We arrived in Versailles after dark and walked the few steps to our hotel to drop our bags. Again, I always stay within easy walking distance of the train station. Our hotel was literally across the street.
Next was dinner. We found a cute restaurant on our street and went in for a wonderful French meal. I got the pizza Reine and Kevin got the Risotto aux Legumes.
Then it was time for some shut-eye so we could be up and ready for the Palace of Versailles in the morning.
Our hotel had a full breakfast station, so we took advantage of that before walking over to the Palace.
Full disclosure: I've wanted to visit Versailles since I was a little girl and learned that Louis XIV founded the Academie Royale de Musique (Paris Opera House) and had great influence in the history of ballet as one of the founders of baroque ballet (which eventually evolved into classical ballet). He danced in around 40 ballets. It wasn't until 20 years later that women began dancing ballet and the pointe shoe came into play. Before our visit, I seriously thought the Hall of Mirrors was the entire Palace. It was sure to be the highlight of my trip. And this trip was a LONG time coming! I attempted to visit Versailles in Feb/March of 2006, but the train workers in Paris went on strike and I didn't have a way to get there.
So, I was full of anticipation as we finished breakfast to walk over to the Palace..I mean, hunting lodge. It is the King's meager get-away, right?
As with everything, I did a ton of research to find what day of the week, what time of day, etc. was the best to enter the palace with the least amount of wait time and the least amount of guests. We were there during the holidays, which are always the busiest days of the entire year. But, I found that if we arrived fairly early in the morning, the wait wouldn't be as bad and we'd have plenty of time to see the Palace and the surrounding grounds. (The official Versailles website has a tracker to help you navigate the busiest days, if you want to plan ahead. Note that Versailles is closed every Monday.) I also chose not to purchase tickets in advance (just in case something happened and we needed to change plans). So, I waited in the security line while Kevin went into the ticket office (a door on the left when facing the Palace from the city of Versailles) to get Palace tickets and tickets to the Trianons & Hamlet. He joined me back in the line and we were through security in about 15 minutes. Easy! After grabbing our audio tour, we were off.
We spent from about 10am-3:30pm at Versailles (including an hour lunch) and saw the Palace, the grounds/gardens, The Grand Trianon, and the Petite Trianon. We missed the Hamlet, so we'll have to go back some day! Maybe next time we can stay in the Waldorf Astoria on the grounds too!
Highlights if you've visiting Versailles:
#1 Hall of Mirrors: WOW! This room is filled with 357 mirrors set into the seventeen arches on the opposite wall as the windows. Even at the time, this room screamed of luxury since mirrors weren't common to have. Add to that the gold and crystal chandeliers and it's no wonder this room was used for weddings and special events. Check out the ornate gold ladies holding candlesticks. I wish I could have been alone in this room like this Dior ad!
#2 Gardens: There's a reason the water feature is called the Grand Canal! It's almost as big as the whole of Venice! We were here in December, but I'm sure the gardens are a highlight in the Spring and Summer! You can get lost out there discovering little nooks with fountains and sculptures. Versailles has fountain shows from March to October, which sound awesome! If anything, walk through the gardens on your way from the Palace to the Trianons.
#3 Petite Trianon (Temple of Love): I liked the Grand Trianon, but I especially enjoyed the Petite Trianon. This was given to Marie Antoinette for her private escape. It's rooms were beautiful as was the little garden with the Temple of Love statue.
#4 Mesdames' Apartments (in the Palace): The rooms of Adelaide and Victoire were some of my favorite. They were two of Louis XV daughter's that never married and lived in the palace until the revolution. After awhile everything kind of looks the same, but these rooms were some of my favorites. Especially the library.
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| Check out those carpets. WOW! |
We had lunch at Angelina in the Palace. It was WONDERFUL! Angelina has many locations in Paris, so if you don't get the opportunity to enjoy one of those locations, visit in Versailles. The African Hot Chocolate is to die for!
I'd love to go back to see an Opera in the Opera Royal, explore the Hamlet and maybe go for a guided tour of the whole place. There's really too much to see in one day! I'd also love to spend some time in the city of Versailles. It was really beautiful!
Next stop: Paris!
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