On the way home from Paris, we stopped at Versailles. Just as the Louvre is the most visited museum in the world, Versailles is the most visited chateau/palace in the world.
All the King Louises had a hand in creating what is now an opulent display of French art and aristocracy. Louis XIV enlarged the original palace beginning in 1661 and Louis XV and XVI both made improvements in the 18th century until they left during the French Revolution. Finally in 1837 King Louis-Phillipe officially opened the palace as a museum.
We read a great tip about not waiting in the line that seemed to stretch for miles and instead took a behind the scenes private tour. The tour was only slightly more than the standard entrance fee and well worth it. We got to tour the private apartments of the royal family which was very educational. We felt quite claustrophobic when we had to rejoin the bourgeoisie in the common area. |
I much prefer the simple elegance of the rear of the palace to the golden over the top front facade.
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This is a tiny glimpse of the massive gardens of Versailles. We really should have allowed ourselves an entire day to enjoy the palace and walk through the gardens. You can also tour Marie Antoinette's estate as well.  |
| Hall of Mirrors |
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| The Royal Chapel |
And finally, one of the bizarre pieces of art on display. This enormous pair of stilettos are made entirely from stainless steel pots and lids. They were really interesting and not what you expect to see at Versailles!