Bienvenue! Aujourd’hui nous allons visiter le Palais de Versailles (Today we will be visiting Versailles Palace). The palace is not situated in Paris proper but on the outskirts, about 20 miles outside of the city. The easiest way to get their is by taking le Métro (the subway). Then it’s just une petite marche (a little walk) to reach the palace gates.

Like many of Paris’ great tourist attractions, Versailles is a world famous landmark. It is also a shining example of 17^th-century French opulence. There are many châteaux (castles) populating the French countryside but there is only one Versailles. From its sumptuous gardens and fountains to its ornate furniture and frescoes, Versailles inspires an unrivaled sense of awe and wonder.

Un Peu d’Histoire (A Little History)

Versailles was built as a hunting lodge by King Louis XIII in the first part of the 17^th century. His son Louis XIV, known as Le Roi Soleil (The Sun-King) partly because of his extreme narcissism, expanded the lodge by building a resplendent palace and transferred the government and his court there in 1682. For over a century le Palais du Louvre (the Louvre Palace) had been the seat of French power. Over the next few decades, a vast series of expansion projects drained the royal treasury and brought the country to the brink of bankruptcy. The grandeur of the palace presented a stark contrast to the abject destitution of the French people. The situation became de pire en pire (worse and worse) until the outbreak of the French Revolution in 1789 when the monarchy ended and Versailles ceased to be the center of power.

La Visite

Visiting Versailles takes au moins quelques heures (at least a few hours) so make sure you arrive early. Should you wish to experience the palace and its surroundings in its entirety, vous pouvez acheter le “Passeport 2 Jours” (you can purchase the “2 Day Passport”) that will give you access to the palace, its museums, the Grand and Petit Trianon and the Domaine de Marie-Antoinette. You can buy your billets (tickets) online and choose what you would like to visit. I highly recommend visiting, at the very least, the palace itself. La Gallerie des Glaces (the Hall of Mirrors) is perhaps the best example of 17^th-century French art with its magnificent frescoes, chandeliers and gilded statues. Les Grands Appartements du Roi (the King’s Great Apartments) are equally as stunning and offer a glimpse of the lavish lifestyle of the king and his court.

The vast garden complex of Versailles is nearly as impressive as the palace itself and took no less than quarante ans (forty years) to complete. Le Grand Trianon and Le Petit Trianon are smaller châteaux located on the grounds but at a distance from the main palace. Le Grand Trianon is made of marbre rose (pink marble) and was built by Louis XIV as a way to remove himself from court to be with his mistress Madame de Montespan. Le Petit Trianon was given to Queen Marie-Antoinette by her husband Louis XVI. She used both Le Petit Trianon and le Hameau (the Hamlet) as an escape from courtly duties and spent the majority of her time removed from the responsibilities of a queen.

When visiting the gardens, make sure to bring un manteau ou un blouson (a coat or a jacket) as Paris is not known for its tropical weather. I visited Versailles during the month of April a few years ago and, although it was the spring season, it was one of the coldest days I had ever experienced. Il faisait un froid de canard (an expression meaning It was bitterly cold). Wear good walking shoes even if all you visit is the main palace. There is a little shuttle that will take you from the palace to the surrounding areas if you prefer not to walk. Don’t forget to stop by the gift shop on your way out and, of course, prenez plein de photos (take plenty of pictures). After all, It’s not every day that you get to step into the past and witness first-hand the ostentation of French kings.