The Palace at Versailles, just west of Paris, must be one of the most sumptuous buildings in the Western World. Although it is now only a shell having been stripped of its furniture and furnishings in the French Revolution in 1789, it is still a most wonderful tourist attraction. It is little wonder that some ten to fifteen million visit the Palace and gardens every year. We recently added to that number and like everyone else were taken aback by the vast size of the palace and its gardens. 

Louis XIII started the building as a hunting lodge in 1623 but it was his successor, Louise XIV, the Sun King, who created the magnificent palace between 1661 – 1715. Not only did the king love Versailles as his royal palace but he even moved the French Government there in 1682. Versailles effectively became the capital of France. This situation remained until the revolution in 1789 when the palace was stripped and abandoned. It gained a new life in 1834 when the restored king, Louise-Phillipe opened the south wing as a museum. Although abandoned again in 1848, most of the paintings representing the battles were preserved and can still be seen in the Hall of Battles.

Probably the most enthralling interior gallery and the most admired is the hall of Mirrors. Built in 1684 it is often seen as the embodiment of Louis XIV’s view of the absolute rule of the French monarchs. It is architecture to take your breath away. The hall has also seen some great and controversial moments in European history including the Proclamation of the German Empire in 1871 and  the signing of the  Treaty of Versailles in 1919, marking the end of the First World War. 

The Palace is built of limestone with brick facing in rectilinear blocks of matching geometric proportions. Unlike Italian and British examples this masterpiece of French Baroque architecture is more restrained which is enhanced by the sheer extent of the wings. The baroque interiors are more flamboyant and free with beautifully decorated ceilings and halls as well as the royal chapel and Opera House. 

Outside the sprawling French-style gardens designed by André Le Nôtre combine formal layouts, sprawling axial woodlands full of hedges, sculptures and water features. As with the Palace, the gardens are vast and we took the option of hiring a buggy to drive around. Adjoining the Versailles gardens are those of the Grand and Petit Trianon. If Marie Antoinette became bored with the court she could retreat to Trianon for solitude. Napoleon Bonaparte did not reside at Versailles but chose the Grand Trianon as his summer residence.

All in all the Palace of Versailles is a wonderful day out and no wonder many millions of tourists flock there each year. I would advise, though, to get your tickets from the official sites and do not get ripped off by the numerous on line scammers!