable—even fashionable—in court circles. The secret-looking door on the left side of the bed was for Louis’ late-night liaisons—it led straight to his rooms.
Some of Louis XIV’s mistresses became more famous and powerful than his rather quiet queen, but he was faithful to the show of marriage and had genuine affection for his wife. Louis XIV made a point of sleeping with the queen as often as possible, regardless of whose tiara he tickled earlier in the evening.
This room looks just like it did in the days of the last queen, Marie-Antoinette, who substantially redecorated the entire wing. That’s her bust over the fireplace, and the double eagle of her native Austria in the corners. The big mahogany chest to the left of the bed held her jewels.
The large canopied bed is a reconstruction. The bed, chair, and wall coverings switched with the seasons. This was the cheery summer pattern.
Here, in this mint-green room, the wife of Louis XV and her circle of friends met, under paintings by Boucher—popular with the queen for their pink-cheeked Rococo exuberance. Discussions ranged from politics to gossip, food to literature, fashion to philosophy. All three of Versailles’ rulers considered themselves enlightened monarchs who promoted the arts and new ideas. Louis XIV laughed at the anti-authoritarian plays of Molière, and Louis XV gave free room and board here to the political radical Voltaire. Ironically, these discussions planted the seeds of liberal thought that would grow into the Revolution.
The royal family dined publicly in this room (also called the Grand Couvert), while servants and nobles fluttered around them, admired their table manners, and laughed at the king’s jokes like courtly Paul Shaffers. A typical dinner consisted of four different soups, two whole birds stuffed with truffles, mutton, ham slices, fruit, pastries, compotes, and preserves.
The central portrait is of luxury-loving, “let-them-eat-cake” Marie-Antoinette, who became a symbol of decadence to the peasants. The portrait at the far end is a public-relations attempt to soften her image by showing her with three of her children.
On October 5, 1789, a mob of revolutionaries—perhaps appalled by their queen’s taste in wallpaper—stormed the palace. They were fed up with the ruling class leading a life of luxury in the countryside while they were starving in the grimy streets of Paris.
The king and queen locked themselves in. Some of the revolutionaries gained access to this upper floor. They burst into this room where Marie-Antoinette was hiding, overcame her bodyguards, and dragged her off along with her husband. (Some claim that, as they carried her away, she sang, “Louis, Louis, oh-oh...we gotta go now.”)
The enraged peasants then proceeded to ransack the place as revenge for the years of poverty and oppression they’d suffered. (The stripped palace was refurnished a decade later under Napoleon and eventually turned into a national museum.) Marie-Antoinette and Louis XVI were later taken to Place de la Concorde in Paris, where they knelt under the guillotine and were made a foot shorter at the top.
Did the king and queen deserve it? Were the revolutionaries destroying civilization or clearing the decks for a new and better one? Was Versailles a symbol of progress or decadence?
No sooner did the French throw out a king than they got an emperor. The Revolution established democracy, but it was shaky in a country that wasn’t used to it. In the midst of the confusion, the upstart general Napoleon Bonaparte took control and soon held dictatorial powers.
This room captures the glory of the Napoleon years, when he conquered most of Europe. In the huge canvas on the left-hand wall, we see him crowning himself emperor of a new, revived “Roman” Empire. (Though also painted by the master Jacques-Louis David, this is a lesser-quality version of the famous one hanging in the Louvre.)
Turn and face the windows to see the portrait (between the windows) of a dashing, young, charismatic Napoleon in 1796, when he was just a general in command of the Revolution’s army in Italy. Compare this with the adjacent portrait from 10 years later—looking less like a revolutionary and more like a Louis. Above the young Napoleon is a portrait of Josephine, his wife and France’s empress. In David’s Distribution of Eagles (opposite the Coronation), the victorious general, in imperial garb, passes out emblems of victory to his loyal troops. In The Battle of Aboukir (opposite the window, see photo), Joachim Murat, Napoleon’s general and brother-in-law, looks bored as he slashes through a tangle of dark-skinned warriors. His horse, though, has a look of, “What are we doing in this mob? Let’s get out of here!” Let’s.
• This ends our tour of the Château, but there is more, all described in your free audioguide.
On the first floor, you can continue into the History of France rooms, lined with paintings of great men and events; find temporary exhibits to explore; or visit the Salon de Thé Angelina, which serves decadent hot chocolate and luscious pastries (most famous is their Mont Blanc—a chestnut-cream meringue with whipped cream).
• Stairs lead from the Coronation Room down to the ground floor.
Downstairs, on the ground floor, are the Dauphin’s Apartments. These less-decorated rooms were home to the king’s son and daughter-in-law. The dauphin (crown prince) was named for the dolphin on an early family crest. During the reigns of Kings Louis XIV-XVI, five different dauphins played the role of heir apparent without ever becoming king, having been outlived by their aged parents. Also on the ground floor are the Mesdames’ Apartments—the rooms set aside for the six daughters of Louis XV.
• Exit the palace (past a handy WC) into the central courtyard. From there, follow signs to the Gardens (les Jardins), located behind the Château.
Now might be a good time to break for lunch (see “Eating in Versailles” on here). When you’re ready for the Gardens, plan your time with the “Getting Around the Gardens” sidebar on here.
(See “Versailles Château—First Floor” map, here.)
Louis XIV was a divine-right ruler. One way he proved it was by controlling nature like a god. These lavish grounds—elaborately planned, pruned, and decorated—showed everyone that Louis was in total command. Louis loved his gardens and, until his last days, presided over their care. He personally led VIPs through them and threw his biggest parties here. With their Greco-Roman themes and incomparable beauty, the Gardens further illustrated his immense power.
• Entering the Gardens, with the palace to your back, go to the far left to reach the stone railing. You’ll pass through cookie-cutter patterns of shrubs and green cones. Stand at the railing overlooking the courtyard below and the Louis-made lake in the distance.
The warmth from the Sun King was so great that he could even grow orange trees in chilly France. Louis XIV had a thousand of these to amaze his visitors. In winter they were kept in the greenhouses (beneath your feet) that surround the courtyard. On sunny days, they were wheeled out in their silver planters and scattered around the grounds.
• Make an about-face and walk back toward the palace. Sit on the top stairs and look away from the palace.
This, to me, is the most stunning spot in all of Versailles. With the palace behind you, it seems as if the grounds stretch out forever. Versailles was laid out along an eight-mile axis that included the grounds, the palace, and the town of Versailles itself, one of the first instances of urban planning since Roman times and a model for future capitals, such as Washington, D.C., and Brasilia.
Looking down the Royal Drive (also known as “The Green Carpet”), you see the round Apollo fountain in the distance. Just beyond that is the Grand Canal. The groves on either side of the Royal Drive were planted with trees from all over, laid out in an elaborate grid, and dotted with statues and fountains. Of the original 1,500 fountains, 300 remain.
Looking back at the palace, you can see the Hall of Mirrors—it’s the middle story, with the arched windows.
• Stroll down the steps to get a good look at the frogs and lizards that fill the round...
Everything in the garden has a symbolic meaning. The theme of Versailles is Apollo, the god of the sun, associated with Louis XIV. This round fountain tells the story of the birth of Apollo and his sister, Diana. On top of the fountain are Apollo and Diana as little kids with their mother, Latona (they’re facing toward the Apollo fountain). Latona, an unwed mother, was insulted by the local peasants. She called on the king of the gods, Zeus (the children’s father), to avenge the insult. Zeus swooped down and turned all the peasants into the frogs and lizards that ring the fountain.
• As you walk down past the basin toward the Royal Drive, you’ll pass by “ancient” statues done by 17th-century French sculptors. The Colonnade is hidden in the woods on the left side of the Royal Drive, about three-fourths of the way to the Apollo Basin (you’ll spot it off the main path through an opening).
Versailles had no prestigious ancient ruins, so the king built his own. This prefab Roman ruin is a 100-foot circle of 64 marble columns supporting arches. Beneath the arches are small birdbath fountains (imagine them all spouting water). Nobles would picnic in the shade to the tunes of a string quartet and pretend that they were the enlightened citizens of the ancient world.
The fountains of Versailles were once its most famous attraction, a marvel of both art and engineering. This one was the centerpiece, showing the sun god—Louis XIV—in his sunny chariot as he starts his journey across the sky. The horses are half-submerged, giving the impression, when the fountains play, of the sun rising out of the mists of dawn. Most of the fountains were turned on only when the king walked by, but this one played constantly for the benefit of those watching from the palace.
All the fountains are gravity-powered. They work on the same principle as blocking a hose with your finger to make it squirt. Underground streams (pumped into Versailles by Seine River pressure) feed into smaller pipes at the fountains, which shoot the water high into the air.
Looking back at the palace from here, realize that the distance you just walked is only a fraction of this vast complex of buildings, gardens, and waterways. Be glad you don’t have to mow the lawn.
Why visit Venice when you can just build your own? In an era before virtual reality, this was the next best thing to an actual trip. Couples in gondolas would pole along the waters accompanied by barges with orchestras playing “O Sole Mio.” The canal is actually cross-shaped; you’re looking at the longest part, one mile from end to end. Of course, this, too, is a man-made body of water with no function other than to please. Originally, authentic gondoliers, imported with their boats from Venice, lived in a little settlement next to the canal.
These days, the Grand Canal hosts eateries, rental boats, bike and golf-cart rentals, and a petit train tram stop (see sidebar on here).
• The area called the Trianon Palaces and Domaine de Marie-Antoinette is a 10-minute walk from the Grand Canal. You can enter/exit the Trianon/Domaine at three spots: near the palace known as the Grand Trianon (where we’ll enter), near the Petit Trianon palace, or way around back on the far side of the Hamlet.
If you’re monitoring your time and energy, note that it’s a 1.5-hour time commitment to see the whole Trianon/Domaine, plus another 30-minute walk back to the Château. You can take a bike, golf cart, or petit train (see sidebar on here) as far as the entrance, but you have to walk inside.
To get to our starting point, the Grand Trianon, start walking up the Grand Canal (see the map on here.) About 70 yards past the boat rental (and immediately past the restaurant), veer right. You’ll find twin dirt paths flanking a looooong strip of lawn. This leads uphill 500 yards to the Grand Trianon. (Bikers/golf-cart drivers can park their wheels here.)
(See “Domaine de Marie-Antoinette” map, here.)
Versailles began as an escape from the pressures of kingship. But in a short time, the Château had become as busy as Paris ever was. Louis XIV needed an escape from his escape and built a smaller palace out in the boonies. Later, his successors retreated still farther from the Château and French political life, ignoring the real world that was crumbling all around them. They expanded the Trianon area, building a fantasy world of palaces and pleasure gardens—the enclosure called Marie-Antoinette’s Domaine.
There are many sights to see in the Trianon/Domaine and many paths connecting them. You can either browse with your map, or follow this self-guided route.
(See “Domaine de Marie-Antoinette” map, here.)
• To enter the Grand Trianon, you must first pass through a security checkpoint. Pick up the free palace map and follow the one-way route through the rooms.
Delicate, pink, and set amid gardens, the Grand Trianon was the perfect summer getaway. This was the king’s private residence away from the main palace. Louis XIV usually spent a couple of nights a week here (more in the summer) to escape the sniping politics, strict etiquette, and 24/7 scrutiny of official court life.
Louis XIV built the palace (1670-1688) near the tiny peasant village of Trianon (hence the name) and faced it with blue-and-white ceramic tiles. When those began disintegrating almost immediately, the palace was renovated with pink marble. It’s a one-story structure of two wings connected by a colonnade, with gardens in back.
The rooms are a complex overlay of furnishings from many different kings, dauphins, and nobles who lived here over the centuries. Louis XIV alone had three different bedrooms. Concentrate on the illustrious time of Louis XIV (1688-1715) and Napoleon Bonaparte (1810-1814). Use your map (which has room numbers on it) to find these highlights.
The Mirror Room (Salon des Glaces, Room 3): This spacious living room has the original white walls and mirrors of Louis XIV, and the Empire-style furniture of Napoleon (unornamented, high-polished wood, with classical motifs). Napoleon inhabited the Grand Trianon with his second wife, Empress Marie-Louise, and his mother—the women in the left wing, the emperor in the right.
Louis XIV’s Bedchamber (Chambre de l’Impératice, Room 4): Louis built the Grand Trianon as home for his chief mistress, while his wife lived in the Château. Imagine waking up in this big bed with your lover, throwing back the curtain, and looking out the windows at the gardens. These light, airy, many-windowed rooms were cheery even when skies were gray, a strong contrast to the heavy-metal decor in the mother Château.
Exit into the open-air colonnade (Peristyle) that connects the two wings. Originally, this pink-columned passageway had windows, an enormously expensive luxury that allowed visitors to enjoy the gardens even in bad weather.
The Emperor’s Family Drawing Room (Salon de Famille de l’Empereur, Room 9): This room, immediately to your right upon entering, had many different uses over the years: a theater for Louis XIV, a game room for Louis XV, and Napoleon’s family room. After Napoleon was defeated and France’s royalty returned, King Louis-Philippe I lived here. Walk through a series of rooms, passing through Louis-Philippe’s billiards room, until you reach a room decorated in green malachite.
The Malachite Room (Salon des Malachites, Room 13): This was Napoleon’s living room, and his library was next door. You’ll see the impressive green basin, vases, and candelabras made of Russian malachite given to Napoleon by Czar Alexander I. Another czar, Peter the Great, lodged in the Grand Trianon in 1717, then returned home—inspired to build the Peterhof, a similarly lavish summer palace near St. Petersburg known as the “Russian Versailles.”
The Cotelle Gallery (Galerie Cotelle, Room 16): This white, 170-foot long room was Louis’ reception hall. Later, Marie-Antoinette performed here in theatrical productions for select audiences. The gallery is interspersed with big French doors and lined with paintings of Versailles vistas, peopled by promenading aristocrats. Party guests could admire the gardens in the paintings, then step out into the real thing.
Exit into the gardens and look back. The facade of pink, yellow, and white is a welcome contrast to the imposing Baroque facade of the main palace. The flower gardens were changed daily for the king’s pleasure—for new color combinations and new “nasal cocktails.”
(See “Domaine de Marie-Antoinette” map, here.)
• Our next stop is the French Pavilion. To get there from the Grand Trianon gardens, walk clockwise around the perimeter of the Grand Trianon. Make it a tight, 180-degree loop, hugging the palace. A sign will direct you across a footbridge. Directly ahead, you’ll see the...
This small, white building (generally closed) with rooms fanning out from the center was one more step away from the modern world. Inside is a circular room with four small adjoining rooms. Big French doors let in a cool breeze. Here Marie-Antoinette spent summer evenings with family and a few friends, listening to music or playing parlor games. She and her friends explored all avenues of la douceur de vivre, the sweetness of living.
• Up ahead is the large, cube-shaped Petit Trianon palace—that’s where our tour will eventually end. Head toward the Petit Trianon, but midway there, turn left, where you can peek into...
Marie-Antoinette adored the theater and was an aspiring performer herself. In this intimate playhouse, far from the rude intrusions of the real world, the queen and her friends acted out plays. The soft blue decor and upholstered walls and benches give the theater a dollhouse feel. Though small, it has everything you’d find in a major opera house: stage, orchestra pit, balconies, ornate gold ceiling, and raked seating for 100 (photos OK, but no flash).
• Continue through the oh-so-bucolic gardens until just before the Petit Trianon. Turn left and follow paths uphill to a pond graced with a tiny palace.
The octagonal Belvedere palace is as much windows as it is walls. When the doors were open, it could serve as a gazebo for musicians, serenading nobles in this man-made alpine setting. The interior has a marble-mosaic floor and walls decorated with delicate, Pompeii-esque garlands. To the left of the Belvedere is the “Rock,” a fake mountain that pours water into the pond. To the right of the Belvedere (you’ll have to find it) is the secret Grotto.
• Facing the Belvedere, turn right (east), following the pond’s meandering stream. Continue gamboling along the paths. In the distance you’ll spy a complex of buildings, with a round, fanciful tower and a smattering of rustic, half-timbered buildings. Head there to find the Hansel-and-Gretel-like...
Marie-Antoinette longed for the simple life of a peasant—not the hard labor of real peasants, who sweated and starved around her, but the fairytale world of simple country pleasures. She built this complex of 12 thatched-roof buildings fronting a lake as her own private “Normand” village.
The main building is the Queen’s House—actually two buildings connected by a wooden skywalk. It’s the only one without a thatched roof. Like any typical peasant farmhouse, it had a billiard room, library, elegant dining hall, and two living rooms.
This was an actual working farm with a dairy (walk past the lighthouse tower), a water mill, a pigeon coop (in a thatched cottage called Le Colombier), and domestic animals. Beyond the lighthouse tower (La Tour de Marlborough—departure point for boat trips on the pond), you’ll see where the queen’s servants kept cows, goats, chickens, and ducks. The harvest was served at Marie-Antoinette’s table. Marie-Antoinette didn’t do much work herself, but she “supervised,” dressed in a plain, white muslin dress and a straw hat. Though the royal family is long gone, kid-pleasing animals still inhabit the farm, and fat fish swim languid circles in the pond.
• Head back toward the Petit Trianon. Along the way (in about five minutes), you’ll see the white dome of the...
A circle of 12 marble Corinthian columns supports a dome, decorating a path where lovers could stroll. Underneath there’s a statue of Cupid making a bow (to shoot arrows of love) out of the club of Hercules. It’s a delightful monument to a society where the rich could afford that ultimate luxury, romantic love.
• And, finally, you’ll reach the...
Louis XV developed an interest in botany. He wanted to spend more time near the French Gardens, but the Summer House just wasn’t big enough. He constructed the Petit Trianon (“Small Trianon”) at the urging of his first mistress, Madame de Pompadour, and it later became home to his next mistress, Madame du Barry.
This gray, cubical building is a masterpiece of Neoclassical architecture, built by the same architect who created the Opera House in the main palace. It has four distinct facades, each a perfect and harmonious combination of Greek-style columns, windows, and railings. Walk around it and find your favorite.
You can tour the handsome interior (pick up the helpful flier). English explanations are provided in some rooms, as are interactive screens. The Baroque WC was a head of its time.
When Louis XVI became king, he gave the building to his bride Marie-Antoinette, who made this her home base. On the lawn outside, she installed a carousel. Despite her bad reputation with the public, Marie-Antoinette was a sweet girl from Vienna who never quite fit in with the fast, sophisticated crowd at Versailles. At the Petit Trianon, she could get away and re-create the charming home life that she remembered from her childhood. Here she played, while in the cafés of faraway Paris, revolutionaries plotted the end of the ancien régime.
• The main Château is a 30-minute walk to the southeast. If you’ve had enough walking, you can ride the petit train from here back to the Château.
Or, you can return directly to the Versailles Château Rive Gauche train station by catching the TRI line shuttle bus (mid-April-Oct only, see map on here for stop, and read the “Getting Around the Gardens” sidebar, earlier). For a slightly shorter walk back to the train station, and a chance to see the Neptune Basin (an impressive miniature lake with fountains; see map on here), walk straight down from the Petit Trianon and turn left on Avenue de la Trianon. (Note that the gate here is closed before Spectacle shows.) If you stay straight as an arrow, you’ll run into the Neptune Basin, where the grand finale takes place on fountain days. Leave Neptune at the far-left corner gate, and you’ll pop out onto Rue de la Paroisse, the town’s main shopping drag, which takes you into the market square. From here a right on Avenue de l’Europe takes you to the Versailles Château Rive Gauche train station and the RER back to Paris.
For a less expensive and more laid-back alternative to Paris, the town of Versailles can be a good overnight stop, especially for drivers. Park in the palace’s main lot while looking for a hotel, or leave your car there overnight (see here). Get a map of Versailles at your hotel or at the TI.
$$ Hôtel de France*** is in an 18th-century townhouse a peasant’s toss from the palace. It offers Old World class, with mostly air-conditioned, traditional rooms, a pleasant courtyard, a bar, and a restaurant (Db-€130, big Db-170, Tb-€220, Wi-Fi, just off parking lot across from Château at 5 Rue Colbert, tel. 01 30 83 92 23, www.hotelfrance-versailles.com, hotel-de-france-versailles@wanadoo.fr).
$ Hôtel le Cheval Rouge***, built in 1676 as Louis XIV’s stables, now boards tourists. Tucked into a corner of Place du Marché, this modest hotel has a big courtyard with free parking and sufficiently comfortable rooms connected by long halls (Db-€94-108, Tb/Qb-€135, free breakfast for Rick Steves readers, no air-con, Wi-Fi, 18 Rue André Chénier, tel. 01 39 50 03 03, www.chevalrougeversailles.fr, chevalrouge@sfr.fr).
$ Hôtel Ibis Versailles** offers a good weekend value and modern comfort, with 85 air-conditioned rooms (Mon-Thu Db-€120-135, Fri-Sun Db-€80-105, extra bed-€10, good-value breakfast-€10, guest computer, Wi-Fi, parking-€12, across from RER station at 4 Avenue du Général de Gaulle, tel. 01 39 53 03 30, www.ibishotel.com, h1409@accor.com).
In the pleasant town center, around Place du Marché Notre-Dame, you’ll find a thriving open market (food market Sun, Tue, and Fri mornings until 13:00; clothing market all day Wed-Thu and Sat) and a variety of reasonably priced restaurants, cafés, and a few cobbled lanes. The square—a 15-minute walk from the Château (veer left as you leave the Château)—is lined with colorful and inexpensive eateries with good seating inside and out. Troll the various options or try one of these:
Bistrot du Boucher reeks with fun character inside and has good seating out. They like their meat dishes best here, though you’ll find a full menu of choices (€31 for three courses, €23 for two, daily, 12 Rue André Chénier, tel. 01 39 02 12 15).
Au Chien qui Fume is a good choice, with cozy seating inside and out, a playful staff, and reliable, traditional cuisine (€24-30 menu, €17 plats, closed Sun, 72 Rue de la Paroisse, tel. 01 39 53 14 56).
A la Côte Bretonne is a great bet for crêpes in a friendly, cozy setting. Fluent in English, Yann-Alan and his family have served up the cuisine of their native Brittany region since 1951 (€4-10 crêpes from a fun and creative menu, Tue-Sun 12:00-14:00 & 19:00-22:30, closed Mon, fine indoor and outdoor seating, a few steps off the square on traffic-free Rue des Deux Portes at #12, tel. 01 39 51 18 24).
La Boulangerie has mouthwatering sandwiches, salads, quiches, and more (Tue-Sun until 20:00, closed Mon, 60 Rue de la Paroisse).
Supermarket: A big Monoprix is centrally located between the Versailles Château Rive Gauche train station and Place du Marché Notre-Dame (entrances from Avenue de l’Europe and at 5 Rue Georges Clemenceau, Mon-Sat 8:30-21:20, closed Sun).
