If you want to immerse yourself in French history, there is no better place than spending the day exploring the Château de Versailles.
"Blessed are the curious for they will have adventures.” Anonymous
One of the things I really love about travel is the ability to visit history where it happened. If you want to immerse yourself in French history, there is no better place than spending the day exploring the Château de Versailles, including the Hall of Mirrors, King’s Grand Apartments, as well as its gardens, the Grand Trianon and Marie-Antoinette’s domain. I also highly recommend purchasing the audio tour for your visit.
The Palace of Versailles was the principal residence of the Kings of France from Louis XIV in 1682 until the beginning of the French Revolution in 1789. It is just 20 kilometers from the center of Paris located in the Yvelines Department of the Île-de-France region.
The most famous room in the Palace, the Hall of Mirrors. With its’ seventeen mirror-clad arches that reflect the seventeen arcaded windows overlooking the gardens, it is awe inspiring.
Take a minute to stand in the middle of the Hall of Mirrors and ponder that within here the state of Germany was declared in 1871 and the Treaty of Versailles signed by the victorious powers of World War I in 1919. The Hall of Mirrors was used daily by Louis XIV as he walked from his private apartment to the chapel in the 17th century.
On your tour, do not miss the Queen’s Apartments. Louis XIV’s wife, Queen Maria Theresa, was the first to live in these Apartments. The Bedchamber is where the Queen spent most of her time. Here, she would sleep, receive guests and give birth, in public, to the Princes and Princesses of the Realm.
The part about “giving birth in public” certainly caught my attention. You may be interested to know that “in public” really meant only doctors, ladies in waiting, the governess of the Princes and Princesses of the Realm, the Princesses of the royal family and a few members of the church. The rest of the court waited in another room. That sounds a bit better to me! The queen was hidden behind a screen or canvas tent while giving birth and the entire court filed through to present their compliments after giving birth. Twenty Princes and Princesses of the Realm were born here between 1682 and 1786.
After visiting the Palace in the morning, spend your afternoon at Trianon Palaces and the Estate of Marie Antoinette. These are located beyond the gardens of Versailles. It is accessible in all season and is about a 30 minute walk or 20 minutes by the mini-train or by electric vehicle.
The Grand Trianon is a small château located in the northwestern part of Versailles.
King Louis XIV of France used this as a retreat for himself and his maîtresse en titre of the time, the Marquise de Montespan.
It was a place where he and invited guests could take light meals away from the strict étiquette of the Court.
The Petit Trianon was given as a gift by Louis XVI to his young bride, Marie- Antoinette. She rapidly made it her own and set about redecorating the exteriors. You can still see her mark on the interior and exterior of the Petit Trianon today.
The Queen’s hamlet was also built for Marie-Antoinette and is meant to replicate a real Norman village with its thatched roof houses.
It includes eleven houses set out around the Great Lake. Each house has its own small garden, planted with various vegetables, flowers, fruit trees, etc.
The Malborough Tower overlooking the lake was used for outings in boats or fishing trips.
The Hamlet like the Palace itself, suffered under the French Revolution. However, Napoleon had the houses redecorated and refurnished for the use of the Empress Marie-Louise, his second wife. Today, the farm still boasts a varied livestock.
My friends and I took a train from Paris, France and did the audio tour on our own. If you chose to travel to Versailles on your own rather than as part of a tour, be sure and check out the office site at http://en.chateauversailles.fr
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