Palace of Versailles

Royal Palace And Gardens, Seat Of The French Court From 1682 To 1789, UNESCO World Heritage Site Inscribed 1979 · Versailles, Ile-de-France

Versailles began as a hunting lodge of Louis XIII and was turned by Louis XIV into the largest and most lavish palace in Europe, the seat of the French court and government from 1682 until the Revolution forced the royal family back to Paris in 1789. It sits in the town of Versailles, about 20 km southwest of central Paris and easily reached by the RER C train. The palace holds the Hall of Mirrors, where the treaty ending the First World War was signed in 1919, the King's and Queen's State Apartments, the Royal Chapel and the Royal Opera. Behind it lie formal gardens by André Le Nôtre, with fountains, groves and the Grand Canal, and beyond them the estate of Marie Antoinette, with the Grand and Petit Trianon and the rustic Queen's Hamlet. On certain days the fountains play to music for a charge. The palace traditionally closes on Monday and is very crowded, especially on Tuesday and weekends. It is a full day, not a quick stop.

Place d'Armes, 78000 Versailles, Versailles, Ile-de-France, France

The palace opens six days a week and traditionally closes on Monday, with a daytime schedule that runs later in the high season, roughly April to October, and shorter in the low season; confirm the current hours. Last entry is some time before closing. The Trianon estate and Marie Antoinette's estate usually open later in the day than the palace, around midday, so plan the palace in the morning and the Trianons in the afternoon. The gardens open every day, including many Mondays, and are free on most days, but on musical fountain show days, weekends and some weekdays from spring to autumn, entry to the gardens is charged. Evening fountain and fireworks shows run on some summer Saturdays on a separate ticket. The park beyond the gardens, with the Grand Canal, opens longer hours. Timed entry to the palace is required, and slots on Tuesday, when the Paris museums are closed, and on weekends sell out. Closed on a few public holidays and during official state events. Check the official site for the day's schedule.

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