The Palace of Versailles with its magnificent gardens and the Trianon Estate can be found in the west of Paris in the Yvelines department. The palace is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Explore Versailles
France This Way review: The spectacular Palace of Versailles is one of the most beautiful and lavish buildings in the world and should not be missed if you are visiting Paris.
The palace and the associated spacious Versailles Palace gardens were commissioned by King Louis XIV and took almost 50 years to construct. At one time, almost 2200 men were employed on its construction.
By 1682 it was ready and Louis XIV transferred the court to Versailles, where all French monarchs lived until the revolution, and the town of Versailles became the unofficial capital city of the Kingdom of France.
About 3000 people lived at Versailles at that time, mostly servants necessary fulfill such duties as holding the king’s ermine robe, and to support the lavish entertainment and fabulous banquets that Versailles was well known for at the height of its power.
Versailles stopped being a royal residence in 1789 when a mob marched on the palace and forced the king and queen (Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette) to return to Paris.
The events that followed helped shape the history of Europe and of course was the start of the French revolution. Versailles was prevented from being demolished by King Louis-Philippe, who donated his own money to turn it into a museum.
Versailles Palace (Chateau de Versailles)
The whole palace is of course spectacular and lavishly appointed and it is huge. There are 2300 rooms in total covering over 63000 m2.
The first floor is the most lavish with the incredible Hall of Mirrors at its centre.
The Hall of Mirrors, with its 17 great mirrors facing the windows, is probably the best known room in Versailles. This is where the treaty of Versailles was signed in 1919, ending World War I.
The ceiling is painted with a series of thirty paintings by LeBrun depicting the early years of the reign of Louis XIV.
From the windows of the Hall of Mirrors are views over the central axis of the gardens along the Great Lawn and out over the Grand Canal.
The clock room contains a famous astronomical clock, which took 20 years to construct and you can set your watch by as it is designed to keep time until the year 9999! Mozart played in this room for the royal family on several occasions, at the age of 7.
The clock room and other apartments in the King's Private Apartments can only be visited on a guided tour at 10am.
The other “must-see” sight in the palace is the collection of seven rooms known as the Grands Appartements or King's State Apartment. As you might expect, each one is magnificently decorated and each one is named after a painting on the ceilings.
In one of the rooms, known as the Hercules Salon, you can see the largest and most ornate fireplace in the palace, which was carved from a single slab of marble. In the same room, the body of Louis XIV was put on display in 1715 after his death
On the ground floor of the palace are the rooms used by the close family of the king. These rooms are more simply furnished but perhaps more charming for that!
Trianon Estate
In addition to the palace itself is the Trianon Estate to visit which consists of the Grand and Petit Trianon and the Queen's Hamlet.
The Grand Trianon is built in lovely pink and white marble, while the Petit Trianon was built in a simple 'Greek Style' fashionable at the time. The Queen's Hamlet is a collection of buildings built for Marie Antoinette, in rustic style, as a retreat from life at court.
In more recent years the buildings have been used to house important guests. Queen Elizabeth II, King Hassan II of Morocco and President Jimmy Carter have all been hosted here.
Also to visit are the Royal Stables. The huge stables were once home to 600 of the king’s horses, and today they house 20 beautiful Lusitanian horses from Portugal. In addition to the usual guided tour, you can also watch costumed riders demonstrate skillful equestrian choreography, all set to period music.
Versailles Palace Gardens
One of the best things you can do at Versailles is simply to enjoy the spacious gardens, which are some of the most impressive in the world.
The Versailles Palace Gardens are so large, you can take a 'little train', a small electric vehicle or hire a bike to get around the grounds.
There is also a mile long Grand Canal, laid out to catch the rays of the setting sun, where King Louis used to take gondola rides. Boats can be hired on the canal.
If you visit Versailles during summer there are frequent programs of classical music concerts which take place in the palace grounds.
One of the unforgettable spectacles is the event known as “Dreams of the Sun” which occur occasionally. These festive affairs feature not only spectacular fireworks and music, but also 200 actors dressed in period costume. It is an experience not to be missed.
During the summer months the gardens have either 'Musical Gardens' or 'Musical Fountains'. We particularly recommend the musical fountains to enjoy the impressive sight of the fountains working.
On Saturday nights you can book the 'Night Fountains Show' and enjoy the gardens and fountains dramatically and colourfully lit up and a fireworks display at the end of the evening.
Visiting the Palace of Versailles
Versailles is easy to reach by frequent train service from the center of Paris, being about a thirty minute train ride from central Paris to Versailles Rive Gauche station.
When you first arrive at Versailles it is quite striking to see the contrast between the town of Versailles, with its typical provincial main street, and the spectacular palace which dominates one end of the town.
When you visit, try to avoid weekends and holidays if possible, when the place can get packed with crowds of French schoolchildren, and arrive early in the day as you need to allow a full day to see everything.
Indeed if you want to enjoy the gardens and the Trianon estate you really need two days.
There are various tickets you can choose. The Passport ticket gives access to the whole estate and includes the Musical Fountains on the days these are operating.
There is also a palace-only ticket, a gardens-only ticket and a Trianon Estate ticket plus various other offers.
Versailles tries to make visiting easy and as well as the usual selection of restaurants and souvenir shops the palace boasts several ATMs and places where you can leave luggage.
Restoration continues almost constantly at the huge palace, and you may find some areas are temporarily sealed off when you visit.
Attractions nearby
The town of Versailles has a reasonable selection of bars, restaurants and shops as well as a lively market in the town square several days a week.
Some people choose to stay in this area rather than Paris itself, as accommodation is generally cheaper than in Paris and the journey into Paris is easy and convenient.
Not far from the Palace of Versailles you can visit the Chateau de Rambouillet, once a Royal castle and now summer residence for French presidents.
See more castles in France. You can find more travel ideas in the Paris region guide.
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Places to visit near Versailles Palace
The Trianon Estate of the Chateau de Versailles
The Trianon estate of the Chateau de Versailles has two small palaces and a rustic hamlet surrounded by lovely flowery gardens.
The Trianon Estate of the Chateau de Versailles guide
Gardens of the Chateau de Versailles
The Gardens of the Chateau de Versailles are a remarkable garden famous throughout the world for its size and splendor.
Gardens of the Chateau de Versailles guide
Bois de Boulogne
The Bois de Boulogne is Paris' second biggest park and contains woods and gardens as well as an amusement park for young children and lots more.
Bois de Boulogne guide
Pont de Bir-Hakeim
The Pont de Bir-Hakeim is a famous bridge in Paris with views of the Eiffel Tower
Pont de Bir-Hakeim guide
Eiffel Tower
Built in the late 19th century as a temporary monument, it is extraordinary that the Eiffel Tower has since become the most famous landmark in Paris
Eiffel Tower guide
Porte de Vanves flea market
The Vanves flea market is one of the most popular of the flea markets in Paris and a great place to find a bargain.
Porte de Vanves flea market guideThe French version of this page is at Versailles Palace (Francais)