Versailles & Surroundings
Palace of Versailles — The Sun Palace
The Château de Versailles is the largest and most magnificent palace in Europe — built under Louis XIV (the Sun King) starting in 1661 as a symbol of absolute power. 2,300 rooms, 815 hectares of gardens, 67,000 m² of palace: Versailles was not just a palace, but an entire city where 20,000 people lived — the king, the court, the servants, and an army of craftsmen.
The Highlights
- Hall of Mirrors (Galerie des Glaces): The most famous room in the world — 73 meters long, 357 mirrors, 20,000 candle lights (now electric), golden stuccoes, and a ceiling painting glorifying Louis XIV's victories. The Treaty of Versailles was signed here in 1919.
- King's Apartments: The private rooms of the king and queen — lavishly decorated, with original furnishings and an intimacy that contrasts with the grandeur of the state rooms.
- Gardens: André Le Nôtre's masterpiece of French garden art: symmetrical avenues, fountains (Grandes Eaux Musicales: fountains with music, Sat/Sun April–October, extra charge 10€), the Grand Canal (1.6 km long, rowboats can be rented) and the Orangery with 1,200 orange trees.
- Grand Trianon & Petit Trianon: The "escape palaces" at the edge of the park. The Petit Trianon was Marie-Antoinette's private residence — with the famous Hameau de la Reine, a recreated peasant village where the queen played "country life."
Practical Information
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Admission | Palace: 21€. Domaine (Palace + Trianon + Gardens): 28€. Gardens without fountain show: free. |
| Opening Hours | Tue–Sun 9:00–18:30 (Apr–Oct), 9:00–17:30 (Nov–Mar). Closed on Mondays. |
| Getting There | RER C from Paris (Saint-Michel, Invalides, Champ de Mars): 40 min., approx. 4€ one-way. Stop: Versailles Château Rive Gauche. |
| Waiting Time | 1–3 hours without advance booking! Online booking highly recommended. |
| Duration | Half day (Palace), full day (Palace + Gardens + Trianon) |
Tipp
Take the first RER C from Paris (around 7:30) and be at the entrance by 9 AM. From 11 AM it becomes unbearably crowded — that's when the tour buses unload their passengers. Alternatively: Come in the afternoon (after 3 PM) when the crowds disappear. And: Bring a picnic — the gardens are vast and perfect for it. The restaurants in the palace are expensive and mediocre.
Giverny, Fontainebleau & Champagne
Giverny — Monet's Garden
Giverny (80 km northwest of Paris) is the place where Claude Monet lived and painted from 1883 until his death in 1926. The water lily pond with the Japanese bridge and the flower garden with the famous irises, tulips, and poppies are not replicas — they are the originals that Monet immortalized in his paintings. In spring (April–June), the colors explode.
- Admission: 11€ (house + gardens). Opening hours: Daily 9:30–18:00 (April–November). Closed in winter.
- Getting There: Train from Paris Saint-Lazare to Vernon (45 min., from 15€), then shuttle bus to Giverny (10 min., 10€ round trip).
- Tip: Arrive as early as possible — after 11 AM, the garden is full of tour groups. The water lily pond is most beautiful in the morning light (just like in Monet's paintings).
Fontainebleau
The Château de Fontainebleau (60 km south) is the palace that inspired Versailles — a palace inhabited and expanded by every French ruler from Francis I to Napoleon III. Less crowded than Versailles, yet more intimate and surrounded by a magnificent forest (bouldering, hiking). Napoleon bid farewell to his guard here in 1814 (the famous "Cour des Adieux"). Admission: 14€. Train from Gare de Lyon: 40 min., from 10€.
Champagne — Reims & Épernay
Just 45 minutes by TGV from Paris lies Reims, the unofficial capital of Champagne: The cathedral (where the French kings were crowned), the cellars of the great houses (Veuve Clicquot, Taittinger, Ruinart) and a culinary scene that rivals the champagne itself. Épernay (30 min. from Reims) is the Avenue de Champagne — a kilometer of champagne houses (Moët & Chandon, Perrier-Jouët, Dom Pérignon). Cellar tour + tasting: from 25€.
- Getting There Reims: TGV from Gare de l'Est: 45 min., from 15€ (book early!).
- Getting There Épernay: TER from Gare de l'Est: 1h 20 min., from 15€.
- Tip: Reims and Épernay can be combined in a long day — or as an overnight trip for a relaxed experience.
War dieses Kapitel hilfreich?
