Versailles. It’s very name conjures up images of outlandish decadence. Originally a hunting lodge, under the Sun King, Louis XIV, it became a royal palace of vast proportions.
Walking up the wide avenue towards the palace on its hilltop, the scale of this kingly residence becomes clear. Columns, statues, gold gilt, its exterior is a masterpiece.
Once inside, you walk up a plain spiral staircase. Then the fun begins. Room after room of the royal apartments, stripped of their furniture after the revolution but now faithfully restored. The decor declares for all to see the wealth and power of the Kings of France.
Separting the apartments of the King and Queen is the most famous room in the palace. The Hall of Mirrors, site of the declaration of the German Empire and of its defeat in 1919 with the signing of the Treaty Of Versailles. Being in such an historic room was a joy.
Aside from the Palace itself the estate of Versailles is vast. Its gardens, with its many fountains run down the hill towards the cross shaped Grand Canal. At one end of this lake lies the Grand and Petit Trianon, small palaces where the King and Queen would come to escape royal court.
The most peculiar feature of Versailles is the Hameau de la Reine. It is a small hamlet of buildings constructed in a rural style for Marie Antionette to pretend at living in a rural idyll with her guests. Unfortunately the lake that the hamlet is built around had been emptied and was being dredged in a restoration project so alas, no Instagram worthy photos.
Overall this UNESCO world heritage site is a must visit for anyone in Paris. A whole day can be spent wandering the estate and of course, that’s exactly what I did.
All Aboard The Backpacker's Express 