The main reason to visit Versailles is the Palace of Versailles. In the 17th century, a hunting lodge was built here, which was later expanded by the Sun King Louis XIV into the impressive, world-famous palace. In addition to the palace itself, you can spend hours strolling through the beautifully landscaped gardens.

The Château de Versailles, better known as the Palace of Versailles, and its gardens are impressively large – you could easily spend two full days exploring the site. The royal bedroom with Louis XIV’s luxurious canopy bed is the heart of the palace. Around it are the royal rooms, some preserved, some reconstructed with period furniture.

You can also visit the chapel and the Hall of Mirrors. Some rooms can only be accessed through special guided tours. The Hall of Mirrors is one of the largest rooms in the palace, richly decorated with paintings and statues. It’s famous for being the location where the Treaty of Versailles was signed at the end of World War I.

Highlights include:

• The beginning of the palace
• Royal Chapel
• Hall of Mirrors
• Gallery of great battles
• Peace Room
• Hercules Room
• Room of Abundance
• Venus Room
• Diana Room
• Mars Room
• Mercury Room
• Apollo Room

While the palace tour may take 1.5 to 3 hours, you can easily spend an entire afternoon in the gardens. Designed by André Le Nôtre, they are the largest French formal gardens in the world, spanning over 800 hectares.

The vegetable plots, flowerbeds, fountains, and ponds are laid out with perfect symmetry. Statues of Greek and Roman gods and mythological creatures are scattered throughout. Don’t miss the golden frogs at the Latona Fountain.

Behind the gardens is the Grand Canal, a large rowing lake in the freely accessible park of Versailles – ideal for walking, cycling, picnicking, or renting a rowboat.

In the afternoon, you can visit the Trianon Estate, which consists of three parts. The Grand Trianon is the royal family’s pleasure pavilion, where they could temporarily escape the strict rules of court life. The adjacent Petit Trianon was mainly used by Marie Antoinette (the wife of Louis XVI). It consists of a small château surrounded by gardens.

A little further from the Petit Trianon lies the Hameau de la Reine. Marie Antoinette had this idyllic village built to experience a simple life as a farmer’s wife. The picturesque yet slightly decadent hamlet was constructed in the Norman style. The houses cannot be entered, but the charming atmosphere, vegetable gardens, and farm animals make it a unique and special place.

Far less crowded, but definitely worth a visit, are the Royal Stables and the Coach House. The stables consist of two separate buildings opposite the palace, built in the shape of a horseshoe. On weekends, horse shows are held in one of the buildings, and you can admire a large collection of historic carriages. The other building houses a sculpture museum and an architecture school. Les Écuries Royales can generally only be visited during the high season.

The opera house was inaugurated in 1770 under Louis XV. At the time, it was the largest concert hall in Europe. Constructed almost entirely of wood for perfect acoustics, its ceiling features Durameau’s painting of Apollo’s Triumph. The stalls could be raised to stage level for use as a ballroom – a technical marvel of its time.

Its construction is made almost entirely of wood, which provides excellent acoustics. The decoration features a marble imitation, enriched with sculptures by Pajou. The ceiling, painted by Durameau, depicts “The Triumph of Apollo, Protector of the Arts.” Gabriel and the stage designer Arnoult designed a mechanism that allowed the stalls to be raised to stage level, transforming the space into a mirrored hall. This ingenious system enabled the theatre to be used as a ballroom as well.

Sehen Sie sich die folgenden Zahlen an, die die Größe und Ausdehnung von Schloss Versailles und seinem Anwesen darstellen.

• Located 19 km south of Paris, built for Louis XIV in the late 17th century.
• Covers 51,210 m² with 700 rooms, 2,153 windows, 67 staircases, and 1,200 fireplaces.
• Adjusted for today, construction cost over £1.74 billion.
• Home to 6,000 paintings, 15,000 prints, 1,500 drawings, and 5,000 furniture pieces and artworks.
• The 800-hectare gardens contain 200,000 trees, 2,400 fountains, 55 ponds, and 372 statues.
• Each year, 210,000 flowers are planted. Le Nôtre ordered over 4 million tulip bulbs annually.
• The Orangery contains 1,080 orange trees, some over 200 years old.

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