The Palace of Versailles is not in the city of Paris, but in the suburbs. The entire Palace of Versailles covers an area of 1.11 million square meters, the palace building covers an area of 110,000 square meters, and the garden covers an area of 1 million square meters. How to get to such a large palace and how to visit it? Don't worry, this article will explain it to you in detail.
The past and present of the Palace of Versailles
The Palace of Versailles (French: Chateau de Versailles) is located in the town of Versailles, southwest of Paris, France. It is one of the most famous palaces in Paris and even France, and one of the five largest palaces in the world. In 1979, it was listed as a World Cultural Heritage List by UNESCO.
In 1624, King Louis XIII of France bought 117 acres of swamp wasteland for 10,000 livres and built a two-story red brick building here as a hunting palace. Later, it was expanded by his son Louis XIV, and now has 2,300 rooms, 67 staircases and 5,210 pieces of furniture. It served as the French palace for 107 years (1682-1789).
On October 6, 1789, Louis XVI was taken to Paris by the people, and the history of Versailles as a royal palace ended. During the terror period of the French Revolution that followed, Versailles was looted many times by the people, and the doors and windows of the palace were smashed and demolished. In 1793, all the remaining artworks and furniture in the palace were transported to the Louvre. After that, Versailles became a ruin for 40 years. It was not until 1833 that King Louis Philippe of the Orleans Dynasty ordered the restoration of Versailles and turned it into a historical museum.
The Sun King and His Palace
The Sun King-Louis XIV was a king with all kinds of strange stories. For example, he didn't take a bath all year round because he was superstitious that bathing would make people sick (I feel sorry for the queen for 10 seconds here); he was short, so the shoes made by craftsmen for him would be raised with a pad, and by chance he became the originator of high heels.
Highlights not to be missed
Representative of symmetrical aesthetics: gardens
The Palace of Versailles is a classical-style building. The special feature of the classical architectural style is that the building is strictly symmetrical on the left and right. Therefore, the Palace of Versailles has a neat outline, solemn and majestic appearance, and is known as the representative of rational beauty. Its interior decoration is mainly in Baroque style, and a few halls are in Rococo style.
Luxury palace interior
The interior decoration is extremely luxurious and gorgeous, which is a major feature of the Palace of Versailles. More than 500 halls and small halls are magnificent and luxurious: the interior wall decoration is mainly carved, huge oil paintings and tapestries, equipped with 17th and 18th century furniture with superb shapes and exquisite craftsmanship. The Marble Courtyard and the Hall of Mirrors are two of the most prominent places. In addition to the interior decorations mentioned above, the sun is also a common theme because the sun is a symbol of Louis XIV.
Practical Information Tips
Transportation: It is recommended to take the train, the route name is: "Paris - Versailles Rive Gauche".
① RER C5 line → Versaille-Château Rive-Gauche station, one-way 4.2 euros;
② Train Paris Montparnasse station → Versailles Chantiers station;
③ Paris Saint Lazare station → Versailles Rive droite. After getting off the train, just follow the signs.
Ticket purchase: You can book a ticket for skipping the line through the official website of the Palace of Versailles. You can enter the palace without queuing within half an hour of the selected time. You need to make an appointment 2 days in advance. The Paris Museum Pass only allows you to skip the line to buy tickets, but not to enter the palace without queuing. At the same time, the museum pass only includes the palace, not the gardens, musical fountains and Trianon Palace of the Palace of Versailles.
Cost: 18 euros for the palace, 12 euros for the Trianon, 8.5 euros for the garden, and 9.5 euros when there is a musical fountain.
If you buy a pass (palace and garden), the one-day ticket is 20 euros, and the musical fountain is 27 euros; the two-day ticket is 25 euros, and the musical fountain is 30 euros.
Suggested tour route: Buy a one-day pass and queue up for security check at the door around 9 am. First visit the garden and the Trianon Palace, and then visit the main palace castle at 2 or 3 pm.
Tips:
If you are visiting with children and the elderly, it is strongly recommended to rent a battery car for 7 euros per person, because the back garden is very large and it takes a long time to walk.
Conclusion
After introducing so much, I believe everyone has a certain understanding of the Palace of Versailles. It is recommended that everyone go to Paris in person if they have time to experience this great human art treasure of the Palace of Versailles.