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Exploring | Where to Eat | Where to Stay | Nightlife and the Arts | Shopping
16 km (10 miles) west of Paris via A13.
It’s hard to tell which is larger at Château de Versailles—the world-famous château that housed Louis XIV and 20,000 of his courtiers or the mass of tour buses and visitors standing in front of it. The grandest palace in France remains one of the marvels of the world. But this edifice was not just home to the Sun King: it was also to be the new seat of the French government (from 1682 to 1789 and again from 1871 to 1879) and, by extension, the new French capital.
Getting Here
Versailles has three train stations, all reached from different stations in Paris (journey time 25–40 minutes). Versailles Rive Gauche provides the easiest access from Paris. The other two stations in Versailles are about a 10-minute walk from the château, although the municipal Bus B or a summertime shuttle service (use your métro ticket or pay a small fee in coins) can also deposit you at the front gates.
Visitor Information
Versailles Tourist Office. | 2 bis, av. de Paris | 78000 | 01–39–24–88–88 | www.versailles-tourisme.com.
Exploring
Avenue de Paris.
Its breadth of 120 yards makes Avenue de Paris wider than the Champs-Élysées, and its buildings are just as grand and even more historic. Avenue de Paris leads down to Place d’Armes, a vast sloping plaza usually filled with tourist buses. Facing the château are the Trojan-size royal stables. | 78000.
Cathédrale St-Louis.
Turn left from the Grandes Écuries stables, cross Avenue de Sceaux and Avenue de Paris, pass the imposing chancellery on the corner, and take Rue de Satory—a cute pedestrian shopping street—to the domed Cathédrale St-Louis, with its twin-tower facade, built from 1743 to 1754 and enriched with a fine organ and paintings. | 78000.
Fodor’s Choice | Château de Versailles.
Today the château seems monstrously big, but it wasn’t large enough for the army of 20,000 noblemen, servants, and hangers-on who moved in with Louis. A new city—a new capital, in fact—had to be constructed from scratch to accommodate them. Tough-thinking town planners promptly dreamed up vast mansions and avenues broader than the Champs-Élysées—all in bicep-flexing baroque.
It was hardly surprising that Louis XIV’s successors rapidly felt out of sync with their architectural inheritance. Louis XV and Louis XVI preferred to cower in small retreats in the gardens, well out of the mighty château’s shadow. The two most famous of these structures are the Petit Trianon, a model of classical harmony and proportion built for Louis XV, and the Hameau, where Marie-Antoinette could play at being a shepherdess amid the ersatz rusticity of her Potemkin hamlet. The contrast between the majestic and the domesticated is an important part of Versailles’s appeal. But pomp and bombast tend to prevail, and you won’t need reminding that you’re in the world’s grandest palace—or one of France’s most popular tourist attractions. The park and gardens outside are a great place to stretch your legs while taking in details of formal landscaping.
One of the highlights of the tour is the dazzling Galerie des Glaces (Hall of Mirrors). Lavish balls were once held here, as was a later event with much greater world impact: the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, which put an end to World War I on June 28, 1919. Grands Appartements (State Apartments) are whipped into a lather of decoration, with painted ceilings, marble walls, parquet floors, and canopy beds topped with ostrich plumes. The Petits Appartements (Private Apartments), where the royal family and friends lived, are on a more human scale, lined with 18th-century gold and white rococo boiseries. The Opéra Royal, the first oval hall in France, was designed for Louis XV and inaugurated in 1770 for the marriage of 15-year-old Louis XVI to 14-year-old Austrian archduchess Marie-Antoinette. Considered the finest 18th-century opera house in Europe (with acoustics to match), it has undergone extensive restoration, reopening in late 2009 as home to the Royal Opera and a major venue for world-class performers. Check out the “marble” loges—they’re actually trompe l’oeil. The solemn white-and-gold chapel was completed in 1710—the king and queen attended daily mass here seated in gilt boxes. Completed in 1701 in the Louis-XIV style, the Apartements du Roi (King’s Apartments) comprise a suite of 15 rooms set in a “U” around the east facade’s Marble Court. While the Chambre de la Reine (Queen’s Bed Chamber)—probably the most opulent bedroom in the world—was initially created for Marie Thérèse, first and only official wife of Louis XIV, to be part of the Queen’s Apartments, its latest update was made for Marie-Antoinette, and its light, frilly, and incredibly sumptuous floral-motif textiles and extravagant baldachin (with its enormous panaches of ostrich feathers) reflect the chicest style of the late 18th century. The superb Salon du Grand Couvert, antechamber to the Queen’s Apartments and the place where Louis XIV took his supper every evening at ten o’clock, has recently reopened after a 16-month restoration. The sumptuously painted walls and ceilings, tapestries, woodwork, and even the furniture have been restored to their original splendor, the only one of the queen’s private rooms that can be seen exactly as it was first decorated in the 1670s.
Despite its sprawl, the palace of Versailles can get stiflingly crowded, especially as visitors are funneled through one narrow side of most of the rooms, with the furniture and objets d’art roped off. You may be able to avoid the crowds (and lines for tours) if you arrive here at 9 am. The main entrance is near the top of the courtyard to the right; there are different lines depending on tour, physical ability, and group status. Frequent guided tours in English visit the private royal apartments. More detailed hour-long tours explore the opera house or Marie-Antoinette’s private parlors. You can go through the grandest rooms—including the Hall of Mirrors and Marie-Antoinette’s stunningly opulent bedchamber—without a group tour. To figure out the system, pick up a brochure at the information office or ticket counter or visit the site online in English. | Place d’Armes | 78000 | 01–30–83–78–00 | www.chateauversailles.fr | €18 general admission; €25 all-attractions pass; €10 Marie-Antoinette’s Domain; park free (weekend fountain show, €9, Apr.–Oct.). On 1st Sun. of month Nov.–Mar. all palace tours are free | Palace Apr.–Oct., Tues.–Sun. 9–6:30; Nov.–Mar., Tues.–Sun. 9–5:30. Trianons Apr.–Oct., Tues.–Sun. noon–6:30; Nov.–Mar., Tues.–Sun. 12–5:30. Garden Apr.–Oct., daily 8 am–8:30 pm; Nov.–Mar., Tues.–Sun. 8–6. Park Apr.–Oct., daily 7am–8:30 pm; Nov.–Mar., Tues.–Sun. 8–6.
Grandes Écuries (Grand Stables).
The Grandes Écuries house theMusée des Carrosses (Carriage Museum) and the Academy of Equestrian Arts, where you can see 28 white horses and their riders, trained by the great equine choreographer Bartabas, practicing every morning. Fodor’s Talk Forum readers rave about the show. | Av. Rockefeller | 78000 | 01–39–02–07–14 | www.acadequestre.fr | €12–€25. Museum €2 | Academy Feb.–Dec, phone for hours, Carriage Museum Apr.–Oct. weekends.
Musée Lambinet.
Around the back of Notre-Dame, on Boulevard de la Reine (note the regimented lines of trees), are the elegant Hôtel de Neyret and the Musée Lambinet, a sumptuous mansion from 1751, with collections of paintings, weapons, fans, and porcelain (including the Madame du Barry “Rose”). A tearoom, open Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday afternoons, provides an elegant way to refresh after an afternoon of sightseeing. | 54 bd. de la Reine | 78000 | 01–39–50–30–32 | www.versailles-tourisme.com | €4 | Sat.–Thurs. 2–6.
Nôtre-Dame.
If you have any energy left after exploring Louis XIV’s palace and park, a tour of Versailles—a textbook 18th-century town—offers a telling contrast between the majestic and the domestic. From the front gate of Versailles’s palace turn left onto the Rue de l’Independence-Américaine and walk over to Rue Carnot past the stately Écuries de la Reine—once the queen’s stables, now the regional law courts—to octagonal Place Hoche. Down Rue Hoche to the left is the powerful Baroque facade of Notre-Dame, built from 1684 to 1686 by Jules Hardouin-Mansart as the parish church for Louis XIV’s new town. | 78000
Place du Marché-Notre-Dame.
Passage de la Geôle, a cobbled alley lined with quaint antiques shops, climbs up to Place du Marché-Notre-Dame, with an open-air morning market on Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday that is famed throughout the region (note the four 19th-century timber-roof halls). Fresh fruit and vegetables from the palace’s own kitchen garden, le potager du roi, can be purchased on market days. | 78000
Potager du Roi.
Rue d’Anjou leads down to the 6-acre Potager du Roi, the lovingly restored, split-level royal fruit-and-vegetable garden created in 1683 by Jean-Baptiste de La Quintinye. Many rare heirloom species are still cultivated here by a staff of gardeners. | 10 rue du Maréchal Joffre | 78000 | 01–39–24–62–62 | www.potager-du-roi.fr | Sat., Sun €6.50, weekdays €4.50 | Apr.–Oct., Tues.–Sun. 10–6; rest of the year open selectively.
Where to Eat
Au Chapeau Gris.
FRENCH | This bustling wood-beam restaurant just off Avenue de St-Cloud, overlooking elegant Place Hoche, offers hearty selections of meat and fish, ranging from bœuf Rossini (with wild mushrooms) to salmon and scallops marinated in lime and the top-price lobster fricasseed in Sancerre. The wine list roams around the vineyards of Bordeaux and Burgundy, while desserts include pineapple tartare with hibiscus syrup, and glazed pear in pastry with hot-chocolate sauce. The prix-fixe menu makes a reasonable and satisfying lunchtime option. | Average main: €16 | 7 rue Hoche | 78000 | 01–39–50–10–81 | www.auchapeaugris.com | Closed Wed. No dinner Tues. and daily late July–late Aug.
Fodor’s Choice | Gordon Ramsay au Trianon.
MODERN FRENCH | Gordon Ramsay, the ebullient “bad boy de la cuisine anglaise,” has already amassed a string of restaurants worldwide, including 12 British restaurants and 18 others around the world from Tokyo to Australia to L.A. to Las Vegas—all the while maintaining a consistent two stars for this establishment. Although he cut his culinary teeth in the kitchens of master chefs Guy Savoy and Joël Robuchon, this is his first eatery on French soil. The delicious results—overseen by his longstanding London number two, Simone Zanoni—are predictably conversation-worthy: raviolo of langoustines and lobster cooked in a Riesling bisque with Petrossian caviar and lime consommé; or the Périgord foie gras done “2 ways,” roasted with a beetroot tart and pressed with green apple and Sauternes, are two top main dishes. Desserts are marvels, too, with chocolate meringue with vanilla ice cream, candied pear, and black currant vying for top honors with the raspberry soufflé with chocolate and tarragon ice cream. The Trianon’s more casual, 60-seat Véranda restaurant is now also under Ramsay’s sway, and in its black-and-white contemporary setting you can opt for Ramsay’s “light, modern take” on such bistro novelties as radicchio and Parmesan risotto with chorizo oil or the fillet of sole in a parsley crust, cèpes, and sautéed artichokes. Teatime provides a delightful (and reasonable) restorative for weary château-goers, with a French take on high tea: scones, madeleines, and heavenly macarons. | Average main: €150 | 1 bd. de la Reine | 78000 | 01–30–84–55–55 | www.gordonramsay.com/grautrianon | Reservations essential. Jacket required | Closed Sun. and Mon. No lunch Tues.–Thurs.
Fodor’s Choice | L’Angelique.
MODERN FRENCH | After the stellar success of his first Michelin-starred restaurant, L’Escarbille (in Meudon), chef Régis Douysset’s newest venture confirms his commitment to refined-yet-unfussy French cuisine. The dining room, in a restored 17th-century town house, is serene and comfortable, with white walls, wood-beam ceilings, dark wood paneling, and tasteful artwork—a handsome setting in which to relax into one of the best meals in town. The seasonally changing menu offers a good balance of seafood, game, and meat: a delicate perch fillet with spaghetti de mer (in a shellfish bouillon) or the venison shoulder with grilled turnips and a spätzle of girolle mushrooms. Desserts are not to be missed—the tart feuilletée, with candied peaches, cardamom, and peach sorbet, is ethereal. Having earned a Michelin star, this spot is justifiably popular, so reserve well in advance. | Average main: €28 | 27 av. de Saint-Cloud | 78000 | 01–30–84–98–85 | www.langelique.fr | Closed Sun. and Mon.
Where to Stay
Home St-Louis.
HOTEL | This family-run, three-story, stone-and-brick hotel is a good, cheap bet—close to the cathedral and a 15-minute walk from the château—with the quietest rooms overlooking the courtyard at the back, rather than facing the street. Breakfast is served for an added price. Pros: cheap; friendly. Cons: not in town center; rooms are small. | Rooms from: €93 | 28 rue St-Louis | 78000 | 01–39–50–23–55 | www.lehomestlouis.com | 25 rooms | No meals.
Le Cheval Rouge.
HOTEL | This unpretentious old hotel, built in 1676, is in a corner of the town market square, close to the château and strongly recommended if you plan to explore the town on foot. Some rooms around the old stable courtyard have their original wood beams. Several rooms have been brought up to date and redecorated in pastel colors; the most spacious is Room 108, one of the few rooms with a bath rather than just a shower. Breakfast is served for an added price. Pros: great setting in town center; good value for Versailles. Cons: bland public areas; some rooms need renovating. | Rooms from: €82 | 18 rue André-Chénier | 78000 | 01–39–50–03–03 | www.chevalrougeversailles.fr | 40 rooms | No meals.
Trianon Palace Versailles, a Waldorf Astoria Hotel.
HOTEL | A modern-day Versailles, this deluxe hotel is in a turn-of-the-20th-century, creamy white creation of imposing size, filled with soaring rooms (including the historic Salle Clemenceau, site of the 1919 Versailles Peace Conference), palatial columns, and with a huge garden close to the château park. Once faded, the hotel, now part of the Waldorf-Astoria chain, is aglitter once again with a health club (the pool idles beneath a glass pyramid), Guerlain spa, and a refurbished lobby glammed up with Murano chandeliers and high-back, green-leather armchairs. The hotel headliner these days is famed, foul-mouthed, super-chef Gordon Ramsay, who has remade the luxury restaurant here (along with a more casual eatery) with a big splash. As for the guest rooms, try to avoid the newer annex, the Pavillon Trianon, and insist on the full treatment in the main building (ask for one of the even-number rooms, which look out over the woods near the Trianons; odd-number rooms overlook the modern annex). Pros: palatial glamour; wonderful setting right by château park; Gordon Ramsay. Cons: lack of a personal touch after recent changes of ownership. | Rooms from: €250 | 1 bd. de la Reine | 78000 | 01–30–84–50–00 | www.placeshilton.com/trianon-palace-versailles | 199 rooms, 23 suites | Breakfast.
Nightlife and the Arts
Académie du Spectacle Equestre.
Directed by Bartabas, the Académie du Spectacle Equestre stages spectacular, hour-long shows on weekend afternoons of horses and their riders performing to music in the converted 17th-century Manège (riding school) at the Grandes Écuries opposite the palace. | Av. Rockefeller | 78000 | 01–39–02–07–14 | www.acadequestre.fr.
Centre de Musique Baroque.
The Centre de Musique Baroque presents concerts of Baroque music in the château’s Opéra Royal and chapel. | 22 av. de Paris | 78000 | 01–39–20–78–10 | www.cmbv.com.
Château de Versailles Spectacles.
This organization offers opera, ballet, and other artsy options in venues like the Opéra Royal, Orangerie, and Hall of Mirrors. It’s also responsible for the Château’s must-see musical Fountain Show. | 01–30–83–78–98 | www.chateauversailles-spectacles.fr.
The Mois Molière.
In June the Mois Molière heralds a program of concerts, drama, and exhibits inspired by the famous playwright. See their website for detailed information. | 78000 | 01–30–97–84–48 | www.moismoliere.com.
Théâtre Montansier.
A well-conceived annual calendar here usually features a full program of plays. | 13 rue des Réservoirs | 78000 | 01–39–20–16–00 | www.theatremontansier.com.
Shopping
Aux Colonnes.
A highly rated confiserie (candy shop), Aux Colonnes has a cornucopia of chocolates and candies. It’s closed Monday. | 14 rue Hoche | 78000 | 01–39–50–30–74.
Les Délices du Palais.
Everybody heads here to shop for the makings of an impromptu picnic (cold cuts, cheese, salads); it’s closed Monday. | 4 rue du Maréchal-Foch | 78000 | 01–39–50–01–11.
Passage de la Geôle.
Open Friday through Sunday 9–7, this is close to the town’s stupendous market and houses several good antiques shops. | 78000
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