Heard of "versailles" any time in your history class?If the answer is yes,then you may have recalled the famous "Treaty of versailles" which ended the world war-1.It would be amazing to experience what we have read or heard.
The palace of versailles located approximately 20 kms from paris,is one of the must visit places in france.The grandeur and history of the palace attracts many tourists from all over the world every year.
How to reach:
RER-C (The sub-urban train in paris) from champ de mars-Tour eiffel station to Versailles-Château – Rive Gauche station.The cost of round trip is 7 euros per person.From station,the walk to castle will be of 1 km.
Ticket Info:
The tickets to palace can be brought at the entrance or you can buy online in the official website http://en.chateauversailles.fr/plan-your-visit/tickets-and-prices.
The estate of versailles spreads over an area of 800 hectares.The history of palace dates in 17th century .It was a hunting lodge at first and converted into a palace by Louis-XIII and his successors continued the construction of the palace and made it the main place of administration in those days .After french revolution,it was used by the government as assembly in 19th century , later it turned into a museum.
At the entrance ,we should collect a audio guide which is available in 11 languages. The audio guide will give you an insight into the history of every room you visit.At the entrance of each room,you will find a number to be pressed to hear the details of that room.
Each and every room of the palace has good number of paintings,sculptures and antique things used in those days.The ceilings of each room are painted with bright and attractive sketches which depicts the stories of gods and lifestyle of people in those days.
Hall of Mirrors
The palace also have many attractive halls ,which were used at that time for administrative purpose.
The hall of mirrors is the place where the king used to rule for some years and later it was converted into a visitors waiting hall.The chandeliers decorated on the roof will give royal and charming look to the hall.
Gardens of Versailles:
The gardens of versailles are very well maintained and manicured.The big fountains present in the gardens have a nice architecture.They will be operated only in the spring and summer seasons with musical shows.You can also opt for boating in the lake near the garden.
The gardens are fully crowded in the summer,the entry will not be free when the musical fountain shows are organized. Every year from november to march(first sunday of each month),the entry to the palace and gardens will be free. But on those sundays ,it will be heavily crowded and you cannot enjoy the gardens due to the chilled weather.
If you have more time,you can also visit the estate of trianon and the gallery of coaches inside the versailles.
