Versailles is one of those places that manages to live up to the lofty expectations and mythology that surrounds it.
You will have seen photos of the glittering Hall of Mirrors or the endless gardens, but nothing quite prepares you for the scale of it all when you arrive in person. From the golden gates outside to the enormous chandeliers inside, everything about Versailles feels like it was designed to impress. And it was.
Just outside Paris, the Palace of Versailles is probably the most iconic landmark in France, and it’s easy to see why. It’s stunning, dramatic, flamboyant, and full of stories about power, opulence, and revolution.
Louis XIV: the Sun King
Versailles became what it is today, thanks to King Louis XIV.
He transformed what was once a fairly simple hunting lodge, into one of the most extravagant palaces in Europe during the 17th century. And when I say extravagant, I mean really extravagant.
Louis wanted to show the world just how powerful he France had become. Every room, garden, painting, and fountain was part of that message. The palace wasn’t simply somewhere to live; it was a massive display of royal sway.
By 1682, Louis had moved the royal court and government to Versailles, turning it into the political centre of France. Noble families competed for the king’s attention, following endless rules and ceremonies at court.
As I walk through Versailles, I can still feel that sense of theatre and performance everywhere.
The Hall of Mirrors really is that impressive
The Hall of Mirrors is the most famous room in the palace, and yes – it absolutely lives up to its reputation: 70 metres long, with 17 enormous arched windows along one wall, and equally enormous, aligned mirrors on the opposite wall. Sunlight pours into the room and reflects everywhere. The entire room sparkles.
The first time I was here, as a mere teenager, a guide said the mirrors were installed so everyone around the table could enjoy the views of the formidable gardens. No fighting about which side of the table to sit at. Nice!
20 years later, I asked another guide about this. Main non! she said. The Hall of Mirrors was not used as a dining room. Louis XIV had the mirrors put in to magnify the space – yet another way to show off his power.
Well, who’s to say exactly what was going on in the 1680s.
No table in the Hall of Mirrors now, though. At least not last time I stopped by. Would have made for slow movement for the 27,000 tourists who visit every day. But I can easily imagine the table. Lavish! And the view. Equally lavish!
Even more interesting is knowing that centuries after Louis XIV held his grand royal events in the Hall of Mirrors, the allied powers and an unwilling Germany signed the Treaty of Versailles in this very room, on 28 June 1919. And with that, World War I was officially over, exactly 5 years after Serb revolutionary Gavrilo Princip assassinated Duchess Sophie and Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria in Sarajevo, which set off the whole thing in the first place. It was an awful treaty. So bad, in fact, it led to the rise of the Nazi Party in Germany, and to World War II, 20 years later.
Petit Trianon: Marie-Antoinette’s escape from court life
Poor little Maria Antonia. Married at 14, for political reasons, and to a prince who was impotent for 7 years, no less. Next to the Sun King himself, Marie-Antoinette is the most talked-about person who lived at Versailles, remembered for her luxuries and excess. The reality was more complicated.
Court life at Versailles was incredibly formal and intensely public, so she often escaped to Petit Trianon, a smaller palace out-of-the-way in the grounds. Compared with the overwhelming grandeur of the main palace, Petit Trianon is quieter and far more personal. It is easy to see why she loved it.
Marie-Antoinette also created the Queen’s Hamlet, a little village designed to look like an ideal countryside retreat.
But while the royal family led a sheltered life at Versailles, tensions in France were growing rapidly. In 1789, the French Revolution took off. The family was forced to leave the palace, and four years later M-A was unalived at Place de la Concorde.
It feels strange to walk through such magnificent surroundings, knowing how dramatically everything changed.
The gardens are as incredible as the palace –
– and they are enormous! Ca. 800 hectares (about 2,000 acres, for you Americans) of grounds, filled with fountains, statues, tree-lined pathways, and perfectly symmetrical flowerbeds.
Not that into gardens? You’ll still want to see these – impossibly neat and carefully planned. Which, of course, was exactly the point. Louis XIV wanted nature itself to appear controlled and ordered.
Some of the highlights include the Apollo Fountain, the Latona Fountain, and the Grand Canal. On sunny days, people spend hours wandering around the grounds or sitting beside the fountains.
If you are here during the Grandes Eaux Musical – Musical Fountain Shows (every Saturday and Sunday between 1. April – 1. November), you’ll see the fountains dancing to Baroque music.
Why is Versailles a UNESCO World Heritage site?
UNESCO added Versailles to its World Heritage List already in 1979, recognising its cultural and historical importance. And it is very much deserving of that recognition.
Versailles influenced palace design all across Europe, inspiring royal residences in several countries, including Schönbrunn in Austria and the Winter Palace in Russia. It still feels like the ultimate symbol of royal grandeur, in every sense.
The ongoing restoration work happening across the estate is also impressive. No small task, maintaining a palace of this size: the rooms, the furniture, the paintings, not to mention the gardens. The responsibility would make my head spin.
Visiting Versailles today
Versailles is an extraordinary property, worthy of your time even today, centuries after its golden age.
My advice? Some of the best moments happen away from the busiest rooms, so get here early and give yourself plenty of time to amble around, especially in the gardens. Have a wander by Grand Trianon, Petit Trianon, and through Marie-Antoinette’s hamlet. In fact, set aside a whole day, if you can.
It feels both beautiful and strangely human at the same time, this palace. It is a monument to ambition and power – and also to the cruel twists of history.
PS It has been a good while since I was last at Versailles, and snapping photos indoors were strictly forbidden then. Looks like this has changed, so I need to go back. I’ll give myself an entire day, and pretend it’s 1785.
Palace and Park of Versailles is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Here are more UNESCO World Heritage sites around the world.
