My initial impression of France was that it was dirty and smelled of urine and alcohol; it was not at all the city I had heard so many people rave about. Then I went to Versailles, and finally felt this is the glamorous Paris I understood Paris to be.
There’s no question that the Palace and Gardens of Versailles should be on anyone’s bucket list when going to France. The opulence and splendor of the place probably represent the apex of civilization (as well as the disparity between rich and poor).
Hall of Mirrors
FACTS: There are 700 rooms, 67 staircases and 352 fireplaces. Don’t worry you will not see all of this, only the highlights such as the Royal Chapel, the State Apartments of Louis X1V, Galerie des Glaces (hall of mirrors) and the King’s bedroom. In the queens bedroom 19 royal children were born. All the rooms were lavishly decorated and brought numerous gasps from the visitors. I could write pages on the sights and scenes within this Chateau, but to do justice you need to visit it yourself. Don’t waste the morning, visit the gardens (free) with their grand vistas, statuary, fountains and pools.
The ground is too big to navigate
The grounds are simply huge, and the formal gardens are lovely to walk through. Off to the far right side there is a smaller chateau, and the entrance to the little farm village the queen had built for herself.
The amount of architectural detail and decoration is just amazing, and it’s everywhere, both inside and outside. I can think of some other places that have rooms decorated as lavishly, but have never seen anything on the same scale as Versailles. It is unique and definitely worth investing most of a day
A big sigh of relief after visiting this glamorous attraction. I thought that I’ll be leaving France with a broken heart.
Entrance to this attraction is €15.
SOME ADVICES:
– Leave your hotel very very early and catch the early morning train from Paris to try to get there before the major crowds arrived. The queue going inside was sooo long (took us more than an hour to get in), regardless if you have bought the ticket online.
– Wear comfy shoes. The place is very huge and there’s a lot of walking to be done here.
– We went there on Spring, so be prepared for random rain showers. Bring an umbrella if you must.
– The place is so overcrowded. Just like any tourist spot, mind your belongings and beware of pick pockets.